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A low time PA28 pilot assumed the tower at atw was closed, which was not the case, and taxied without permission.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 515530 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200106 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : atw.airport |
| State Reference | WI |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 510 flight time type : 450 |
| ASRS Report | 515530 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe incursion : taxiway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Planning to depart VFR at night from a class D airport, attempted to contact ground control for permission to taxi. Received no response. Attempted, subsequently, to contact the tower. Again, received no response. Assuming that the tower was already closed, transmitted intentions on the tower frequency and began to taxi to the active runway. While I was holding short of the runway, an airport security vehicle caught up with me, dispatched by the tower as it turned out. The tower was not closed, and all they could hear was blank xmissions from me. Airport security personnel confirmed first-hand my radio problems. He also verified I was on the correct frequency. Continuing to troubleshoot my radio, while the airport security officer was helping wit his flashlight, I had unplugged my headset and plugged it into one of the passenger's receptacles, thus re-establishing contact with the tower. Tower subsequently cleared me for a VFR departure. I had endangered no one, and did not cause any disruptions, merely taxied without actually being in radio contact with ground control. If I were in a similar situation again, I would attempt to further troubleshoot the radio before taxiing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A LOW TIME PA28 PLT ASSUMED THE TWR AT ATW WAS CLOSED, WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE, AND TAXIED WITHOUT PERMISSION.
Narrative: PLANNING TO DEPART VFR AT NIGHT FROM A CLASS D ARPT, ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT GND CTL FOR PERMISSION TO TAXI. RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. ATTEMPTED, SUBSEQUENTLY, TO CONTACT THE TWR. AGAIN, RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. ASSUMING THAT THE TWR WAS ALREADY CLOSED, XMITTED INTENTIONS ON THE TWR FREQ AND BEGAN TO TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY. WHILE I WAS HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY, AN ARPT SECURITY VEHICLE CAUGHT UP WITH ME, DISPATCHED BY THE TWR AS IT TURNED OUT. THE TWR WAS NOT CLOSED, AND ALL THEY COULD HEAR WAS BLANK XMISSIONS FROM ME. ARPT SECURITY PERSONNEL CONFIRMED FIRST-HAND MY RADIO PROBS. HE ALSO VERIFIED I WAS ON THE CORRECT FREQ. CONTINUING TO TROUBLESHOOT MY RADIO, WHILE THE ARPT SECURITY OFFICER WAS HELPING WIT HIS FLASHLIGHT, I HAD UNPLUGGED MY HEADSET AND PLUGGED IT INTO ONE OF THE PAX'S RECEPTACLES, THUS RE-ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH THE TWR. TWR SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED ME FOR A VFR DEP. I HAD ENDANGERED NO ONE, AND DID NOT CAUSE ANY DISRUPTIONS, MERELY TAXIED WITHOUT ACTUALLY BEING IN RADIO CONTACT WITH GND CTL. IF I WERE IN A SIMILAR SIT AGAIN, I WOULD ATTEMPT TO FURTHER TROUBLESHOOT THE RADIO BEFORE TAXIING.
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.