Narrative:

The following is an incident that happened to me at farmington, NM, four corners regional airport, during a refueling stop in my C172. After starting, I listened to the ATIS and called ground control for taxi/takeoff instructions stating that I was heading ssebound VFR to albuquerque with the ATIS information, and requested guidance taxiing out as I was transient. Ground control cleared me to runway 7 and told me to turn right to intercept the westward taxiway. (The only airport diagram available was the one in the sc AFD, and I might say here that no airport diagrams I have found show airport signs and markings on txwys and runways.) I did not hear ground control clear me to cross runway 5 so I stopped short of the 'hold position' markings and called ground control. A sarcastic voice came back and said 'you were cleared to runway 7!' I continued to taxi, checking my cockpit getting ready for takeoff, not expecting any more taxiway markings until the normal hold 'position markings' on the runway safety area taxiway 90 degrees to the runway (on most all controled airports), so I immediately stopped well short of the runway and 90 degrees to it as there were no markings on this short 90 degree taxiway or any 'holding bay' area for aircraft engine run-ups. At this time, ground control came on my radio and proceeded to reprimand me for not stopping on the taxiway parallel to the runway where 'hold position' markings were hundreds of ft prior to the runway safety area taxiway 90 degrees to the runway. I was not looking for these 'hold position' markings on a taxiway prior to the runup area! Had I observed these 'hold position' markings, I probably would not have stopped as the sarcastic voice on my previous stop short of runway 5, indicating I had been cleared to runway 7! After listening to this long harangue, I did not want to get into an argument on the radio, so I just acknowledged the call. Then the ground controller cleared me to the tower. I received takeoff clearance and I headed ssw. Human beings are not infallible and by nature we co-habitate and one of the benefits is that we can help each other. The phrase 'air traffic controller' is a misnomer. Their sole job is to provide separation of aircraft on IFR flight plans and separation and assistance to VFR air traffic in controled airspace and on the ground. By regulation, the pilot is responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft and in the interest of safety may violate a regulation or instructions from the ground. Nowhere in FAA regulations does it say that controllers can be sarcastic or reprimand pilots. This is only the second incident in all my yrs of flying that a controller was repeatedly sarcastic, out of line, and failed to do the job of providing help and assistance and instead reprimanded me for the controller's failures.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRECEDING A TXWY RWY INCURSION AN EXPERIENCED C172 PLT HAD INCURRED THE WRATH OF A GND CTLR WHEN TAXIING TO RWY 7 AT FMN, NM.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING IS AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED TO ME AT FARMINGTON, NM, FOUR CORNERS REGIONAL ARPT, DURING A REFUELING STOP IN MY C172. AFTER STARTING, I LISTENED TO THE ATIS AND CALLED GND CTL FOR TAXI/TKOF INSTRUCTIONS STATING THAT I WAS HDG SSEBOUND VFR TO ALBUQUERQUE WITH THE ATIS INFO, AND REQUESTED GUIDANCE TAXIING OUT AS I WAS TRANSIENT. GND CTL CLRED ME TO RWY 7 AND TOLD ME TO TURN R TO INTERCEPT THE WESTWARD TXWY. (THE ONLY ARPT DIAGRAM AVAILABLE WAS THE ONE IN THE SC AFD, AND I MIGHT SAY HERE THAT NO ARPT DIAGRAMS I HAVE FOUND SHOW ARPT SIGNS AND MARKINGS ON TXWYS AND RWYS.) I DID NOT HEAR GND CTL CLR ME TO CROSS RWY 5 SO I STOPPED SHORT OF THE 'HOLD POS' MARKINGS AND CALLED GND CTL. A SARCASTIC VOICE CAME BACK AND SAID 'YOU WERE CLRED TO RWY 7!' I CONTINUED TO TAXI, CHKING MY COCKPIT GETTING READY FOR TKOF, NOT EXPECTING ANY MORE TXWY MARKINGS UNTIL THE NORMAL HOLD 'POS MARKINGS' ON THE RWY SAFETY AREA TXWY 90 DEGS TO THE RWY (ON MOST ALL CTLED ARPTS), SO I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED WELL SHORT OF THE RWY AND 90 DEGS TO IT AS THERE WERE NO MARKINGS ON THIS SHORT 90 DEG TXWY OR ANY 'HOLDING BAY' AREA FOR ACFT ENG RUN-UPS. AT THIS TIME, GND CTL CAME ON MY RADIO AND PROCEEDED TO REPRIMAND ME FOR NOT STOPPING ON THE TXWY PARALLEL TO THE RWY WHERE 'HOLD POS' MARKINGS WERE HUNDREDS OF FT PRIOR TO THE RWY SAFETY AREA TXWY 90 DEGS TO THE RWY. I WAS NOT LOOKING FOR THESE 'HOLD POS' MARKINGS ON A TXWY PRIOR TO THE RUNUP AREA! HAD I OBSERVED THESE 'HOLD POS' MARKINGS, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE STOPPED AS THE SARCASTIC VOICE ON MY PREVIOUS STOP SHORT OF RWY 5, INDICATING I HAD BEEN CLRED TO RWY 7! AFTER LISTENING TO THIS LONG HARANGUE, I DID NOT WANT TO GET INTO AN ARGUMENT ON THE RADIO, SO I JUST ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL. THEN THE GND CTLR CLRED ME TO THE TWR. I RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC AND I HEADED SSW. HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT INFALLIBLE AND BY NATURE WE CO-HABITATE AND ONE OF THE BENEFITS IS THAT WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER. THE PHRASE 'AIR TFC CTLR' IS A MISNOMER. THEIR SOLE JOB IS TO PROVIDE SEPARATION OF ACFT ON IFR FLT PLANS AND SEPARATION AND ASSISTANCE TO VFR AIR TFC IN CTLED AIRSPACE AND ON THE GND. BY REG, THE PLT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFE OP OF THE ACFT AND IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY MAY VIOLATE A REG OR INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE GND. NOWHERE IN FAA REGS DOES IT SAY THAT CTLRS CAN BE SARCASTIC OR REPRIMAND PLTS. THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND INCIDENT IN ALL MY YRS OF FLYING THAT A CTLR WAS REPEATEDLY SARCASTIC, OUT OF LINE, AND FAILED TO DO THE JOB OF PROVIDING HELP AND ASSISTANCE AND INSTEAD REPRIMANDED ME FOR THE CTLR'S FAILURES.

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.