Narrative:

Runway surface deviation. Runway 16L/34R at slc, aug/mon/01, XA15L. I was returning from a training class with 3 other passenger. I had heard the duty manager advise airport control that runway xx (I didn't hear which one), was closed. The day prior, we had closed runway 16L/34R for painting. The painting supervisor advised us that this runway would be closed each day (XA45-XB45L) for painting. A NOTAM request for runway 16L/34R had been prepared for use this day. I approached the east side of runway 16L/34R and asked the duty manager for permission to enter 'the closed runway from the north end.' I was granted permission and drove towards the runway. As I approached the runway, I did not see other vehicles (or even aircraft) so, I called the duty manager again and stated 'verify that I can drive onto closed runway 34R.' the manager said 'proceed.' I answered, 'proceeding onto closed runway 34R.' just as I reached the shoulder of the runway, the manager told me, 'negative, runway 16R/34L is closed.' I immediately turned hard right and exited the area. ATC did not see me or report a vehicle. After I left the area of runway 34R/16L, I sought out the duty manager to find out what happened. The duty manager told me her version: a) when I stated I was at the north end of the closed runway, she assumed I was at the north end of runway 16R/34L, she did not see me, but granted me permission to enter the runway, anyway. B) when I did not see any vehicles (or aircraft) on what I thought was a closed runway, I stopped and verified that I was cleared onto 'closed runway 34R.' the manager told me (later) that all she had heard was 'right' and assumed that I meant runway 16R not 34R, which was the active (we had just changed runways from a south flow confign: runways 17/16L/16R/14, etc to a north flow confign: runways 34R/34L/35/32, etc). The duty manager told me to proceed. C) when I restated that I was 'cleared onto closed runway 34R,' it was then that I heard her say 'negative, runway 16R is closed.' my vehicle had one set of wheels on the shoulder of the runway. I made an immediate hard right turn and quickly left the area. Note: though this incident occurred directly in front of the tower, no one called me or reported that a vehicle was on or near an active runway. As an ex-ATC person, 18 yrs of ATCT experience, I find this disturbing. Lessons learned: I learned the following lessons (again) from this incident: a) never assume anything. If you leave the 'action' for a while (like I did) get a full briefing before doing anything! Things can (and do) change frequently. B) if someone calls you for permission to enter a closed runway under your control, never grant permission, unless you absolutely know where they are! (Situational awareness) C) in reference to hearing only a part of the transmission (right instead of runway 34R...) I suggested that we substitute geographic references to our local runway confign: runway 16R/34L, west runway. Runway 16L/34R center runway, runway 14/32 diagonal runway, runway 17/35 east runway. If this were adopted, we might fix a recurring problem here: people misunderstanding which runway to respond to during an incident (foreign object damage call) alert 1, etc. D)I could have been more specific in my request to enter what I thought was a closed runway. I could have said that 'I am on the east side of closed runway 34R, near the runway 16L GS antenna.' this would have given the manager more clues upon which to act.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SUB ARPT MGR ENTERS AN ACTIVE RWY IN A VEHICLE AFTER GETTING CLRNC FROM THE 'DUTY MGR,' NOT CALLING THE GND CTLR AT SLC, UT.

Narrative: RWY SURFACE DEV. RWY 16L/34R AT SLC, AUG/MON/01, XA15L. I WAS RETURNING FROM A TRAINING CLASS WITH 3 OTHER PAX. I HAD HEARD THE DUTY MGR ADVISE ARPT CTL THAT RWY XX (I DIDN'T HEAR WHICH ONE), WAS CLOSED. THE DAY PRIOR, WE HAD CLOSED RWY 16L/34R FOR PAINTING. THE PAINTING SUPVR ADVISED US THAT THIS RWY WOULD BE CLOSED EACH DAY (XA45-XB45L) FOR PAINTING. A NOTAM REQUEST FOR RWY 16L/34R HAD BEEN PREPARED FOR USE THIS DAY. I APCHED THE E SIDE OF RWY 16L/34R AND ASKED THE DUTY MGR FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER 'THE CLOSED RWY FROM THE N END.' I WAS GRANTED PERMISSION AND DROVE TOWARDS THE RWY. AS I APCHED THE RWY, I DID NOT SEE OTHER VEHICLES (OR EVEN ACFT) SO, I CALLED THE DUTY MGR AGAIN AND STATED 'VERIFY THAT I CAN DRIVE ONTO CLOSED RWY 34R.' THE MGR SAID 'PROCEED.' I ANSWERED, 'PROCEEDING ONTO CLOSED RWY 34R.' JUST AS I REACHED THE SHOULDER OF THE RWY, THE MGR TOLD ME, 'NEGATIVE, RWY 16R/34L IS CLOSED.' I IMMEDIATELY TURNED HARD R AND EXITED THE AREA. ATC DID NOT SEE ME OR RPT A VEHICLE. AFTER I LEFT THE AREA OF RWY 34R/16L, I SOUGHT OUT THE DUTY MGR TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. THE DUTY MGR TOLD ME HER VERSION: A) WHEN I STATED I WAS AT THE N END OF THE CLOSED RWY, SHE ASSUMED I WAS AT THE N END OF RWY 16R/34L, SHE DID NOT SEE ME, BUT GRANTED ME PERMISSION TO ENTER THE RWY, ANYWAY. B) WHEN I DID NOT SEE ANY VEHICLES (OR ACFT) ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A CLOSED RWY, I STOPPED AND VERIFIED THAT I WAS CLRED ONTO 'CLOSED RWY 34R.' THE MGR TOLD ME (LATER) THAT ALL SHE HAD HEARD WAS 'RIGHT' AND ASSUMED THAT I MEANT RWY 16R NOT 34R, WHICH WAS THE ACTIVE (WE HAD JUST CHANGED RWYS FROM A S FLOW CONFIGN: RWYS 17/16L/16R/14, ETC TO A N FLOW CONFIGN: RWYS 34R/34L/35/32, ETC). THE DUTY MGR TOLD ME TO PROCEED. C) WHEN I RESTATED THAT I WAS 'CLRED ONTO CLOSED RWY 34R,' IT WAS THEN THAT I HEARD HER SAY 'NEGATIVE, RWY 16R IS CLOSED.' MY VEHICLE HAD ONE SET OF WHEELS ON THE SHOULDER OF THE RWY. I MADE AN IMMEDIATE HARD R TURN AND QUICKLY LEFT THE AREA. NOTE: THOUGH THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE TWR, NO ONE CALLED ME OR RPTED THAT A VEHICLE WAS ON OR NEAR AN ACTIVE RWY. AS AN EX-ATC PERSON, 18 YRS OF ATCT EXPERIENCE, I FIND THIS DISTURBING. LESSONS LEARNED: I LEARNED THE FOLLOWING LESSONS (AGAIN) FROM THIS INCIDENT: A) NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING. IF YOU LEAVE THE 'ACTION' FOR A WHILE (LIKE I DID) GET A FULL BRIEFING BEFORE DOING ANYTHING! THINGS CAN (AND DO) CHANGE FREQUENTLY. B) IF SOMEONE CALLS YOU FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER A CLOSED RWY UNDER YOUR CTL, NEVER GRANT PERMISSION, UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY KNOW WHERE THEY ARE! (SITUATIONAL AWARENESS) C) IN REF TO HEARING ONLY A PART OF THE XMISSION (R INSTEAD OF RWY 34R...) I SUGGESTED THAT WE SUBSTITUTE GEOGRAPHIC REFS TO OUR LCL RWY CONFIGN: RWY 16R/34L, W RWY. RWY 16L/34R CTR RWY, RWY 14/32 DIAGONAL RWY, RWY 17/35 E RWY. IF THIS WERE ADOPTED, WE MIGHT FIX A RECURRING PROB HERE: PEOPLE MISUNDERSTANDING WHICH RWY TO RESPOND TO DURING AN INCIDENT (FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE CALL) ALERT 1, ETC. D)I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SPECIFIC IN MY REQUEST TO ENTER WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A CLOSED RWY. I COULD HAVE SAID THAT 'I AM ON THE E SIDE OF CLOSED RWY 34R, NEAR THE RWY 16L GS ANTENNA.' THIS WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE MGR MORE CLUES UPON WHICH TO ACT.

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.