Narrative:

For many decades; I have been flying into busy busy airports single pilot in turboprops with minimal difficulty; but on one day in july; two separate sits at dulles (iad) have convinced me that those days are over (for single pilot). Situation #1: landed on runway 1L; taxied on taxiway Y6; right onto taxiway Y to taxiway a through taxiway Z to hold short of tower ramp after passing taxiway Z. No further instructions from ground control. Waited a short spell and called ground control back; which said I was supposed to call tower ramp control on 119.12. On the government chart I could not then nor now find 119.12. Ground control seemed a bit perturbed that I had not already called on 119.12. On 119.12 tower ramp controller said to turn right on taxiway A5; then left on taxiway B. Ramp activity was extremely busy with planes; service vehicles; and passenger movers. While passing taxiway A4; controller said to turn right now. In the confusion; I turned right onto a service road/ramp between txwys A4 and A5. The taxiway A5 sign was blocked by traffic ahead. No problem was created; but I definitely turned right prior to reaching taxiway A5. I finally made it to FBO parking without any further problems. The confusion had been very heavy; but then 6 and a half hours later; more confusion ensued. Situation #2: taxied out of FBO parking with the eventual goal of departing runway 30 (again necessitating having to pass through the tower ramp). This time ground control gave me 119.12. This tower ramp controller (I think) gave us clearance to runway 30 via left turn on taxiway Z from taxiway a and to call 132.45 (west ground). I do not recall any hold short instructions. As I was beginning to make the left turn on taxiway Z from taxiway a; I called 132.45. Ground control was very very upset that I had rounded the turn onto taxiway Z (before calling him); but I absolutely do not remember any hold short instruction from 119.12 (though maybe there had been). Conclusions: at busy busy airports; there quite often are too many things going on for one pilot; particularly going into certain busy airports infrequently (so that there's no way to become accustomed to all the nuances; the unpublished frequencys; etc). Added with noise from the passenger; plus one passenger sitting in the copilot's seat wanting me to call for a taxicab; the overwhelming flood of demands on one pilot is too much. Unfortunately; there's anything but a sterile cockpit. It's just the opposite. If I ever have to go into another busy airport; I am going to employ a second (seasoned) pilot and close the cockpit door; and I might also switch back to commercial charts for superior airport diagrams; and I might have installed the necessary equipment (electronic database) to display detailed taxiway diagrams with GPS aircraft position. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stressed the importance of a sterile environment and the need for additional human resources in the cockpit. The problem with the government charts was the catalyst for all that ensued; but only highlighted how close to saturation a single pilot is even when all the squares are filled. It took only this single item of confusion to result in repeated transgressions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE PLT OF TURBOPROP TWIN ENG ENCOUNTERS PROBS WITH RAMP CTL FREQS AT IAD. CITES INADEQUATE FAA CHARTAGE AND TASK SATURATION FOR RESULTING TAXI DEVIATIONS.

Narrative: FOR MANY DECADES; I HAVE BEEN FLYING INTO BUSY BUSY ARPTS SINGLE PLT IN TURBOPROPS WITH MINIMAL DIFFICULTY; BUT ON ONE DAY IN JULY; TWO SEPARATE SITS AT DULLES (IAD) HAVE CONVINCED ME THAT THOSE DAYS ARE OVER (FOR SINGLE PLT). SIT #1: LANDED ON RWY 1L; TAXIED ON TXWY Y6; RIGHT ONTO TXWY Y TO TXWY A THROUGH TXWY Z TO HOLD SHORT OF TWR RAMP AFTER PASSING TXWY Z. NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL. WAITED A SHORT SPELL AND CALLED GND CTL BACK; WHICH SAID I WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL TWR RAMP CTL ON 119.12. ON THE GOV CHART I COULD NOT THEN NOR NOW FIND 119.12. GND CTL SEEMED A BIT PERTURBED THAT I HAD NOT ALREADY CALLED ON 119.12. ON 119.12 TWR RAMP CTLR SAID TO TURN R ON TXWY A5; THEN L ON TXWY B. RAMP ACTIVITY WAS EXTREMELY BUSY WITH PLANES; SERVICE VEHICLES; AND PAX MOVERS. WHILE PASSING TXWY A4; CTLR SAID TO TURN RIGHT NOW. IN THE CONFUSION; I TURNED RIGHT ONTO A SERVICE ROAD/RAMP BETWEEN TXWYS A4 AND A5. THE TXWY A5 SIGN WAS BLOCKED BY TFC AHEAD. NO PROB WAS CREATED; BUT I DEFINITELY TURNED R PRIOR TO REACHING TXWY A5. I FINALLY MADE IT TO FBO PARKING WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBS. THE CONFUSION HAD BEEN VERY HEAVY; BUT THEN 6 AND A HALF HOURS LATER; MORE CONFUSION ENSUED. SIT #2: TAXIED OUT OF FBO PARKING WITH THE EVENTUAL GOAL OF DEPARTING RWY 30 (AGAIN NECESSITATING HAVING TO PASS THROUGH THE TWR RAMP). THIS TIME GND CTL GAVE ME 119.12. THIS TWR RAMP CTLR (I THINK) GAVE US CLRNC TO RWY 30 VIA L TURN ON TXWY Z FROM TXWY A AND TO CALL 132.45 (WEST GROUND). I DO NOT RECALL ANY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. AS I WAS BEGINNING TO MAKE THE L TURN ON TXWY Z FROM TXWY A; I CALLED 132.45. GND CTL WAS VERY VERY UPSET THAT I HAD ROUNDED THE TURN ONTO TXWY Z (BEFORE CALLING HIM); BUT I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT REMEMBER ANY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION FROM 119.12 (THOUGH MAYBE THERE HAD BEEN). CONCLUSIONS: AT BUSY BUSY ARPTS; THERE QUITE OFTEN ARE TOO MANY THINGS GOING ON FOR ONE PLT; PARTICULARLY GOING INTO CERTAIN BUSY ARPTS INFREQUENTLY (SO THAT THERE'S NO WAY TO BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO ALL THE NUANCES; THE UNPUBLISHED FREQS; ETC). ADDED WITH NOISE FROM THE PAX; PLUS ONE PAX SITTING IN THE COPLT'S SEAT WANTING ME TO CALL FOR A TAXICAB; THE OVERWHELMING FLOOD OF DEMANDS ON ONE PLT IS TOO MUCH. UNFORTUNATELY; THERE'S ANYTHING BUT A STERILE COCKPIT. IT'S JUST THE OPPOSITE. IF I EVER HAVE TO GO INTO ANOTHER BUSY ARPT; I AM GOING TO EMPLOY A SECOND (SEASONED) PLT AND CLOSE THE COCKPIT DOOR; AND I MIGHT ALSO SWITCH BACK TO COMMERCIAL CHARTS FOR SUPERIOR ARPT DIAGRAMS; AND I MIGHT HAVE INSTALLED THE NECESSARY EQUIP (ELECTRONIC DATABASE) TO DISPLAY DETAILED TXWY DIAGRAMS WITH GPS ACFT POSITION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF A STERILE ENVIRONMENT AND THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE COCKPIT. THE PROB WITH THE GOV CHARTS WAS THE CATALYST FOR ALL THAT ENSUED; BUT ONLY HIGHLIGHTED HOW CLOSE TO SATURATION A SINGLE PLT IS EVEN WHEN ALL THE SQUARES ARE FILLED. IT TOOK ONLY THIS SINGLE ITEM OF CONFUSION TO RESULT IN REPEATED TRANSGRESSIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.