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Helicopter pilot inadvertently misinterp ATC ground controller when making a hover taxi across an active runway when another aircraft was on final.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 527538 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200110 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : vgt.airport |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | agl single value : 50 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : vgt.tower artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Robinson R22 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : vgt.tower |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 510 flight time type : 510 |
| ASRS Report | 527538 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe incursion : runway non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Ground had repositioned us via hover taxi from our location at the helipad to taxiway intxns of taxiway B and taxiway H. History has shown that tower normally clears us across the airport direct nne to the helicopter training area. Tower cleared us to depart north on taxiway B and would call our turn eastbound. The error was a complete result of my mindset. Being accustomed to direct air taxi I perceived our clearance to be nebound on taxiway H. Tower asked if I had the approaching aircraft on final in sight and gave me the clearance as stated above. What I thought I heard led me to believe I was to cross the runway northbound. I asked the tower if he wanted me to wait and cross behind the landing aircraft or proceed. Tower responded quickly saying that I was cleared north on taxiway B. With my mindset of a direct air taxi to the north side of the airport, I heard my clearance expressed with an urgency to proceed now! Without delay, I executed my air taxi across the runway down taxiway H. ATC was very clear on the clearance, but I heard what I expected to hear as a north departure. Subsequently, I crossed the active runway and crossed in front of the landing aircraft. This incursion did not result in any deviation required by the landing aircraft, fortunately! This incident has been a very good lesson on listening to and understanding your clearance each time. I set myself up with certain expectations and had already made my mind up. Listen, listen, listen. Understand -- and only then depart as cleared. Had I done so, this would not have been an incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HELI PLT INADVERTENTLY MISINTERP ATC GND CTLR WHEN MAKING A HOVER TAXI ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY WHEN ANOTHER ACFT WAS ON FINAL.
Narrative: GND HAD REPOSITIONED US VIA HOVER TAXI FROM OUR LOCATION AT THE HELIPAD TO TXWY INTXNS OF TXWY B AND TXWY H. HISTORY HAS SHOWN THAT TWR NORMALLY CLRS US ACROSS THE ARPT DIRECT NNE TO THE HELI TRAINING AREA. TWR CLRED US TO DEPART N ON TXWY B AND WOULD CALL OUR TURN EBOUND. THE ERROR WAS A COMPLETE RESULT OF MY MINDSET. BEING ACCUSTOMED TO DIRECT AIR TAXI I PERCEIVED OUR CLRNC TO BE NEBOUND ON TXWY H. TWR ASKED IF I HAD THE APCHING ACFT ON FINAL IN SIGHT AND GAVE ME THE CLRNC AS STATED ABOVE. WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD LED ME TO BELIEVE I WAS TO CROSS THE RWY NBOUND. I ASKED THE TWR IF HE WANTED ME TO WAIT AND CROSS BEHIND THE LNDG ACFT OR PROCEED. TWR RESPONDED QUICKLY SAYING THAT I WAS CLRED N ON TXWY B. WITH MY MINDSET OF A DIRECT AIR TAXI TO THE N SIDE OF THE ARPT, I HEARD MY CLRNC EXPRESSED WITH AN URGENCY TO PROCEED NOW! WITHOUT DELAY, I EXECUTED MY AIR TAXI ACROSS THE RWY DOWN TXWY H. ATC WAS VERY CLR ON THE CLRNC, BUT I HEARD WHAT I EXPECTED TO HEAR AS A N DEP. SUBSEQUENTLY, I CROSSED THE ACTIVE RWY AND CROSSED IN FRONT OF THE LNDG ACFT. THIS INCURSION DID NOT RESULT IN ANY DEV REQUIRED BY THE LNDG ACFT, FORTUNATELY! THIS INCIDENT HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD LESSON ON LISTENING TO AND UNDERSTANDING YOUR CLRNC EACH TIME. I SET MYSELF UP WITH CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS AND HAD ALREADY MADE MY MIND UP. LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN. UNDERSTAND -- AND ONLY THEN DEPART AS CLRED. HAD I DONE SO, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AN INCIDENT.
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.