Narrative:

Air traffic at deer valley airport sometimes becomes very congested and mostly, everyone copes. An atmosphere of cooperation exists and it works out. I expect you see it often. In my opinion, today's traffic was congested but safe. The controller that was working today is not the easiest person to work with. He is sometimes difficult to understand. He does not provide direct and clear statements. He is unusually short with pilots and doesn't hesitate to issue a scolding for an oversight or error, however minor. He does not share the cordial but firm and clear demeanor of other controllers. The result is that several pilots, including myself, attempt to quickly comply with instructions to avoid rebuke. That is what happened today and it resulted in a runway incursion. To recap: at the holding line, I asked for takeoff clearance. Radio traffic was non stop with many planes in the pattern. I thought the controller replied to me and gave me clearance but misread my n-number. I glanced at my passenger. She nodded yes and pointed towards the runway. I rolled onto the runway and proceeded with a quick takeoff. The controller's chastisement came on climb out. On downwind departure my passenger looked at me and she said she had also understood that we had been cleared for immediate takeoff or hold and was surprised at the controller's comments afterward. I have had other unpleasant communications with this same controller. 2 weeks ago, I was making full stop taxi back lndgs. I had been landing l- hand traffic for runway 7L. On the third landing, as I turned off the runway to taxiway a, he asked what sounded like, 'are your intentions the same?' I answered, 'affirmative.' he responded curtly, 'what are your intentions.' after the flight, I parked the plane and another pilot remarked to me, 'boy he was on everybody's XXX tonight wasn't he?' I have heard him correct other pilot's incorrect readbacks in a very demeaning way. Rebukes for other oversights are frequent and not very helpful from what I have heard. Today, I let a controller's past and present demeanor push me and I didn't make a proper decision as PIC. I applied power to enter the runway, the controller did not. The error was mine. From this time forward, I will never move unless mutual communications identing my n-number are completely correct and I will not take rush clrncs for immediate takeoffs, and I will never enter a runway on a 'probability and belief' that I was cleared. If there is the slightest doubt, I will not move. And I will always doublechk with this controller if there is the slightest question about his xmissions, directions or clrncs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE35 PLT TAKES OFF AT DVT, AZ, WITHOUT PERMISSION AND INCURS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH A DEPARTING CESSNA.

Narrative: AIR TFC AT DEER VALLEY ARPT SOMETIMES BECOMES VERY CONGESTED AND MOSTLY, EVERYONE COPES. AN ATMOSPHERE OF COOPERATION EXISTS AND IT WORKS OUT. I EXPECT YOU SEE IT OFTEN. IN MY OPINION, TODAY'S TFC WAS CONGESTED BUT SAFE. THE CTLR THAT WAS WORKING TODAY IS NOT THE EASIEST PERSON TO WORK WITH. HE IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. HE DOES NOT PROVIDE DIRECT AND CLR STATEMENTS. HE IS UNUSUALLY SHORT WITH PLTS AND DOESN'T HESITATE TO ISSUE A SCOLDING FOR AN OVERSIGHT OR ERROR, HOWEVER MINOR. HE DOES NOT SHARE THE CORDIAL BUT FIRM AND CLR DEMEANOR OF OTHER CTLRS. THE RESULT IS THAT SEVERAL PLTS, INCLUDING MYSELF, ATTEMPT TO QUICKLY COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO AVOID REBUKE. THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TODAY AND IT RESULTED IN A RWY INCURSION. TO RECAP: AT THE HOLDING LINE, I ASKED FOR TKOF CLRNC. RADIO TFC WAS NON STOP WITH MANY PLANES IN THE PATTERN. I THOUGHT THE CTLR REPLIED TO ME AND GAVE ME CLRNC BUT MISREAD MY N-NUMBER. I GLANCED AT MY PAX. SHE NODDED YES AND POINTED TOWARDS THE RWY. I ROLLED ONTO THE RWY AND PROCEEDED WITH A QUICK TKOF. THE CTLR'S CHASTISEMENT CAME ON CLBOUT. ON DOWNWIND DEP MY PAX LOOKED AT ME AND SHE SAID SHE HAD ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF OR HOLD AND WAS SURPRISED AT THE CTLR'S COMMENTS AFTERWARD. I HAVE HAD OTHER UNPLEASANT COMS WITH THIS SAME CTLR. 2 WKS AGO, I WAS MAKING FULL STOP TAXI BACK LNDGS. I HAD BEEN LNDG L- HAND TFC FOR RWY 7L. ON THE THIRD LNDG, AS I TURNED OFF THE RWY TO TXWY A, HE ASKED WHAT SOUNDED LIKE, 'ARE YOUR INTENTIONS THE SAME?' I ANSWERED, 'AFFIRMATIVE.' HE RESPONDED CURTLY, 'WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS.' AFTER THE FLT, I PARKED THE PLANE AND ANOTHER PLT REMARKED TO ME, 'BOY HE WAS ON EVERYBODY'S XXX TONIGHT WASN'T HE?' I HAVE HEARD HIM CORRECT OTHER PLT'S INCORRECT READBACKS IN A VERY DEMEANING WAY. REBUKES FOR OTHER OVERSIGHTS ARE FREQUENT AND NOT VERY HELPFUL FROM WHAT I HAVE HEARD. TODAY, I LET A CTLR'S PAST AND PRESENT DEMEANOR PUSH ME AND I DIDN'T MAKE A PROPER DECISION AS PIC. I APPLIED PWR TO ENTER THE RWY, THE CTLR DID NOT. THE ERROR WAS MINE. FROM THIS TIME FORWARD, I WILL NEVER MOVE UNLESS MUTUAL COMS IDENTING MY N-NUMBER ARE COMPLETELY CORRECT AND I WILL NOT TAKE RUSH CLRNCS FOR IMMEDIATE TKOFS, AND I WILL NEVER ENTER A RWY ON A 'PROBABILITY AND BELIEF' THAT I WAS CLRED. IF THERE IS THE SLIGHTEST DOUBT, I WILL NOT MOVE. AND I WILL ALWAYS DOUBLECHK WITH THIS CTLR IF THERE IS THE SLIGHTEST QUESTION ABOUT HIS XMISSIONS, DIRECTIONS OR CLRNCS.

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.