Narrative:

While taxiing for takeoff we were cleared to taxi from the north side of dulles airport's midfield terminal ramp to runway 19L via taxiway east. Neither taxiway E1 or E2 was specified. We turned north on E2. Approaching taxiway T2 the captain commented on a large 'people mover' bus traveling towards us on E2. The captain turned east on T2 and then north on E1. At the hold short for runway 19L the first officer discovered he had mistuned tower frequency as we made the turn onto E1. Upon tuning the correct tower frequency and calling for takeoff clearance, we were told to switch ground control. The ground controller was upset that we had been off frequency, stating 'I've been screaming for you for 5 mins. You taxied on a closed taxiway. I had to move a team of surveyors.' apparently he had wanted us to remain on taxiway E2 vice moving over to E1. We doublechked our ATIS information, listened again, and confirmed no mention had been made of E1's closure in the area of concern. Possible solutions: 1) standardize where pilot's automatically switch from ground to tower frequency. Usually it's near the hold short, but at airports where pilots are not positively told when to switch a geographic point closer to the hold short would have perhaps allowed the ground controller to contact us. 2) require ground control to positively switch aircraft over to tower frequency. This is the policy at some airports, but may not be at dulles. My first officer did not believe it was the policy at dulles. A standard requirement at all tower operating fields would greatly simplify the issue and again, may have enabled the ground controller to contact us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LGT TAXIED ON TAXIWAY CLOSED FOR SURVEY TEAM, NO COM WITH GND CTL.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI FROM THE N SIDE OF DULLES ARPT'S MIDFIELD TERMINAL RAMP TO RWY 19L VIA TAXIWAY E. NEITHER TAXIWAY E1 OR E2 WAS SPECIFIED. WE TURNED N ON E2. APCHING TAXIWAY T2 THE CAPT COMMENTED ON A LARGE 'PEOPLE MOVER' BUS TRAVELING TOWARDS US ON E2. THE CAPT TURNED E ON T2 AND THEN N ON E1. AT THE HOLD SHORT FOR RWY 19L THE FO DISCOVERED HE HAD MISTUNED TWR FREQ AS WE MADE THE TURN ONTO E1. UPON TUNING THE CORRECT TWR FREQ AND CALLING FOR TKOF CLRNC, WE WERE TOLD TO SWITCH GND CTL. THE GND CTLR WAS UPSET THAT WE HAD BEEN OFF FREQ, STATING 'I'VE BEEN SCREAMING FOR YOU FOR 5 MINS. YOU TAXIED ON A CLOSED TAXIWAY. I HAD TO MOVE A TEAM OF SURVEYORS.' APPARENTLY HE HAD WANTED US TO REMAIN ON TAXIWAY E2 VICE MOVING OVER TO E1. WE DOUBLECHKED OUR ATIS INFO, LISTENED AGAIN, AND CONFIRMED NO MENTION HAD BEEN MADE OF E1'S CLOSURE IN THE AREA OF CONCERN. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: 1) STANDARDIZE WHERE PLT'S AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH FROM GND TO TWR FREQ. USUALLY IT'S NEAR THE HOLD SHORT, BUT AT ARPTS WHERE PLTS ARE NOT POSITIVELY TOLD WHEN TO SWITCH A GEOGRAPHIC POINT CLOSER TO THE HOLD SHORT WOULD HAVE PERHAPS ALLOWED THE GND CTLR TO CONTACT US. 2) REQUIRE GND CTL TO POSITIVELY SWITCH ACFT OVER TO TWR FREQ. THIS IS THE POLICY AT SOME ARPTS, BUT MAY NOT BE AT DULLES. MY FO DID NOT BELIEVE IT WAS THE POLICY AT DULLES. A STANDARD REQUIREMENT AT ALL TWR OPERATING FIELDS WOULD GREATLY SIMPLIFY THE ISSUE AND AGAIN, MAY HAVE ENABLED THE GND CTLR TO CONTACT US.

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.