A metropolitan III performs an unauthorized taxi, twice.

Attributes
ACN	272012
Time
Date	199405
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sat
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bos
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SA-227 AC Metro III
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	272012
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were flag stopped into sat on our way to mfe from aus. Upon boarding passenger in sat it was brought to our attention that we would have 2 wheelchair passenger along with an attendant that was also unable to climb the airstair door. Needless to say a simple 'quick turn' in sat turned into a 30 min delay just boarding those 3 passenger. The temperature in the cabin was approximately 90 degrees. The captain's temperature was about 100 degrees hotter! We obtained our IFR clearance and I began to brief the passenger on the PA. After briefing the passenger, I switched back to the cockpit intercom to complete the taxi check with the captain. After completing the check, I noticed that the ground control frequency was not set in any of the radios. We were just about to the runway by this time! We called the tower and they cleared us for takeoff. Approximately 10 mins into the flight the right engine developed some problems and we returned to sat uneventfully and deplaned all the passenger. (Again with great pains.) we obtained another aircraft that was in sat for maintenance and loaded everyone into the new aircraft. As you might have guessed, it was an exact repeat of what I just described above. We taxied out to the runway again without talking to ground! The tower guys, captain, and myself had a good laugh and we completed the flight uneventfully. I do not believe that there was any kind of traffic conflict. I think that the situation in sat was distracting enough to be a contributing factor in not picking up the taxi clearance. The station agents in sat are not supposed to accept anyone for boarding unless they are able to climb the airstair door themselves or have a personal attendant that can get them up the stairs (as per company policy). Also, the station people did not tell us on the company frequency that we would have any pre-boards so it was a total surprise. (Landing in sat was a total surprise to begin with!) also, we were in a hurry to get through sat as quickly as possible since it was not a normally scheduled stop.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A METRO III PERFORMS AN UNAUTH TAXI, TWICE.

Narrative: WE WERE FLAG STOPPED INTO SAT ON OUR WAY TO MFE FROM AUS. UPON BOARDING PAX IN SAT IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTN THAT WE WOULD HAVE 2 WHEELCHAIR PAX ALONG WITH AN ATTENDANT THAT WAS ALSO UNABLE TO CLB THE AIRSTAIR DOOR. NEEDLESS TO SAY A SIMPLE 'QUICK TURN' IN SAT TURNED INTO A 30 MIN DELAY JUST BOARDING THOSE 3 PAX. THE TEMP IN THE CABIN WAS APPROX 90 DEGS. THE CAPT'S TEMP WAS ABOUT 100 DEGS HOTTER! WE OBTAINED OUR IFR CLRNC AND I BEGAN TO BRIEF THE PAX ON THE PA. AFTER BRIEFING THE PAX, I SWITCHED BACK TO THE COCKPIT INTERCOM TO COMPLETE THE TAXI CHK WITH THE CAPT. AFTER COMPLETING THE CHK, I NOTICED THAT THE GND CTL FREQ WAS NOT SET IN ANY OF THE RADIOS. WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO THE RWY BY THIS TIME! WE CALLED THE TWR AND THEY CLRED US FOR TKOF. APPROX 10 MINS INTO THE FLT THE R ENG DEVELOPED SOME PROBS AND WE RETURNED TO SAT UNEVENTFULLY AND DEPLANED ALL THE PAX. (AGAIN WITH GREAT PAINS.) WE OBTAINED ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS IN SAT FOR MAINT AND LOADED EVERYONE INTO THE NEW ACFT. AS YOU MIGHT HAVE GUESSED, IT WAS AN EXACT REPEAT OF WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED ABOVE. WE TAXIED OUT TO THE RWY AGAIN WITHOUT TALKING TO GND! THE TWR GUYS, CAPT, AND MYSELF HAD A GOOD LAUGH AND WE COMPLETED THE FLT UNEVENTFULLY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS ANY KIND OF TFC CONFLICT. I THINK THAT THE SIT IN SAT WAS DISTRACTING ENOUGH TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN NOT PICKING UP THE TAXI CLRNC. THE STATION AGENTS IN SAT ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT ANYONE FOR BOARDING UNLESS THEY ARE ABLE TO CLB THE AIRSTAIR DOOR THEMSELVES OR HAVE A PERSONAL ATTENDANT THAT CAN GET THEM UP THE STAIRS (AS PER COMPANY POLICY). ALSO, THE STATION PEOPLE DID NOT TELL US ON THE COMPANY FREQ THAT WE WOULD HAVE ANY PRE-BOARDS SO IT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE. (LNDG IN SAT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE TO BEGIN WITH!) ALSO, WE WERE IN A HURRY TO GET THROUGH SAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SINCE IT WAS NOT A NORMALLY SCHEDULED STOP.

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.