Narrative:

I checked ATIS and contacted camarillo ground. I did not receive any confirmation and concluded that I might be out of range or perhaps blocked or stepped on by another aircraft. After 3 attempts to contact ground control, I heard him reply, 'carrier no voice.' I tried to contact him again and the second time was told again, 'carrier no voice.' I had already filed a VFR flight plan from van nuys airport to camarillo airport and back. I was even given a special squawk code because of the tfr issued within a 30 mi radius of santa monica. I assumed that the term 'carrier no voice' meant that for some reason they were suspending voice communications. I assumed this because the flight plan that I filed was from van nuys to camarillo and back, technically my VFR flight plan was still in effect. As I was taxiing on the ramp toward the taxiway, I contacted ground control once more and was told 'tobago calling, carrier no voice.' this reassured me that I had clearance to taxi since they idented my plane now mobile on the ramp. Yet I was still bothered by this procedure, so I made sure to check visually the tower for any light signals. During taxiing, I did not receive any light signals from the tower. I was then in the run-up area when I attempted to contact ground again to clarify the situation. They replied 'carrier no voice, if you are contacting ground click your microphone 2 times.' I complied and clicked my microphone 2 times and they acknowledged this saying 'we got your clicks.' again, I interpreted this as a clearance because they heard and acknowledged my microphone clicks. I finished my run-up and taxied to and held short of the runway. While doing this, I contacted the tower frequency and was told very politely, 'carrier no voice.' I continued to taxi up to the holding short line of the active runway when the tower said 'tobago on the active, turn around and return to your starting place. You are not cleared for takeoff, I repeat, you are not cleared for takeoff.' it was now obvious that we had not established proper 2-WAY communications at this point and I immediately complied with their instructions and taxied back to my departure point. The true issue here was not the meaning of 'carrier no voice' or my interpretation of this phrase. In my mind, the main issue was in assuming facts not in evidence. As my calls were not answered, I should have shutdown and rethought the situation: if it doesn't feel right, it is probably not the right situation to be in. Instead, I arbitrarily decided to assume, a mistake that could lead to disastrous consequences and one mistake I will not make again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT HEARS GND CTLR STATE, 'CARRIER NO VOICE,' AND BELIEVED FOR SOME REASON, THAT ATC WAS SUSPENDING VOICE COMS WHICH EVENTUALLY RESULTS IN A RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: I CHKED ATIS AND CONTACTED CAMARILLO GND. I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY CONFIRMATION AND CONCLUDED THAT I MIGHT BE OUT OF RANGE OR PERHAPS BLOCKED OR STEPPED ON BY ANOTHER ACFT. AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT GND CTL, I HEARD HIM REPLY, 'CARRIER NO VOICE.' I TRIED TO CONTACT HIM AGAIN AND THE SECOND TIME WAS TOLD AGAIN, 'CARRIER NO VOICE.' I HAD ALREADY FILED A VFR FLT PLAN FROM VAN NUYS ARPT TO CAMARILLO ARPT AND BACK. I WAS EVEN GIVEN A SPECIAL SQUAWK CODE BECAUSE OF THE TFR ISSUED WITHIN A 30 MI RADIUS OF SANTA MONICA. I ASSUMED THAT THE TERM 'CARRIER NO VOICE' MEANT THAT FOR SOME REASON THEY WERE SUSPENDING VOICE COMS. I ASSUMED THIS BECAUSE THE FLT PLAN THAT I FILED WAS FROM VAN NUYS TO CAMARILLO AND BACK, TECHNICALLY MY VFR FLT PLAN WAS STILL IN EFFECT. AS I WAS TAXIING ON THE RAMP TOWARD THE TXWY, I CONTACTED GND CTL ONCE MORE AND WAS TOLD 'TOBAGO CALLING, CARRIER NO VOICE.' THIS REASSURED ME THAT I HAD CLRNC TO TAXI SINCE THEY IDENTED MY PLANE NOW MOBILE ON THE RAMP. YET I WAS STILL BOTHERED BY THIS PROC, SO I MADE SURE TO CHK VISUALLY THE TWR FOR ANY LIGHT SIGNALS. DURING TAXIING, I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. I WAS THEN IN THE RUN-UP AREA WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT GND AGAIN TO CLARIFY THE SIT. THEY REPLIED 'CARRIER NO VOICE, IF YOU ARE CONTACTING GND CLICK YOUR MIKE 2 TIMES.' I COMPLIED AND CLICKED MY MIKE 2 TIMES AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THIS SAYING 'WE GOT YOUR CLICKS.' AGAIN, I INTERPRETED THIS AS A CLRNC BECAUSE THEY HEARD AND ACKNOWLEDGED MY MIKE CLICKS. I FINISHED MY RUN-UP AND TAXIED TO AND HELD SHORT OF THE RWY. WHILE DOING THIS, I CONTACTED THE TWR FREQ AND WAS TOLD VERY POLITELY, 'CARRIER NO VOICE.' I CONTINUED TO TAXI UP TO THE HOLDING SHORT LINE OF THE ACTIVE RWY WHEN THE TWR SAID 'TOBAGO ON THE ACTIVE, TURN AROUND AND RETURN TO YOUR STARTING PLACE. YOU ARE NOT CLRED FOR TKOF, I REPEAT, YOU ARE NOT CLRED FOR TKOF.' IT WAS NOW OBVIOUS THAT WE HAD NOT ESTABLISHED PROPER 2-WAY COMS AT THIS POINT AND I IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED WITH THEIR INSTRUCTIONS AND TAXIED BACK TO MY DEP POINT. THE TRUE ISSUE HERE WAS NOT THE MEANING OF 'CARRIER NO VOICE' OR MY INTERP OF THIS PHRASE. IN MY MIND, THE MAIN ISSUE WAS IN ASSUMING FACTS NOT IN EVIDENCE. AS MY CALLS WERE NOT ANSWERED, I SHOULD HAVE SHUTDOWN AND RETHOUGHT THE SIT: IF IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT, IT IS PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT SIT TO BE IN. INSTEAD, I ARBITRARILY DECIDED TO ASSUME, A MISTAKE THAT COULD LEAD TO DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES AND ONE MISTAKE I WILL NOT MAKE AGAIN.

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.