Narrative:

We were parked at the GA ramp which is on the east side of the airport in slc. The copilot called ground control to request engine start and notified the controller of our position at GA ramp. The controller replied that it wasn't necessary to request engine start-up from the general ramp and to call back when ready to taxi. After completing our engine start we called on the same ground control frequency to request taxi clearance. The controller cleared us to taxi to runway 34R, which we did without incident. After reaching runway 34R we changed from ground control to tower frequency, and reported ready at runway 34R. The tower controller seemed unclr of our position and asked us to confirm we were on the east side of runway 34R, which we were. The tower then gave us the slc tower phone number and asked us to call them about a 'pilot deviation.' I later phoned the tower and spoke with a supervisor who informed me he had reviewed the tapes and that a ground controller had erroneously thought we were parked on the west side of the airport, not the east, when he cleared us to taxi to runway 34R. No problems arose from the controller's mistake because slc was landing and departing from runways 34L&right, also because visibility was unlimited and from the cockpit we were able to clearly see the approach and departure paths while taxiing as cleared to runway 34R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW TAXIED TO RWY WITHOUT THE ATCT GND CTLR REALIZING WHERE THEY WERE ON THE ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE PARKED AT THE GA RAMP WHICH IS ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT IN SLC. THE COPLT CALLED GND CTL TO REQUEST ENG START AND NOTIFIED THE CTLR OF OUR POS AT GA RAMP. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT IT WASN'T NECESSARY TO REQUEST ENG START-UP FROM THE GENERAL RAMP AND TO CALL BACK WHEN READY TO TAXI. AFTER COMPLETING OUR ENG START WE CALLED ON THE SAME GND CTL FREQ TO REQUEST TAXI CLRNC. THE CTLR CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 34R, WHICH WE DID WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER REACHING RWY 34R WE CHANGED FROM GND CTL TO TWR FREQ, AND RPTED READY AT RWY 34R. THE TWR CTLR SEEMED UNCLR OF OUR POS AND ASKED US TO CONFIRM WE WERE ON THE E SIDE OF RWY 34R, WHICH WE WERE. THE TWR THEN GAVE US THE SLC TWR PHONE NUMBER AND ASKED US TO CALL THEM ABOUT A 'PLTDEV.' I LATER PHONED THE TWR AND SPOKE WITH A SUPVR WHO INFORMED ME HE HAD REVIEWED THE TAPES AND THAT A GND CTLR HAD ERRONEOUSLY THOUGHT WE WERE PARKED ON THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT, NOT THE E, WHEN HE CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 34R. NO PROBS AROSE FROM THE CTLR'S MISTAKE BECAUSE SLC WAS LNDG AND DEPARTING FROM RWYS 34L&R, ALSO BECAUSE VISIBILITY WAS UNLIMITED AND FROM THE COCKPIT WE WERE ABLE TO CLRLY SEE THE APCH AND DEP PATHS WHILE TAXIING AS CLRED TO RWY 34R.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.