Narrative:

Possible misunderstanding of ATIS information on morning of 1/tue/90, XA15-XA30, resulting in me taxiing onto a closed taxiway. History: 1) I received a briefing mon night from rno FSS for an IFR flight from bty to sna. I specifically asked about NOTAMS for the airport prior ot the control zone being active. There were no NOTAMS re: the airport related to me from the briefer. I called ahead to reserve a rental car from FBO. I asked them about the possibility of taxiing to their place of business on the east side of the field. Again there was no indication of a problem. FBO opens at XA30 the control tower is operational at XB15. I was aware of the construction at sna but only fly there very month or so, and that is the reason I took the time to ask these questions. 2) I tuned in the ATIS at sna and listened to it at least 3 times and copied the closed txwys. There were 6 or 7 closed txwys, however taxiway alpha appeared open. I did not consider that the entire east side of the airport was closed. 3) I saw 2 vehicles turn on their lights again on short final and follow me down the runway (19R) on the east side of the field. 4) I was informed that I was in violation that the east side was closed until XB15. It was then XA45 and dark. I told the person, a woman, I was not aware that the east side was closed, that we needed to get our rental car at FBO and had not been informed that the east side was closed until the control tower was open. I could have still back-taxied on the runway to the west side. I thought that this would be a very unsafe act at that airport, so I again the person if it would be possible to tie down at FBO. She said to follow her. 5) when we got to FBO the man in the second veh said he was going to cite me for taxiing on a closed taxiway. The woman then said that it was clear that I was going to the east side and that the citation was fair. 6) the following of her car to the tie down area was the safest act and much safer than back-taxiing to the west side. The ATIS should have stated that the east side of th airport is closed while the control zone is inoperable rather than listing a large # of closed txwys. ATIS should have stated that tie downs are only available on the west side. The 1 person I talked to who was aware of some problems with the east side said to consult the airport directory for NOTAMS. If the airport is essentially closed when the controller tower is not operating, then flight plans should not be accepted nor should any approach be issued to such an airport. In short, very poor communication in the system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH TAXI AT SNA EARLY IN THE MORNING.

Narrative: POSSIBLE MISUNDERSTANDING OF ATIS INFO ON MORNING OF 1/TUE/90, XA15-XA30, RESULTING IN ME TAXIING ONTO A CLOSED TXWY. HISTORY: 1) I RECEIVED A BRIEFING MON NIGHT FROM RNO FSS FOR AN IFR FLT FROM BTY TO SNA. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT NOTAMS FOR THE ARPT PRIOR OT THE CTL ZONE BEING ACTIVE. THERE WERE NO NOTAMS RE: THE ARPT RELATED TO ME FROM THE BRIEFER. I CALLED AHEAD TO RESERVE A RENTAL CAR FROM FBO. I ASKED THEM ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF TAXIING TO THEIR PLACE OF BUSINESS ON THE E SIDE OF THE FIELD. AGAIN THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A PROB. FBO OPENS AT XA30 THE CTL TWR IS OPERATIONAL AT XB15. I WAS AWARE OF THE CONSTRUCTION AT SNA BUT ONLY FLY THERE VERY MONTH OR SO, AND THAT IS THE REASON I TOOK THE TIME TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS. 2) I TUNED IN THE ATIS AT SNA AND LISTENED TO IT AT LEAST 3 TIMES AND COPIED THE CLOSED TXWYS. THERE WERE 6 OR 7 CLOSED TXWYS, HOWEVER TXWY ALPHA APPEARED OPEN. I DID NOT CONSIDER THAT THE ENTIRE E SIDE OF THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. 3) I SAW 2 VEHICLES TURN ON THEIR LIGHTS AGAIN ON SHORT FINAL AND FOLLOW ME DOWN THE RWY (19R) ON THE E SIDE OF THE FIELD. 4) I WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS IN VIOLATION THAT THE E SIDE WAS CLOSED UNTIL XB15. IT WAS THEN XA45 AND DARK. I TOLD THE PERSON, A WOMAN, I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE E SIDE WAS CLOSED, THAT WE NEEDED TO GET OUR RENTAL CAR AT FBO AND HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED THAT THE E SIDE WAS CLOSED UNTIL THE CTL TWR WAS OPEN. I COULD HAVE STILL BACK-TAXIED ON THE RWY TO THE W SIDE. I THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD BE A VERY UNSAFE ACT AT THAT ARPT, SO I AGAIN THE PERSON IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO TIE DOWN AT FBO. SHE SAID TO FOLLOW HER. 5) WHEN WE GOT TO FBO THE MAN IN THE SECOND VEH SAID HE WAS GOING TO CITE ME FOR TAXIING ON A CLOSED TXWY. THE WOMAN THEN SAID THAT IT WAS CLEAR THAT I WAS GOING TO THE E SIDE AND THAT THE CITATION WAS FAIR. 6) THE FOLLOWING OF HER CAR TO THE TIE DOWN AREA WAS THE SAFEST ACT AND MUCH SAFER THAN BACK-TAXIING TO THE W SIDE. THE ATIS SHOULD HAVE STATED THAT THE E SIDE OF TH ARPT IS CLOSED WHILE THE CTL ZONE IS INOPERABLE RATHER THAN LISTING A LARGE # OF CLOSED TXWYS. ATIS SHOULD HAVE STATED THAT TIE DOWNS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE ON THE W SIDE. THE 1 PERSON I TALKED TO WHO WAS AWARE OF SOME PROBS WITH THE E SIDE SAID TO CONSULT THE ARPT DIRECTORY FOR NOTAMS. IF THE ARPT IS ESSENTIALLY CLOSED WHEN THE CTLR TWR IS NOT OPERATING, THEN FLT PLANS SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED NOR SHOULD ANY APCH BE ISSUED TO SUCH AN ARPT. IN SHORT, VERY POOR COM IN THE SYS.

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.