Narrative:

I was on training flight, first long cross country. Made 3 stop-and-go lndgs at grb as planned. Departed for stevens point, wi, but returned due to cloud cover en route, refueled, and planned flight back to watertown, wi. In effect, this became my first flight initiated from controled airspace. I noted 'ground control' frequency (not used on arrival: tower stayed with me during taxi for refueling), made call stating intent to depart to south, anticipated 4500 ft MSL cruise. Was given squawk frequency, told to remain below 2500 ft for VFR, and asked whether I wanted taxi to beginning of runway or nearest intersecting taxiway (D1 to runway 24). Requested intersection, as I had no need for additional length. Received warning of incoming aircraft on taxiway, and was told that I could depart ramp when they were clear of taxiway. Told ground control that traffic was in sight, and had just cleared. Was told that I had clearance, and I taxied out to hold-short line, did run-up. Hearing no additional talk from ground control, I asked whether I had clearance, and was told that I did. I taxied onto the runway and departed, expecting to be told when to switch frequencys. Eventually initiated call to departure control to ask, and was asked whether I was hearing clearly, 'yes.' I was told that I should have been on tower frequency at hold-short or intersection, and given a phone number to call upon landing at destination. Did so, and spoke to different controller (but he knew the situation), and advised of what I'd done wrong. Described my recollection of radio calls. I had assumed that 'clearance' meant permission to depart airport rather than taxi clearance to intersection. I had not mentioned student status to ground control (departure and tower had been aware of it earlier, on initial entry to airspace, and during aborted flight to ste), so wasn't given additional advice, told to contact tower, etc. I do not remember hearing the term 'taxi clearance', either. It would have alerted me to distinction from 'departure clearance,' I believe. Also, since I had not used ground control frequency earlier (because tower remained with me during taxi to FSS), I made an unwarranted assumption that each was aware of the other's actions. Finally, being given runway number, flight altitude, and squawk frequency added to feeling that this was information for flight, not taxiing. Clearly, I will not forget this event or make that particular mistake again, but there is a large number of students now in training who haven't had the experience (yet!). Possible ways to reduce chance of recurrence: ground control could use term 'taxi clearance' at least on first mention. Ground control could advise 'switch to (tower frequency) at intersection' or similar. Students could be trained to report that status upon all first (radio) contact.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT AT GRB MISINTERPS STATEMENT FROM THE GND CTLR REGARDING CLRNC. TAXIED ON THE RWY AND DEPARTED.

Narrative: I WAS ON TRAINING FLIGHT, FIRST LONG XCOUNTRY. MADE 3 STOP-AND-GO LNDGS AT GRB AS PLANNED. DEPARTED FOR STEVENS POINT, WI, BUT RETURNED DUE TO CLOUD COVER ENRTE, REFUELED, AND PLANNED FLT BACK TO WATERTOWN, WI. IN EFFECT, THIS BECAME MY FIRST FLT INITIATED FROM CTLED AIRSPACE. I NOTED 'GND CTL' FREQ (NOT USED ON ARR: TWR STAYED WITH ME DURING TAXI FOR REFUELING), MADE CALL STATING INTENT TO DEPART TO S, ANTICIPATED 4500 FT MSL CRUISE. WAS GIVEN SQUAWK FREQ, TOLD TO REMAIN BELOW 2500 FT FOR VFR, AND ASKED WHETHER I WANTED TAXI TO BEGINNING OF RWY OR NEAREST INTERSECTING TXWY (D1 TO RWY 24). REQUESTED INTXN, AS I HAD NO NEED FOR ADDITIONAL LENGTH. RECEIVED WARNING OF INCOMING ACFT ON TXWY, AND WAS TOLD THAT I COULD DEPART RAMP WHEN THEY WERE CLR OF TXWY. TOLD GND CTL THAT TFC WAS IN SIGHT, AND HAD JUST CLRED. WAS TOLD THAT I HAD CLRNC, AND I TAXIED OUT TO HOLD-SHORT LINE, DID RUN-UP. HEARING NO ADDITIONAL TALK FROM GND CTL, I ASKED WHETHER I HAD CLRNC, AND WAS TOLD THAT I DID. I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AND DEPARTED, EXPECTING TO BE TOLD WHEN TO SWITCH FREQS. EVENTUALLY INITIATED CALL TO DEP CTL TO ASK, AND WAS ASKED WHETHER I WAS HEARING CLRLY, 'YES.' I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON TWR FREQ AT HOLD-SHORT OR INTXN, AND GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL UPON LNDG AT DEST. DID SO, AND SPOKE TO DIFFERENT CTLR (BUT HE KNEW THE SIT), AND ADVISED OF WHAT I'D DONE WRONG. DESCRIBED MY RECOLLECTION OF RADIO CALLS. I HAD ASSUMED THAT 'CLRNC' MEANT PERMISSION TO DEPART ARPT RATHER THAN TAXI CLRNC TO INTXN. I HAD NOT MENTIONED STUDENT STATUS TO GND CTL (DEP AND TWR HAD BEEN AWARE OF IT EARLIER, ON INITIAL ENTRY TO AIRSPACE, AND DURING ABORTED FLT TO STE), SO WASN'T GIVEN ADDITIONAL ADVICE, TOLD TO CONTACT TWR, ETC. I DO NOT REMEMBER HEARING THE TERM 'TAXI CLRNC', EITHER. IT WOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO DISTINCTION FROM 'DEP CLRNC,' I BELIEVE. ALSO, SINCE I HAD NOT USED GND CTL FREQ EARLIER (BECAUSE TWR REMAINED WITH ME DURING TAXI TO FSS), I MADE AN UNWARRANTED ASSUMPTION THAT EACH WAS AWARE OF THE OTHER'S ACTIONS. FINALLY, BEING GIVEN RWY NUMBER, FLT ALT, AND SQUAWK FREQ ADDED TO FEELING THAT THIS WAS INFO FOR FLT, NOT TAXIING. CLRLY, I WILL NOT FORGET THIS EVENT OR MAKE THAT PARTICULAR MISTAKE AGAIN, BUT THERE IS A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS NOW IN TRAINING WHO HAVEN'T HAD THE EXPERIENCE (YET!). POSSIBLE WAYS TO REDUCE CHANCE OF RECURRENCE: GND CTL COULD USE TERM 'TAXI CLRNC' AT LEAST ON FIRST MENTION. GND CTL COULD ADVISE 'SWITCH TO (TWR FREQ) AT INTXN' OR SIMILAR. STUDENTS COULD BE TRAINED TO RPT THAT STATUS UPON ALL FIRST (RADIO) CONTACT.

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.