A PA28 pilot taxied without a clearance. The FAA is, apparently, investigating.

Attributes
ACN	402926
Time
Date	199805
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : roa
State Reference	VA
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
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 530 flight time type : 360
ASRS Report	402926
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Four of five planes in a row all taxiing out of a parking area onto a taxiway to runway 33. The first 3 or 4 planes had clrncs...I asked for mine as I left the parking area. There was an unusual delay before I received clearance and was 100-200 ft on the taxiway before receiving my clearance to follow the other aircraft. The controller made note to me that I had followed the other aircraft without a clearance. My fault. The airport that day was unusually busy. There were extremely long 'hold shorts' that day and was blamed on separation of our group. We did later hear that upper level FAA personnel were in the tower and may have been the cause of the confusion. I personally was requested to contact the tower twice about the same incident of not receiving the proper clearance. One 'private' jet was even allowed to back taxi the main runway with four other planes waiting to takeoff on the runway. The 'poor' supervisor told me he was new and didn't know why 'someone' was making such a big deal of the incident. I suspect the environment in the tower was unhealthy that day due to visiting personnel from the FAA. On any other day my incident would have been insignificant.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT TAXIED WITHOUT A CLRNC. THE FAA IS, APPARENTLY, INVESTIGATING.

Narrative: FOUR OF FIVE PLANES IN A ROW ALL TAXIING OUT OF A PARKING AREA ONTO A TXWY TO RWY 33. THE FIRST 3 OR 4 PLANES HAD CLRNCS...I ASKED FOR MINE AS I LEFT THE PARKING AREA. THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL DELAY BEFORE I RECEIVED CLRNC AND WAS 100-200 FT ON THE TXWY BEFORE RECEIVING MY CLRNC TO FOLLOW THE OTHER ACFT. THE CTLR MADE NOTE TO ME THAT I HAD FOLLOWED THE OTHER ACFT WITHOUT A CLRNC. MY FAULT. THE ARPT THAT DAY WAS UNUSUALLY BUSY. THERE WERE EXTREMELY LONG 'HOLD SHORTS' THAT DAY AND WAS BLAMED ON SEPARATION OF OUR GROUP. WE DID LATER HEAR THAT UPPER LEVEL FAA PERSONNEL WERE IN THE TWR AND MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE CONFUSION. I PERSONALLY WAS REQUESTED TO CONTACT THE TWR TWICE ABOUT THE SAME INCIDENT OF NOT RECEIVING THE PROPER CLRNC. ONE 'PRIVATE' JET WAS EVEN ALLOWED TO BACK TAXI THE MAIN RWY WITH FOUR OTHER PLANES WAITING TO TKOF ON THE RWY. THE 'POOR' SUPERVISOR TOLD ME HE WAS NEW AND DIDN'T KNOW WHY 'SOMEONE' WAS MAKING SUCH A BIG DEAL OF THE INCIDENT. I SUSPECT THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE TWR WAS UNHEALTHY THAT DAY DUE TO VISITING PERSONNEL FROM THE FAA. ON ANY OTHER DAY MY INCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN INSIGNIFICANT.

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.