Pilot of EMS helicopter made unauthorized taxi.

Attributes
ACN	139302
Time
Date	199003
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 10500
ASRS Report	139302
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

EMS, part time job, started up at ZZZ, called tower, got no answer. Figured tower must have closed. Repeated call in the blind and commenced taxi. Tower looked empty at first but on second look I saw the controller stand up and either stretch or more likely wave to me. I stopped and looked up tower frequency. I had two numbers transposed i.e. 127.5 vs 125.7. I switched to the proper frequency, apologized and was cleared properly. Factors, in a hurry, had patient on stretcher, complacency, carelessness. Lack of preflight planning. Had changed frequency on the ground trying to contact flight service.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF EMS HELICOPTER MADE UNAUTH TAXI.

Narrative: EMS, PART TIME JOB, STARTED UP AT ZZZ, CALLED TWR, GOT NO ANSWER. FIGURED TWR MUST HAVE CLOSED. REPEATED CALL IN THE BLIND AND COMMENCED TAXI. TWR LOOKED EMPTY AT FIRST BUT ON SECOND LOOK I SAW THE CTLR STAND UP AND EITHER STRETCH OR MORE LIKELY WAVE TO ME. I STOPPED AND LOOKED UP TWR FREQ. I HAD TWO NUMBERS TRANSPOSED I.E. 127.5 VS 125.7. I SWITCHED TO THE PROPER FREQ, APOLOGIZED AND WAS CLRED PROPERLY. FACTORS, IN A HURRY, HAD PATIENT ON STRETCHER, COMPLACENCY, CARELESSNESS. LACK OF PREFLT PLANNING. HAD CHANGED FREQ ON THE GND TRYING TO CONTACT FLT SVC.

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.