Critical ground conflict at sjc between aircraft holding at the run up area for runway 29.

Attributes
ACN	186477
Time
Date	199108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sjc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 1450 flight time type : 260
ASRS Report	186477
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 15 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

After runup I contacted sjc ground for taxi to runway 29 for IFR takeoff. 2 things were in runup area -- 1 small transport X and the other an small transport Y (performing a maintenance runup with engines uncowled). Ground advised I monitor tower frequency awaiting IFR release. (Note that ground controls this runway area and adjacent taxiway #4.) after a few mins I contacted tower, who advised me to taxi to runway and hold. As I began to move, the small transport X also moved. Had I not looked we would have struck wingtips. Small aircraft X taxied to 29, then I followed. Another small aircraft Y aircraft was in motion on taxiway 4 within 50 yards. Small transport Y began to move but saw me and stopped. We had 4 aircraft in motion and I was on tower, not ground frequency. Tower never mentioned other aircraft movements, but I expect other pilots questioned my movements on ground frequency. My subsequent 10 min wait for IFR release implies that ground did not 'start the process' for release as was implied in their handoff to tower. Ground should have kept me on frequency until IFR release arrived or was imminent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRITICAL GND CONFLICT AT SJC BTWN ACFT HOLDING AT THE RUN UP AREA FOR RWY 29.

Narrative: AFTER RUNUP I CONTACTED SJC GND FOR TAXI TO RWY 29 FOR IFR TKOF. 2 THINGS WERE IN RUNUP AREA -- 1 SMT X AND THE OTHER AN SMT Y (PERFORMING A MAINT RUNUP WITH ENGS UNCOWLED). GND ADVISED I MONITOR TWR FREQ AWAITING IFR RELEASE. (NOTE THAT GND CTLS THIS RWY AREA AND ADJACENT TAXIWAY #4.) AFTER A FEW MINS I CONTACTED TWR, WHO ADVISED ME TO TAXI TO RWY AND HOLD. AS I BEGAN TO MOVE, THE SMT X ALSO MOVED. HAD I NOT LOOKED WE WOULD HAVE STRUCK WINGTIPS. SMA X TAXIED TO 29, THEN I FOLLOWED. ANOTHER SMA Y ACFT WAS IN MOTION ON TAXIWAY 4 WITHIN 50 YARDS. SMT Y BEGAN TO MOVE BUT SAW ME AND STOPPED. WE HAD 4 ACFT IN MOTION AND I WAS ON TWR, NOT GND FREQ. TWR NEVER MENTIONED OTHER ACFT MOVEMENTS, BUT I EXPECT OTHER PLTS QUESTIONED MY MOVEMENTS ON GND FREQ. MY SUBSEQUENT 10 MIN WAIT FOR IFR RELEASE IMPLIES THAT GND DID NOT 'START THE PROCESS' FOR RELEASE AS WAS IMPLIED IN THEIR HDOF TO TWR. GND SHOULD HAVE KEPT ME ON FREQ UNTIL IFR RELEASE ARRIVED OR WAS IMMINENT.

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.