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| Attributes | |
| ACN | 452658 | 
| Time | |
| Date | 199910 | 
| Day | Sat | 
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 | 
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : den.airport | 
| State Reference | CO | 
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 | 
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC | 
| Light | Night | 
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier | 
| Make Model Name | SA-226 TC Metro II | 
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 | 
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi | 
| Flight Plan | IFR | 
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier | 
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic  | 
| Qualification | pilot : atp | 
| ASRS Report | 452658 | 
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier | 
| Function | flight crew : first officer | 
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine  | 
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe incursion : taxiway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance  | 
| Independent Detector | other controllera | 
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment | 
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew | 
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance  | 
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance | 
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation | 
Narrative:
Upon reaching the alpha hold bar out of the cargo ramp at den, I attempted to reach ground control. I am a high minimums captain, and was informed by my IOE instructor pilot that there is a dead spot in that area (radio reception difficult). After unsuccessfully contacting ground control, I attempted to contact tower -- again, unsuccessful. By the book, I should have sat there and awaited light gun signals, help from another aircraft communicating, etc. I did not -- that was my error. With a line of aircraft in front of me waiting for departure on runway 35L, I taxied forward, hoping to contact ground out of the dead spot. I had no luck. I was able to contact tower, who instructed me to contact ground. I finally did so and they were obviously upset that I taxied beyond the hold bar without authority/authorized. There was no chance of a potential conflict with another aircraft on the ground caused by my action to move forward. I was simply trying to adapt to the situation at hand, get out of a dead spot I had been previously briefed on, and expedite communication with a controling authority/authorized (whether it be ground, tower, or whomever). I was informed by ground that they heard me transmitting, and that other aircraft could hear them (implying that I should be able to as well). If it was not a dead spot, but instead my equipment, I had no way of knowing. I was simply trying to resolve the problem. I created no hazard and no potential hazard, by my action.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF A SWEARINGEN SA226 METRO II, CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE TO THE TXWY WITHOUT CONTACTING GND CTL SINCE HE COULD NOT ESTABLISH 2-WAY COMS WITH THE TWR. HE BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS A DEAD RADIO SPOT TO THE TWR AND THAT THERE WAS NO KNOWN TFC CONFLICT.
Narrative: UPON REACHING THE ALPHA HOLD BAR OUT OF THE CARGO RAMP AT DEN, I ATTEMPTED TO REACH GND CTL. I AM A HIGH MINIMUMS CAPT, AND WAS INFORMED BY MY IOE INSTRUCTOR PLT THAT THERE IS A DEAD SPOT IN THAT AREA (RADIO RECEPTION DIFFICULT). AFTER UNSUCCESSFULLY CONTACTING GND CTL, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT TWR -- AGAIN, UNSUCCESSFUL. BY THE BOOK, I SHOULD HAVE SAT THERE AND AWAITED LIGHT GUN SIGNALS, HELP FROM ANOTHER ACFT COMMUNICATING, ETC. I DID NOT -- THAT WAS MY ERROR. WITH A LINE OF ACFT IN FRONT OF ME WAITING FOR DEP ON RWY 35L, I TAXIED FORWARD, HOPING TO CONTACT GND OUT OF THE DEAD SPOT. I HAD NO LUCK. I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT TWR, WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT GND. I FINALLY DID SO AND THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY UPSET THAT I TAXIED BEYOND THE HOLD BAR WITHOUT AUTH. THERE WAS NO CHANCE OF A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON THE GND CAUSED BY MY ACTION TO MOVE FORWARD. I WAS SIMPLY TRYING TO ADAPT TO THE SIT AT HAND, GET OUT OF A DEAD SPOT I HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED ON, AND EXPEDITE COM WITH A CTLING AUTH (WHETHER IT BE GND, TWR, OR WHOMEVER). I WAS INFORMED BY GND THAT THEY HEARD ME XMITTING, AND THAT OTHER ACFT COULD HEAR THEM (IMPLYING THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO AS WELL). IF IT WAS NOT A DEAD SPOT, BUT INSTEAD MY EQUIP, I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING. I WAS SIMPLY TRYING TO RESOLVE THE PROB. I CREATED NO HAZARD AND NO POTENTIAL HAZARD, BY MY ACTION.
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.