Narrative:

On jan/wed/2002 at XA35 I taxied out of the ramp area at O'hare international. The snow had just recently stopped and takeoffs and lndgs were resuming. Ground control instructed me to follow an air carrier (aircraft Y) heavy to runway 22L. I exited the ramp on taxiway D7. The air carrier (aircraft Y) jet taxied by and proceeded on to takeoff immediately. I was still on ground controller so I was unaware of his takeoff runway or clearance. Once on the runway 27L/22L pad I completed my taxi checks and switched to tower. Tower immediately called me 'flight X cleared for takeoff, aircraft on short final.' I looked up and tried to identify my exact position on the pad. Due to the recent snowfall and darkness, I could not clearly identify the pad from D taxiway. No signs were visible, and the long path to runway 22L obscured by snow. From the beechjet I was unable to positively identify the runway or the path to it. I looked up and saw and approaching airliner on a very short final. I made the immediate decision to not accept the takeoff clearance and told tower. Tower immediately called a go around on the aircraft on final (aircraft Z). Then the aircraft behind it. The only lights I could make out clearly were the taxiway lights of taxiway M to my right. I then heard a radio call saying, 'you are on the runway, you can turn around right there.' knowing I was not on the runway, but following the instruction given I made a right turn and maneuvered myself onto the runway 27L pad. Then tower called telling me to hold in present position. I held in my present position and watched two airliners depart. I could now make out the path to runway 22L. I notified tower that I was ready in sequence, and then was cleared for takeoff. I was able to follow the path through the snow covered pad and find runway 22L. There the runway was visible. We were cleared for takeoff and no further comment was made. It was evident that ohare tower was pushing tie, trying to make up time for cancelled or delayed flts. With the current taxiway conditions from a beechjet it was nearly impossible to see runway 22L from the D hold short line or abeam taxiway M on the pad. In the interest of safety I had to deny the takeoff clearance. I did not have adequate visibility, nor time to position myself and roll with an aircraft on dangerously short final. The biggest hazard of the event, was not only the visibility, but the call I received about being on the runway, and the instruction I received to turn onto the pad. The southeast calls did not come from the tower. Come to find out they were coming from an impatient air carrier (aircraft west) pilot behind me using tower frequency to tell me what to do. From his cockpit height, I imagine he could see the path to runway 22L. But I had not passed taxiway M so I was not on the runway, and I could certainly not see runway 22L which was at least 125 ft ahead of me. The ramp of runway 22L is listed as HS1 a taxiway hot spot for incursions. Although I had been cleared for takeoff and had the right to the runway I could not see it or the path to it in these WX conditions. Perhaps due to the snow, or maybe also because the beechjet sits so low, regardless, the spacing given by tower was inadequate, and the instructions by the air carrier flight (aircraft west) added to the confusion.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH JET 400A PLT FALLS VICTIM TO PERCEPTUAL ILLUSIONS AND VISUAL INTERFERENCE AND REFUSED AN IMMEDIATE TKOF CLRNC DURING HIS ATTEMPTED DEP FROM ORD, IL.

Narrative: ON JAN/WED/2002 AT XA35 I TAXIED OUT OF THE RAMP AREA AT O'HARE INTERNATIONAL. THE SNOW HAD JUST RECENTLY STOPPED AND TKOFS AND LNDGS WERE RESUMING. GND CTL INSTRUCTED ME TO FOLLOW AN ACR (ACFT Y) HVY TO RWY 22L. I EXITED THE RAMP ON TXWY D7. THE ACR (ACFT Y) JET TAXIED BY AND PROCEEDED ON TO TKOF IMMEDIATELY. I WAS STILL ON GND CTLR SO I WAS UNAWARE OF HIS TKOF RWY OR CLRNC. ONCE ON THE RWY 27L/22L PAD I COMPLETED MY TAXI CHECKS AND SWITCHED TO TWR. TWR IMMEDIATELY CALLED ME 'FLT X CLRED FOR TKOF, ACFT ON SHORT FINAL.' I LOOKED UP AND TRIED TO IDENTIFY MY EXACT POS ON THE PAD. DUE TO THE RECENT SNOWFALL AND DARKNESS, I COULD NOT CLRLY IDENTIFY THE PAD FROM D TXWY. NO SIGNS WERE VISIBLE, AND THE LONG PATH TO RWY 22L OBSCURED BY SNOW. FROM THE BEECHJET I WAS UNABLE TO POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE RWY OR THE PATH TO IT. I LOOKED UP AND SAW AND APCHING AIRLINER ON A VERY SHORT FINAL. I MADE THE IMMEDIATE DECISION TO NOT ACCEPT THE TKOF CLRNC AND TOLD TWR. TWR IMMEDIATELY CALLED A GAR ON THE ACFT ON FINAL (ACFT Z). THEN THE ACFT BEHIND IT. THE ONLY LIGHTS I COULD MAKE OUT CLRLY WERE THE TXWY LIGHTS OF TXWY M TO MY RIGHT. I THEN HEARD A RADIO CALL SAYING, 'YOU ARE ON THE RWY, YOU CAN TURN AROUND RIGHT THERE.' KNOWING I WAS NOT ON THE RWY, BUT FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTION GIVEN I MADE A RIGHT TURN AND MANEUVERED MYSELF ONTO THE RWY 27L PAD. THEN TWR CALLED TELLING ME TO HOLD IN PRESENT POS. I HELD IN MY PRESENT POS AND WATCHED TWO AIRLINERS DEPART. I COULD NOW MAKE OUT THE PATH TO RWY 22L. I NOTIFIED TWR THAT I WAS READY IN SEQUENCE, AND THEN WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I WAS ABLE TO FOLLOW THE PATH THROUGH THE SNOW COVERED PAD AND FIND RWY 22L. THERE THE RWY WAS VISIBLE. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND NO FURTHER COMMENT WAS MADE. IT WAS EVIDENT THAT OHARE TWR WAS PUSHING TIE, TRYING TO MAKE UP TIME FOR CANCELLED OR DELAYED FLTS. WITH THE CURRENT TXWY CONDITIONS FROM A BEECHJET IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE RWY 22L FROM THE D HOLD SHORT LINE OR ABEAM TXWY M ON THE PAD. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY I HAD TO DENY THE TKOF CLRNC. I DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE VISIBILITY, NOR TIME TO POS MYSELF AND ROLL WITH AN ACFT ON DANGEROUSLY SHORT FINAL. THE BIGGEST HAZARD OF THE EVENT, WAS NOT ONLY THE VISIBILITY, BUT THE CALL I RECEIVED ABOUT BEING ON THE RWY, AND THE INSTRUCTION I RECEIVED TO TURN ONTO THE PAD. THE SE CALLS DID NOT COME FROM THE TWR. COME TO FIND OUT THEY WERE COMING FROM AN IMPATIENT ACR (ACFT W) PLT BEHIND ME USING TWR FREQ TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO. FROM HIS COCKPIT HEIGHT, I IMAGINE HE COULD SEE THE PATH TO RWY 22L. BUT I HAD NOT PASSED TXWY M SO I WAS NOT ON THE RWY, AND I COULD CERTAINLY NOT SEE RWY 22L WHICH WAS AT LEAST 125 FT AHEAD OF ME. THE RAMP OF RWY 22L IS LISTED AS HS1 A TXWY HOT SPOT FOR INCURSIONS. ALTHOUGH I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF AND HAD THE RIGHT TO THE RWY I COULD NOT SEE IT OR THE PATH TO IT IN THESE WX CONDITIONS. PERHAPS DUE TO THE SNOW, OR MAYBE ALSO BECAUSE THE BEECHJET SITS SO LOW, REGARDLESS, THE SPACING GIVEN BY TWR WAS INADEQUATE, AND THE INSTRUCTIONS BY THE ACR FLT (ACFT W) ADDED TO THE CONFUSION.

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.