Narrative:

I was taxiing out to runway 10 at the greater rochester airport (roc), rochester, ny. My CFI was with me to do some commercial maneuvers in a local practice area. I was on the ground frequency. I was given a clearance to taxi from FBO to taxiway intersection D at taxiway H. I was told to hold short there and do my run-up there. The route was via G2 to taxiway east, cross runway 25/7 (closed at the time) continue on taxiway east then, make a right onto taxiway D and hold at taxiway H. While taxiing out to taxiway D at taxiway H, the ground controller told me to stay on frequency with him and notify him when my run-up was complete. The airport controllers were very busy. There were numerous txwys closed. Runway 25/7 was the normal runway to use but, was closed for an upcoming special event. So, this taxi route was unusual for me but I understood the ground controller's instructions and followed them. After completing my run-up on taxiway D at taxiway H I called the ground controller as he requested. This is how the problem arose. The ground controller cleared me to taxi via taxiway D, cross taxiway H to runway 10 for an intersection departure. I read back the clearance as I understood it, 'roger, taxi taxiway D, cross taxiway H, cleared for the intersection departure runway 10'. No hold short or change to tower frequency instructions were given. As I taxied to runway 10, I stayed on the ground frequency as I was instructed to do. My CFI was giving me instructions for a soft field takeoff and setting the flaps for me. As I pulled up to the runway I checked left and right for traffic. I saw no traffic. My CFI asked if we were cleared for departure and I said yes. It was my understanding that we were cleared to depart on runway 10 from the taxiway D intersection. As I pulled out onto the runway I thought it was odd that I was still on the ground frequency but, he did tell me to stay on that frequency with him. I know at times they run both tower and ground operations on the same frequency. I lined up on the centerline for a soft field takeoff, as I was instructed to do by my CFI, and applied full power without stopping. We took off with no problems. Then, the ground controller advised us that we had just committed a runway incursion and that we had not been cleared to taxi onto the runway and take off. Furthermore, that a baron was on a 1 mi final approach at the time. We were allowed to go out to the practice area but, given instruction to call the rochester tower on our return. Some of the contributing factors to this event were: a busy airport with several closed txwys and a runway closed, poor use of language and communication between myself and the ground controller. Unfamiliar txwys and departure procedures, misunderstood taxi instructions. The ground controller did not catch the error in my readback, when I stated that I was cleared to depart on runway 10. Communication was the weak link in this chain of events. Corrective actions. In my opinion this runway incursion could have been prevented if the ground controller had issued a hold short instruction and not made the assumption that I would hold short of the runway. I misunderstood the instructions. My readback to the ground controller should have been more precise. Additionally, I regret my failure to question ATC about remaining on the ground frequency while taxiing to the runway. Other factors affecting the quality of my performance were flying after a long work day. Prior to my scheduled flight lesson, I had worked a full 9 hour day, most of it outdoors in the hot humid WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION, UNAUTH RWY OP WHEN A PA28 TRAINING FLT PERFORMS AN UNAUTH, UNCOORDINATED TKOF AT ROC.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING OUT TO RWY 10 AT THE GREATER ROCHESTER ARPT (ROC), ROCHESTER, NY. MY CFI WAS WITH ME TO DO SOME COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS IN A LCL PRACTICE AREA. I WAS ON THE GND FREQ. I WAS GIVEN A CLRNC TO TAXI FROM FBO TO TXWY INTXN D AT TXWY H. I WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT THERE AND DO MY RUN-UP THERE. THE RTE WAS VIA G2 TO TXWY E, CROSS RWY 25/7 (CLOSED AT THE TIME) CONTINUE ON TXWY E THEN, MAKE A R ONTO TXWY D AND HOLD AT TXWY H. WHILE TAXIING OUT TO TXWY D AT TXWY H, THE GND CTLR TOLD ME TO STAY ON FREQ WITH HIM AND NOTIFY HIM WHEN MY RUN-UP WAS COMPLETE. THE ARPT CTLRS WERE VERY BUSY. THERE WERE NUMEROUS TXWYS CLOSED. RWY 25/7 WAS THE NORMAL RWY TO USE BUT, WAS CLOSED FOR AN UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENT. SO, THIS TAXI RTE WAS UNUSUAL FOR ME BUT I UNDERSTOOD THE GND CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS AND FOLLOWED THEM. AFTER COMPLETING MY RUN-UP ON TXWY D AT TXWY H I CALLED THE GND CTLR AS HE REQUESTED. THIS IS HOW THE PROB AROSE. THE GND CTLR CLRED ME TO TAXI VIA TXWY D, CROSS TXWY H TO RWY 10 FOR AN INTXN DEP. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, 'ROGER, TAXI TXWY D, CROSS TXWY H, CLRED FOR THE INTXN DEP RWY 10'. NO HOLD SHORT OR CHANGE TO TOWER FREQ INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN. AS I TAXIED TO RWY 10, I STAYED ON THE GND FREQ AS I WAS INSTRUCTED TO DO. MY CFI WAS GIVING ME INSTRUCTIONS FOR A SOFT FIELD TKOF AND SETTING THE FLAPS FOR ME. AS I PULLED UP TO THE RWY I CHKED L AND R FOR TFC. I SAW NO TFC. MY CFI ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED FOR DEP AND I SAID YES. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WERE CLRED TO DEPART ON RWY 10 FROM THE TXWY D INTXN. AS I PULLED OUT ONTO THE RWY I THOUGHT IT WAS ODD THAT I WAS STILL ON THE GND FREQ BUT, HE DID TELL ME TO STAY ON THAT FREQ WITH HIM. I KNOW AT TIMES THEY RUN BOTH TWR AND GND OPS ON THE SAME FREQ. I LINED UP ON THE CTRLINE FOR A SOFT FIELD TKOF, AS I WAS INSTRUCTED TO DO BY MY CFI, AND APPLIED FULL PWR WITHOUT STOPPING. WE TOOK OFF WITH NO PROBS. THEN, THE GND CTLR ADVISED US THAT WE HAD JUST COMMITTED A RWY INCURSION AND THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY AND TAKE OFF. FURTHERMORE, THAT A BARON WAS ON A 1 MI FINAL APCH AT THE TIME. WE WERE ALLOWED TO GO OUT TO THE PRACTICE AREA BUT, GIVEN INSTRUCTION TO CALL THE ROCHESTER TWR ON OUR RETURN. SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS EVENT WERE: A BUSY ARPT WITH SEVERAL CLOSED TXWYS AND A RWY CLOSED, POOR USE OF LANGUAGE AND COM BTWN MYSELF AND THE GND CTLR. UNFAMILIAR TXWYS AND DEP PROCS, MISUNDERSTOOD TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THE GND CTLR DID NOT CATCH THE ERROR IN MY READBACK, WHEN I STATED THAT I WAS CLRED TO DEPART ON RWY 10. COM WAS THE WEAK LINK IN THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. IN MY OPINION THIS RWY INCURSION COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE GND CTLR HAD ISSUED A HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION AND NOT MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT I WOULD HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. I MISUNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTIONS. MY READBACK TO THE GND CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PRECISE. ADDITIONALLY, I REGRET MY FAILURE TO QUESTION ATC ABOUT REMAINING ON THE GND FREQ WHILE TAXIING TO THE RWY. OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF MY PERFORMANCE WERE FLYING AFTER A LONG WORK DAY. PRIOR TO MY SCHEDULED FLT LESSON, I HAD WORKED A FULL 9 HR DAY, MOST OF IT OUTDOORS IN THE HOT HUMID WX.

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.