EMB120 taxied onto taxiway B at rsw, fl, without ATC clearance.

Attributes
ACN	477188
Time
Date	200006
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rsw.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	477188
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight left gate and was unable to contact ground control. We assumed radio contact problem was due to aircraft position and terminal building. We finally reached ground control, as we rounded the terminal building, and were told by ground control that we were on an active taxiway (taxiway B). This taxiway B at rsw appears to be the ramp area. The taxiway is not marked until you are actually on it! Also, taxiway B is the first taxiway you reach when leaving the ramp area followed by taxiway a. This reverse order taxiway marking seems prone to pilot error. Also, rsw, on a regular basis, uses 1 controller to work 3 frequencys at the same time (ground/tower/clearance delivery). I believe this is why we were unable to contact ground while leaving the gate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB120 TAXIED ONTO TXWY B AT RSW, FL, WITHOUT ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: FLT LEFT GATE AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT GND CTL. WE ASSUMED RADIO CONTACT PROB WAS DUE TO ACFT POS AND TERMINAL BUILDING. WE FINALLY REACHED GND CTL, AS WE ROUNDED THE TERMINAL BUILDING, AND WERE TOLD BY GND CTL THAT WE WERE ON AN ACTIVE TXWY (TXWY B). THIS TXWY B AT RSW APPEARS TO BE THE RAMP AREA. THE TXWY IS NOT MARKED UNTIL YOU ARE ACTUALLY ON IT! ALSO, TXWY B IS THE FIRST TXWY YOU REACH WHEN LEAVING THE RAMP AREA FOLLOWED BY TXWY A. THIS REVERSE ORDER TXWY MARKING SEEMS PRONE TO PLT ERROR. ALSO, RSW, ON A REGULAR BASIS, USES 1 CTLR TO WORK 3 FREQS AT THE SAME TIME (GND/TWR/CLRNC DELIVERY). I BELIEVE THIS IS WHY WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT GND WHILE LEAVING THE GATE.

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.