Narrative:

East taxiway; vny airport. Before initiating a relocation tow for maintenance; per prior instruction and common sense; airport operations was notified by cell phone that assistance was requested to move; by tow; to the south end of the field using an active taxiway. My assistant and I waited for approximately 15 mins until operations pulled up next to the tow vehicle with all of its warning lights turned on as if ready to escort. The supervising operations official asked us where we needed to go and we explained our intentions. He queried us as to whether or not we had a radio to accomplish our repositioning task. My co-rider of the tug responded back to the officer (supervisor) that we were presently unable to locate our radio and that we did not have a radio. Seemingly; in a hurry; he explained that we did not need to call operations for this tow and that furthermore; we could take the aircraft to the south location. Having worked in aviation and being involved with numerous towing and live taxi of aircraft for nearly 30+ yrs; I questioned my assistant concerning the move (without a radio). He assured me that he had indeed heard the same thing I heard concerning permission to proceed unassisted to our location. Having made the assumption that airport supervision had contacted the ground control on our behalf we proceeded with caution down the active taxiway; expecting a forward escort from operations. Instead he left us and never attempted to mitigate our movement. As the taxi consumed about 10 mins of time; my partner and I discussed that neither of us thought it was ordinary for an aircraft to occupy an active taxiway in this manner and as such; I turned my attention to the control tower for any possible hand light signals to accompany our taxi. None were observed. I cautiously proceeded and told my partner to watch for any signs of active aircraft. The tow ended uneventfully and as we chocked the aircraft; we were met by the supervisor who angrily questioned us concerning our actions. He explained that tower personnel were irate and asked for our qualifications to tow aircraft. An interesting note is that yet another tow led by operations down the same taxiway in the same direction was being accomplished at the same time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TOW OPERATOR AT VNY ENTERED TXWY WITHOUT CLRNC WITH ACFT UNDER TOW WITH ARPT VEHICLE ESCORT.

Narrative: EAST TXWY; VNY ARPT. BEFORE INITIATING A RELOCATION TOW FOR MAINT; PER PRIOR INSTRUCTION AND COMMON SENSE; ARPT OPS WAS NOTIFIED BY CELL PHONE THAT ASSISTANCE WAS REQUESTED TO MOVE; BY TOW; TO THE S END OF THE FIELD USING AN ACTIVE TXWY. MY ASSISTANT AND I WAITED FOR APPROX 15 MINS UNTIL OPS PULLED UP NEXT TO THE TOW VEHICLE WITH ALL OF ITS WARNING LIGHTS TURNED ON AS IF READY TO ESCORT. THE SUPERVISING OPS OFFICIAL ASKED US WHERE WE NEEDED TO GO AND WE EXPLAINED OUR INTENTIONS. HE QUERIED US AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD A RADIO TO ACCOMPLISH OUR REPOSITIONING TASK. MY CO-RIDER OF THE TUG RESPONDED BACK TO THE OFFICER (SUPVR) THAT WE WERE PRESENTLY UNABLE TO LOCATE OUR RADIO AND THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A RADIO. SEEMINGLY; IN A HURRY; HE EXPLAINED THAT WE DID NOT NEED TO CALL OPS FOR THIS TOW AND THAT FURTHERMORE; WE COULD TAKE THE ACFT TO THE S LOCATION. HAVING WORKED IN AVIATION AND BEING INVOLVED WITH NUMEROUS TOWING AND LIVE TAXI OF ACFT FOR NEARLY 30+ YRS; I QUESTIONED MY ASSISTANT CONCERNING THE MOVE (WITHOUT A RADIO). HE ASSURED ME THAT HE HAD INDEED HEARD THE SAME THING I HEARD CONCERNING PERMISSION TO PROCEED UNASSISTED TO OUR LOCATION. HAVING MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT ARPT SUPERVISION HAD CONTACTED THE GND CTL ON OUR BEHALF WE PROCEEDED WITH CAUTION DOWN THE ACTIVE TXWY; EXPECTING A FORWARD ESCORT FROM OPS. INSTEAD HE LEFT US AND NEVER ATTEMPTED TO MITIGATE OUR MOVEMENT. AS THE TAXI CONSUMED ABOUT 10 MINS OF TIME; MY PARTNER AND I DISCUSSED THAT NEITHER OF US THOUGHT IT WAS ORDINARY FOR AN ACFT TO OCCUPY AN ACTIVE TXWY IN THIS MANNER AND AS SUCH; I TURNED MY ATTN TO THE CTL TWR FOR ANY POSSIBLE HAND LIGHT SIGNALS TO ACCOMPANY OUR TAXI. NONE WERE OBSERVED. I CAUTIOUSLY PROCEEDED AND TOLD MY PARTNER TO WATCH FOR ANY SIGNS OF ACTIVE ACFT. THE TOW ENDED UNEVENTFULLY AND AS WE CHOCKED THE ACFT; WE WERE MET BY THE SUPVR WHO ANGRILY QUESTIONED US CONCERNING OUR ACTIONS. HE EXPLAINED THAT TWR PERSONNEL WERE IRATE AND ASKED FOR OUR QUALIFICATIONS TO TOW ACFT. AN INTERESTING NOTE IS THAT YET ANOTHER TOW LED BY OPS DOWN THE SAME TXWY IN THE SAME DIRECTION WAS BEING ACCOMPLISHED AT THE SAME TIME.

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.