Narrative:

Pilot deviation -- entered runway without clearance. How the problem arose: after completion of a run-up in preparation for a first solo flight, the student pilot called for clearance for takeoff. The student was told by the tower controller to 'hold.' the controller observed an experimental aircraft approaching the runway at approximately 100 ft AGL without radio communication and rocking it's wings. The student believes he read back 'position and hold' and proceeded to enter the runway. The controller failed to notice the student enter the runway and hold in position. Meanwhile the experimental aircraft entered a downwind awaiting a light-gun signal to land. When the controller realized that there was an aircraft on the runway. The controller instructed the student to exit the runway. There was no loss of separation. Contributing factors: distraction caused by a NORDO aircraft in the traffic pattern during a very busy saturday morning. Student pilot -- first solo, received an incomplete 'hold' instruction. Student failed to question 'hold' instruction and clarify where to hold, ie, 'hold in position, hold short, position and hold.' local controller failed to see student move from run up position to runway. Local controller failed to hear and correct student's readback. Busy saturday morning. 5 or 6 other aircraft in run-up area. How it was discovered: while attempting to give light-gun signals to the NORDO aircraft, the local controller observed the airplane in position on the runway. Corrective action: counsel the student with regard to hold instructions. Review all hold instructions and their specific meaning. Enforce the importance of situational awareness. Observe other aircraft in run-up area and listen to their radio calls and recognize what your takeoff sequence will be. Listen to hold instructions. If they are incomplete, ask for clarification. Do not enter the runway unless you are sure you have proper clearance. Be especially alert on busy traffic days. Supplemental information from acn 495656: on radio on tower frequency, I requested departure on runway 27R with closed left pattern for touch-and-goes. I was asked to repeat my transmission, which I did in the same words. Right away I heard what I believed to be 'aircraft X you're #1 for takeoff, taxi and hold.' I repeated these words back to tower and receiving no corrections or further instructions, proceeded to taxi. I remember being delighted that I was #1 since there were 3 other aircraft waiting and I had expected to have to wait also. I assumed that they were not ready to go yet. I also remember hearing that there was an aircraft in the air with a radio problem and that 'they didn't know which runway it was coming in on.' believing that I had clearance onto the runway where I was to hold, interping the 'hold' to be because the problem aircraft was coming in on the cross runway (runway 17/35). I proceeded onto the runway after visually checking for approaching landing traffic and seeing none. Contributing factors: controller distraction due to aircraft trying to land with malfunctioning radio. Another aircraft in the run up area, of the same model as mine with similar tail numbers. Tower workload due to many active aircraft in the air and on the ground. Radio traffic on tower frequency with xmissions interrupting each other. My novice status. How it was discovered: tower eventually noticed that I was sitting on the runway waiting for clearance to take off. Actions and inactions: tower did not catch my error, because as I discovered later, my response was obscured by another transmission. Was advised by tower to taxi off of the runway when my presence there was discovered. I taxied off the runway without delay. Factors affecting the quality of human performance: busyness of the airport at that particular moment. All pilot's anxiety to get into the air since local bad WX was due soon (santa ana winds).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 STUDENT PLT HAD RWY INCURSION AT SEE.

Narrative: PLTDEV -- ENTERED RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. HOW THE PROB AROSE: AFTER COMPLETION OF A RUN-UP IN PREPARATION FOR A FIRST SOLO FLT, THE STUDENT PLT CALLED FOR CLRNC FOR TKOF. THE STUDENT WAS TOLD BY THE TWR CTLR TO 'HOLD.' THE CTLR OBSERVED AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT APCHING THE RWY AT APPROX 100 FT AGL WITHOUT RADIO COM AND ROCKING IT'S WINGS. THE STUDENT BELIEVES HE READ BACK 'POS AND HOLD' AND PROCEEDED TO ENTER THE RWY. THE CTLR FAILED TO NOTICE THE STUDENT ENTER THE RWY AND HOLD IN POS. MEANWHILE THE EXPERIMENTAL ACFT ENTERED A DOWNWIND AWAITING A LIGHT-GUN SIGNAL TO LAND. WHEN THE CTLR REALIZED THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE RWY. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO EXIT THE RWY. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: DISTR CAUSED BY A NORDO ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN DURING A VERY BUSY SATURDAY MORNING. STUDENT PLT -- FIRST SOLO, RECEIVED AN INCOMPLETE 'HOLD' INSTRUCTION. STUDENT FAILED TO QUESTION 'HOLD' INSTRUCTION AND CLARIFY WHERE TO HOLD, IE, 'HOLD IN POS, HOLD SHORT, POS AND HOLD.' LCL CTLR FAILED TO SEE STUDENT MOVE FROM RUN UP POS TO RWY. LCL CTLR FAILED TO HEAR AND CORRECT STUDENT'S READBACK. BUSY SATURDAY MORNING. 5 OR 6 OTHER ACFT IN RUN-UP AREA. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GIVE LIGHT-GUN SIGNALS TO THE NORDO ACFT, THE LCL CTLR OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE IN POS ON THE RWY. CORRECTIVE ACTION: COUNSEL THE STUDENT WITH REGARD TO HOLD INSTRUCTIONS. REVIEW ALL HOLD INSTRUCTIONS AND THEIR SPECIFIC MEANING. ENFORCE THE IMPORTANCE OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. OBSERVE OTHER ACFT IN RUN-UP AREA AND LISTEN TO THEIR RADIO CALLS AND RECOGNIZE WHAT YOUR TKOF SEQUENCE WILL BE. LISTEN TO HOLD INSTRUCTIONS. IF THEY ARE INCOMPLETE, ASK FOR CLARIFICATION. DO NOT ENTER THE RWY UNLESS YOU ARE SURE YOU HAVE PROPER CLRNC. BE ESPECIALLY ALERT ON BUSY TFC DAYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 495656: ON RADIO ON TWR FREQ, I REQUESTED DEP ON RWY 27R WITH CLOSED L PATTERN FOR TOUCH-AND-GOES. I WAS ASKED TO REPEAT MY XMISSION, WHICH I DID IN THE SAME WORDS. RIGHT AWAY I HEARD WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE 'ACFT X YOU'RE #1 FOR TKOF, TAXI AND HOLD.' I REPEATED THESE WORDS BACK TO TWR AND RECEIVING NO CORRECTIONS OR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS, PROCEEDED TO TAXI. I REMEMBER BEING DELIGHTED THAT I WAS #1 SINCE THERE WERE 3 OTHER ACFT WAITING AND I HAD EXPECTED TO HAVE TO WAIT ALSO. I ASSUMED THAT THEY WERE NOT READY TO GO YET. I ALSO REMEMBER HEARING THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT IN THE AIR WITH A RADIO PROB AND THAT 'THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHICH RWY IT WAS COMING IN ON.' BELIEVING THAT I HAD CLRNC ONTO THE RWY WHERE I WAS TO HOLD, INTERPING THE 'HOLD' TO BE BECAUSE THE PROB ACFT WAS COMING IN ON THE CROSS RWY (RWY 17/35). I PROCEEDED ONTO THE RWY AFTER VISUALLY CHKING FOR APCHING LNDG TFC AND SEEING NONE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: CTLR DISTR DUE TO ACFT TRYING TO LAND WITH MALFUNCTIONING RADIO. ANOTHER ACFT IN THE RUN UP AREA, OF THE SAME MODEL AS MINE WITH SIMILAR TAIL NUMBERS. TWR WORKLOAD DUE TO MANY ACTIVE ACFT IN THE AIR AND ON THE GND. RADIO TFC ON TWR FREQ WITH XMISSIONS INTERRUPTING EACH OTHER. MY NOVICE STATUS. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: TWR EVENTUALLY NOTICED THAT I WAS SITTING ON THE RWY WAITING FOR CLRNC TO TAKE OFF. ACTIONS AND INACTIONS: TWR DID NOT CATCH MY ERROR, BECAUSE AS I DISCOVERED LATER, MY RESPONSE WAS OBSCURED BY ANOTHER XMISSION. WAS ADVISED BY TWR TO TAXI OFF OF THE RWY WHEN MY PRESENCE THERE WAS DISCOVERED. I TAXIED OFF THE RWY WITHOUT DELAY. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE: BUSYNESS OF THE ARPT AT THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT. ALL PLT'S ANXIETY TO GET INTO THE AIR SINCE LCL BAD WX WAS DUE SOON (SANTA ANA WINDS).

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.