Narrative:

Small transport X taxied via inner taxiway to 18L via 19 bridge as instructed. Once on 19 bridge we contacted ground control on 121.8 as instructed. On 121.8 small transport X told to follow small transport Z and to turn right on H to taxiway 18 for runway 18L. At runway 18L on tower frequency 124.15 small transport X was #3 aircraft on taxiway 18, #1 being small transport Y, small transport Z #2. All 3 turbo propellers were clrd across runway 18L and assigned runway 18R for departure. Upon reaching runway 18R small transport X was instructed to transition to taxiway 19 and to hold short of runway 18R at 19. We proceeded as instructed. Sequence for departure was announced as small transport Y, small transport X and small transport Z. Numerous arrs were lined up for runway 18R while runway 18L was being used primarily for jet departures, a situation which often delays the turbo propellers. The local controller was obviously very busy and speaking extremely rapidly. After several jet arrs, small transport Y was instructed to taxi into position and hold on runway 18R. Subsequently, we (small transport X) were also instructed to taxi into position and hold on runway 18R. Since the very same local controller assigned us the intersection (taxiway 19) I thought that perhaps he had decided to change the departure sequence. My first officer had already acknowledged the instruction and I attempted to question the controller for verification, however the frequency was very congested. In an effort to comply with the instruction, yet wary of the situation, I taxied very slowly toward the runway. After having crossed the hold bars but not yet on the runway--we were just short of the runway edge lines--the local controller clrd small transport Y for takeoff. Small transport Y advised that he could not depart because traffic was in front of him--small transport X. Simultaneously with the controller's clearance I immediately initiated a 180 degree turn off the taxiway and advised the controller of the situation. The controller had no idea which aircraft was #1, nor where we were. However, he would not allow enough time on the frequency for anyone else to speak and even clrd small transport Y for takeoff a second time, even as we were attempting to resolve the situation. He eventually just told all aircraft to clear the runway since there was traffic on short final. Because of this fiasco we were delayed extensively afterwards because of the total confusion in the tower. Shortly thereafter, a widebody transport was told to go around when over the threshold due to traffic on the runway when the runway was actually clear. All in all we did not depart until 40 mins after we left our gate, and we were the last of the turbo propellers to depart. I assumed we were being penalized for the incompetency and ineptness of the controller. Never did the OJT instrument even attempt to correct any situation on the frequency and all the while several jet aircraft which had left their gates long after we did were allowed to continue departing on runway 18L. This type of situation occurs almost daily in the dfw regional TCA. There is an obvious lack of organization, coordination and controller abilities at this facility. The one area that dfw tower controllers excel in is berating pilots and yelling on the frequency. Speed control is negligible and coordination between tower and radar seems minimal. When I contacted the watch supervisor in the tower upon my return, he stated that he didn't see where the controller had done anything wrong.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR-SMT GIVEN TKOF CLRNC WITH RWY OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER ACR-SMT.

Narrative: SMT X TAXIED VIA INNER TXWY TO 18L VIA 19 BRIDGE AS INSTRUCTED. ONCE ON 19 BRIDGE WE CONTACTED GND CTL ON 121.8 AS INSTRUCTED. ON 121.8 SMT X TOLD TO FOLLOW SMT Z AND TO TURN RIGHT ON H TO TXWY 18 FOR RWY 18L. AT RWY 18L ON TWR FREQ 124.15 SMT X WAS #3 ACFT ON TXWY 18, #1 BEING SMT Y, SMT Z #2. ALL 3 TURBO PROPS WERE CLRD ACROSS RWY 18L AND ASSIGNED RWY 18R FOR DEP. UPON REACHING RWY 18R SMT X WAS INSTRUCTED TO TRANSITION TO TXWY 19 AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18R AT 19. WE PROCEEDED AS INSTRUCTED. SEQUENCE FOR DEP WAS ANNOUNCED AS SMT Y, SMT X AND SMT Z. NUMEROUS ARRS WERE LINED UP FOR RWY 18R WHILE RWY 18L WAS BEING USED PRIMARILY FOR JET DEPS, A SITUATION WHICH OFTEN DELAYS THE TURBO PROPS. THE LCL CTLR WAS OBVIOUSLY VERY BUSY AND SPEAKING EXTREMELY RAPIDLY. AFTER SEVERAL JET ARRS, SMT Y WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 18R. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE (SMT X) WERE ALSO INSTRUCTED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 18R. SINCE THE VERY SAME LCL CTLR ASSIGNED US THE INTXN (TXWY 19) I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS HE HAD DECIDED TO CHANGE THE DEP SEQUENCE. MY F/O HAD ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTION AND I ATTEMPTED TO QUESTION THE CTLR FOR VERIFICATION, HOWEVER THE FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED. IN AN EFFORT TO COMPLY WITH THE INSTRUCTION, YET WARY OF THE SITUATION, I TAXIED VERY SLOWLY TOWARD THE RWY. AFTER HAVING CROSSED THE HOLD BARS BUT NOT YET ON THE RWY--WE WERE JUST SHORT OF THE RWY EDGE LINES--THE LCL CTLR CLRD SMT Y FOR TKOF. SMT Y ADVISED THAT HE COULD NOT DEPART BECAUSE TFC WAS IN FRONT OF HIM--SMT X. SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE CTLR'S CLRNC I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A 180 DEG TURN OFF THE TXWY AND ADVISED THE CTLR OF THE SITUATION. THE CTLR HAD NO IDEA WHICH ACFT WAS #1, NOR WHERE WE WERE. HOWEVER, HE WOULD NOT ALLOW ENOUGH TIME ON THE FREQ FOR ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK AND EVEN CLRD SMT Y FOR TKOF A SECOND TIME, EVEN AS WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE THE SITUATION. HE EVENTUALLY JUST TOLD ALL ACFT TO CLR THE RWY SINCE THERE WAS TFC ON SHORT FINAL. BECAUSE OF THIS FIASCO WE WERE DELAYED EXTENSIVELY AFTERWARDS BECAUSE OF THE TOTAL CONFUSION IN THE TWR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A WDB WAS TOLD TO GO AROUND WHEN OVER THE THRESHOLD DUE TO TFC ON THE RWY WHEN THE RWY WAS ACTUALLY CLR. ALL IN ALL WE DID NOT DEPART UNTIL 40 MINS AFTER WE LEFT OUR GATE, AND WE WERE THE LAST OF THE TURBO PROPS TO DEPART. I ASSUMED WE WERE BEING PENALIZED FOR THE INCOMPETENCY AND INEPTNESS OF THE CTLR. NEVER DID THE OJT INSTR EVEN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT ANY SITUATION ON THE FREQ AND ALL THE WHILE SEVERAL JET ACFT WHICH HAD LEFT THEIR GATES LONG AFTER WE DID WERE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE DEPARTING ON RWY 18L. THIS TYPE OF SITUATION OCCURS ALMOST DAILY IN THE DFW REGIONAL TCA. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS LACK OF ORGANIZATION, COORD AND CTLR ABILITIES AT THIS FAC. THE ONE AREA THAT DFW TWR CTLRS EXCEL IN IS BERATING PLTS AND YELLING ON THE FREQ. SPD CTL IS NEGLIGIBLE AND COORD BTWN TWR AND RADAR SEEMS MINIMAL. WHEN I CONTACTED THE WATCH SUPVR IN THE TWR UPON MY RETURN, HE STATED THAT HE DIDN'T SEE WHERE THE CTLR HAD DONE ANYTHING WRONG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.