Narrative:

At approximately XA15 EDT on aug/sun/00, I contacted vineyard haven, ma, (mvy) ground from aircraft F and informed them that I was ready to taxi with the ATIS VFR to waterbury-oxford, ct (oxc). (It was an extremely busy time on an extremely busy day.) I was directed to taxi to runway 24 and did so, stopping to do a run-up on pad X. At approximately XA30 I called tower and told them that I was ready to depart VFR nwbound. I believe I also said 'at 24.' I was directed to taxi into position and hold. I believe tower also said 'X'. I proceeded to take position on 24. Due to the level of activity, I remember briefly considering remaining at 90 degrees to the runway in order to have a view of aircraft on final, a recommendation I recall from the aftermath of the lax accident. But I dismissed it and lined up with the centerline for 2 reasons: it was daylight with excellent visibility and, around the same time that I contacted tower, another single contacted tower with the result that he received permission to depart from 33 ahead of me. This left me with the expectation that I would be launched as soon as the other single was clear. Instead, the tower continued to vector several other aircraft toward final for runway 24 in such a way that I was beginning to think I had been forgotten. The radio was non-stop and I could not squeeze in a transmission to remind tower that I was in position on 24. I turned on my landing light in the hope that tower might see me. I was considering exiting the runway when tower cleared a twin to land. The twin inquired about the aircraft (me) on the runway. At that point I realized that exiting the runway would not be advisable since the landing aircraft was aware of me, and any movement on my part would only further confuse everybody. Tower quickly grasped the situation and issued an immediate go around for the twin. This was followed by my clearance to depart, right turn approved. On climb out tower inquired of another aircraft whether or not he had twin traffic in sight. (Tower used the model name instead of 'twin' in the inquiry, but I do not recall it.) I thought the inquiry was directed at me since I had the go around aircraft in sight ahead of me. I answered in the affirmative, unfortunately adding to the confusion. It took several xmissions between tower and the other aircraft to sort things out. While monitoring tower on the way out I overhead an exchange that left me with the feeling that the jury was out as far as tower was concerned with regard to who was at fault. I decided to call them when I got home. I did so around XC00 and was told by the individual who answered the phone that they were aware of the incident and that they had 'listened to the tapes' and it was 'taken care of.' I have mulled this over several times since it occurred and unfortunately can see little to suggest for process improvement. If my recollection of the events is correct: I was where I was supposed to be. I seemed to have been forgotten. I was thwarted in my attempts to communicate. I needed to take action or hear something assuring. The best I can conclude for suggested improvement has more to do with personality than with procedure. In this situation, as in many other ATC sits, the 'master plan' is in the head of the controller. I have worked with some controllers who have both the ability and the inclination to paint a picture of their plan to all aircraft under their control. Others are more inclined to play their cards close to the vest. Both methods work, but the former makes the controled aircraft more of a participant by putting everybody 'on the same page.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SUNDAY AFTERNOON CONGESTION AT MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA, ENDS WITH AN ACFT IN POS AND HOLDING ON THE RWY WITHOUT ANOTHER CLRED TO LAND ON THE SAME RWY.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA15 EDT ON AUG/SUN/00, I CONTACTED VINEYARD HAVEN, MA, (MVY) GND FROM ACFT F AND INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS READY TO TAXI WITH THE ATIS VFR TO WATERBURY-OXFORD, CT (OXC). (IT WAS AN EXTREMELY BUSY TIME ON AN EXTREMELY BUSY DAY.) I WAS DIRECTED TO TAXI TO RWY 24 AND DID SO, STOPPING TO DO A RUN-UP ON PAD X. AT APPROX XA30 I CALLED TWR AND TOLD THEM THAT I WAS READY TO DEPART VFR NWBOUND. I BELIEVE I ALSO SAID 'AT 24.' I WAS DIRECTED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. I BELIEVE TWR ALSO SAID 'X'. I PROCEEDED TO TAKE POS ON 24. DUE TO THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY, I REMEMBER BRIEFLY CONSIDERING REMAINING AT 90 DEGS TO THE RWY IN ORDER TO HAVE A VIEW OF ACFT ON FINAL, A RECOMMENDATION I RECALL FROM THE AFTERMATH OF THE LAX ACCIDENT. BUT I DISMISSED IT AND LINED UP WITH THE CTRLINE FOR 2 REASONS: IT WAS DAYLIGHT WITH EXCELLENT VISIBILITY AND, AROUND THE SAME TIME THAT I CONTACTED TWR, ANOTHER SINGLE CONTACTED TWR WITH THE RESULT THAT HE RECEIVED PERMISSION TO DEPART FROM 33 AHEAD OF ME. THIS LEFT ME WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT I WOULD BE LAUNCHED AS SOON AS THE OTHER SINGLE WAS CLR. INSTEAD, THE TWR CONTINUED TO VECTOR SEVERAL OTHER ACFT TOWARD FINAL FOR RWY 24 IN SUCH A WAY THAT I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK I HAD BEEN FORGOTTEN. THE RADIO WAS NON-STOP AND I COULD NOT SQUEEZE IN A XMISSION TO REMIND TWR THAT I WAS IN POS ON 24. I TURNED ON MY LNDG LIGHT IN THE HOPE THAT TWR MIGHT SEE ME. I WAS CONSIDERING EXITING THE RWY WHEN TWR CLRED A TWIN TO LAND. THE TWIN INQUIRED ABOUT THE ACFT (ME) ON THE RWY. AT THAT POINT I REALIZED THAT EXITING THE RWY WOULD NOT BE ADVISABLE SINCE THE LNDG ACFT WAS AWARE OF ME, AND ANY MOVEMENT ON MY PART WOULD ONLY FURTHER CONFUSE EVERYBODY. TWR QUICKLY GRASPED THE SIT AND ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE GAR FOR THE TWIN. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY MY CLRNC TO DEPART, R TURN APPROVED. ON CLBOUT TWR INQUIRED OF ANOTHER ACFT WHETHER OR NOT HE HAD TWIN TFC IN SIGHT. (TWR USED THE MODEL NAME INSTEAD OF 'TWIN' IN THE INQUIRY, BUT I DO NOT RECALL IT.) I THOUGHT THE INQUIRY WAS DIRECTED AT ME SINCE I HAD THE GAR ACFT IN SIGHT AHEAD OF ME. I ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, UNFORTUNATELY ADDING TO THE CONFUSION. IT TOOK SEVERAL XMISSIONS BTWN TWR AND THE OTHER ACFT TO SORT THINGS OUT. WHILE MONITORING TWR ON THE WAY OUT I OVERHEAD AN EXCHANGE THAT LEFT ME WITH THE FEELING THAT THE JURY WAS OUT AS FAR AS TWR WAS CONCERNED WITH REGARD TO WHO WAS AT FAULT. I DECIDED TO CALL THEM WHEN I GOT HOME. I DID SO AROUND XC00 AND WAS TOLD BY THE INDIVIDUAL WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE INCIDENT AND THAT THEY HAD 'LISTENED TO THE TAPES' AND IT WAS 'TAKEN CARE OF.' I HAVE MULLED THIS OVER SEVERAL TIMES SINCE IT OCCURRED AND UNFORTUNATELY CAN SEE LITTLE TO SUGGEST FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT. IF MY RECOLLECTION OF THE EVENTS IS CORRECT: I WAS WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. I SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN. I WAS THWARTED IN MY ATTEMPTS TO COMMUNICATE. I NEEDED TO TAKE ACTION OR HEAR SOMETHING ASSURING. THE BEST I CAN CONCLUDE FOR SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENT HAS MORE TO DO WITH PERSONALITY THAN WITH PROC. IN THIS SIT, AS IN MANY OTHER ATC SITS, THE 'MASTER PLAN' IS IN THE HEAD OF THE CTLR. I HAVE WORKED WITH SOME CTLRS WHO HAVE BOTH THE ABILITY AND THE INCLINATION TO PAINT A PICTURE OF THEIR PLAN TO ALL ACFT UNDER THEIR CTL. OTHERS ARE MORE INCLINED TO PLAY THEIR CARDS CLOSE TO THE VEST. BOTH METHODS WORK, BUT THE FORMER MAKES THE CTLED ACFT MORE OF A PARTICIPANT BY PUTTING EVERYBODY 'ON THE SAME PAGE.'

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.