Lifeguard flight told hold for release due large transport taxiing for takeoff. Lifeguard aircraft a...

Attributes
ACN	219570
Time
Date	199208
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bzn
State Reference	MT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 10400 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	219570
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

On the above described date and time, my aircraft had just loaded a patient on board and started the engines to taxi for takeoff on runway 30. The procedure at bzn is to contact slc center on the ground for your IFR clearance. My copilot did so and we received the clearance with a hold for release. The reason for that was that an air carrier large transport already had a clearance to be released IFR. I looked for him and saw that he was still pulling out from the terminal behind us and we were at this time about 1/2 mi ahead of him to be #1 on the runway. We notified slc that we were #1 for takeoff, to which he replied 'hold for release.' I continued taxiing to the end of the runway and had my copilot tell slc that we would takeoff VFR and accept clearance in the air. The large transport was now directly behind us waiting for takeoff. We would have had to taxi down the runway for about a half mi to realign for takeoff. I elected to takeoff at this time and flew the standard pattern and we called slc over the airport at about 8000 ft and told him we had departed and were VFR. The controller was adamant in telling us that he had told us to hold for release. I told him again that we had departed VFR and that we had to get out of the way of the large transport so we took off. We were a lifeguard flight and should have had some preference, I felt. This is a fairly regular occurrence at bzn due to the fact that the acrs routinely get their clrncs while sitting in the terminal. If runway 30 is in use at the time, all GA planes taxiing to that runway will be ahead of the acrs, IFR or VFR. If runway 12 is in use the acrs will be ahead of most other airplanes due to the layout of the airport. I feel this is an area where some changes could be made to avoid this type of situation in the future. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he has not contacted anyone at center since incident. Analyst suggested a call to chief of ZLC to explain taxiway runway confign and help their understanding of the conditions. Also to request priority for lifeguard flts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LIFEGUARD FLT TOLD HOLD FOR RELEASE DUE LGT TAXIING FOR TKOF. LIFEGUARD ACFT AHEAD OF AND BLOCKING PATH OF LGT. TKOF VFR AND REQUEST CLRNC IN AIR.

Narrative: ON THE ABOVE DESCRIBED DATE AND TIME, MY ACFT HAD JUST LOADED A PATIENT ON BOARD AND STARTED THE ENGS TO TAXI FOR TKOF ON RWY 30. THE PROC AT BZN IS TO CONTACT SLC CTR ON THE GND FOR YOUR IFR CLRNC. MY COPLT DID SO AND WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC WITH A HOLD FOR RELEASE. THE REASON FOR THAT WAS THAT AN ACR LGT ALREADY HAD A CLRNC TO BE RELEASED IFR. I LOOKED FOR HIM AND SAW THAT HE WAS STILL PULLING OUT FROM THE TERMINAL BEHIND US AND WE WERE AT THIS TIME ABOUT 1/2 MI AHEAD OF HIM TO BE #1 ON THE RWY. WE NOTIFIED SLC THAT WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF, TO WHICH HE REPLIED 'HOLD FOR RELEASE.' I CONTINUED TAXIING TO THE END OF THE RWY AND HAD MY COPLT TELL SLC THAT WE WOULD TKOF VFR AND ACCEPT CLRNC IN THE AIR. THE LGT WAS NOW DIRECTLY BEHIND US WAITING FOR TKOF. WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO TAXI DOWN THE RWY FOR ABOUT A HALF MI TO REALIGN FOR TKOF. I ELECTED TO TKOF AT THIS TIME AND FLEW THE STANDARD PATTERN AND WE CALLED SLC OVER THE ARPT AT ABOUT 8000 FT AND TOLD HIM WE HAD DEPARTED AND WERE VFR. THE CTLR WAS ADAMANT IN TELLING US THAT HE HAD TOLD US TO HOLD FOR RELEASE. I TOLD HIM AGAIN THAT WE HAD DEPARTED VFR AND THAT WE HAD TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE LGT SO WE TOOK OFF. WE WERE A LIFEGUARD FLT AND SHOULD HAVE HAD SOME PREFERENCE, I FELT. THIS IS A FAIRLY REGULAR OCCURRENCE AT BZN DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ACRS ROUTINELY GET THEIR CLRNCS WHILE SITTING IN THE TERMINAL. IF RWY 30 IS IN USE AT THE TIME, ALL GA PLANES TAXIING TO THAT RWY WILL BE AHEAD OF THE ACRS, IFR OR VFR. IF RWY 12 IS IN USE THE ACRS WILL BE AHEAD OF MOST OTHER AIRPLANES DUE TO THE LAYOUT OF THE ARPT. I FEEL THIS IS AN AREA WHERE SOME CHANGES COULD BE MADE TO AVOID THIS TYPE OF SITUATION IN THE FUTURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE HAS NOT CONTACTED ANYONE AT CTR SINCE INCIDENT. ANALYST SUGGESTED A CALL TO CHIEF OF ZLC TO EXPLAIN TAXIWAY RWY CONFIGN AND HELP THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONDITIONS. ALSO TO REQUEST PRIORITY FOR LIFEGUARD FLTS.

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.

Lifeguard flight told hold for release due large transport taxiing for takeoff. Lifeguard aircraft ahead of and blocking path of large transport. Takeoff VFR and request clearance in air.