Narrative:

Called ground control (on tower frequency, one controller was handling ground, local control, and clearance delivery). Requested taxi clearance and IFR clearance to burbank. Controller responded 'atx X, runway 9L, clear to burbank, turn right heading 140 degree vectors to panuche' etc. He completed reading the clearance, which I read back as I taxied to runway 9L. Upon reaching the hold line at runway 9L I requested takeoff clearance. The controller cleared me to taxi to runway 9L. I responded that I was already at runway 9L and was now ready for takeoff. The controller rudely stated 'next time you want to taxi, talk to ground control first'. I stated that I believed I had been cleared to taxi, to which he responded 'that is incorrect'. The controller's words 'runway 9L' in the issuance of the clearance had been interpreted by me as clearance to taxi. I was next instructed to hold short of the runway for landing traffic. A moment later the controller told me to taxi to my company's hangar and call the tower by telephone. During my taxi to the hangar, my company's dispatcher spoke with the controller by phone, the complaint was that I had taxied west/O clearance. The controller, I believe, should have used the phrase 'departing runway 9L' in his clearance. In the future, when one controller is handling all tower functions, I will obtain IFR clearance prior to obtaining taxi clearance in order to avoid confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX TAXIIED TO RWY WITHOUT ATC AUTH, THEN ISTRUCTED BY TWR TO TAXI BACK TO HANGAR AND CALL TWR.

Narrative: CALLED GND CTL (ON TWR FREQ, ONE CTLR WAS HANDLING GND, LCL CTL, AND CLRNC DELIVERY). REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC AND IFR CLRNC TO BURBANK. CTLR RESPONDED 'ATX X, RWY 9L, CLR TO BURBANK, TURN R HDG 140 DEG VECTORS TO PANUCHE' ETC. HE COMPLETED READING THE CLRNC, WHICH I READ BACK AS I TAXIED TO RWY 9L. UPON REACHING THE HOLD LINE AT RWY 9L I REQUESTED TKOF CLRNC. THE CTLR CLRED ME TO TAXI TO RWY 9L. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS ALREADY AT RWY 9L AND WAS NOW READY FOR TKOF. THE CTLR RUDELY STATED 'NEXT TIME YOU WANT TO TAXI, TALK TO GND CTL FIRST'. I STATED THAT I BELIEVED I HAD BEEN CLRED TO TAXI, TO WHICH HE RESPONDED 'THAT IS INCORRECT'. THE CTLR'S WORDS 'RWY 9L' IN THE ISSUANCE OF THE CLRNC HAD BEEN INTERPRETED BY ME AS CLRNC TO TAXI. I WAS NEXT INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY FOR LNDG TFC. A MOMENT LATER THE CTLR TOLD ME TO TAXI TO MY COMPANY'S HANGAR AND CALL THE TWR BY TELEPHONE. DURING MY TAXI TO THE HANGAR, MY COMPANY'S DISPATCHER SPOKE WITH THE CTLR BY PHONE, THE COMPLAINT WAS THAT I HAD TAXIED W/O CLRNC. THE CTLR, I BELIEVE, SHOULD HAVE USED THE PHRASE 'DEPARTING RWY 9L' IN HIS CLRNC. IN THE FUTURE, WHEN ONE CTLR IS HANDLING ALL TWR FUNCTIONS, I WILL OBTAIN IFR CLRNC PRIOR TO OBTAINING TAXI CLRNC IN ORDER TO AVOID CONFUSION.

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.