Narrative:

Eaa fly-in at front range airport (ftg), temporary control tower and ground control in effect. FAA NOTAM for VFR arrival procedures and departure procedures were published. This pilot had a printed copy in the cockpit at the time of this incident. Airport was due to close from XA00-XC00 local for the air show segment of the fly-in. Pilot was among several trying to depart prior to closure. Some aircraft were still arriving. Active runway was runway 26. Temporary tower was situated at departure end of runway 26. Pilots were pushing aircraft by hand from the ramp to the A5 intersection of taxiway a and the parking ramp to avoid propeller hazard to spectators. Volunteers were staging aircraft for engine start and taxi to runway 26 departure at intersection A9. Prior to engine start, this pilot was monitoring temporary ground control on a handheld transceiver. One attempt to obtain taxi instructions from the ramp went unanswered, and several mins of monitoring ground control, per the NOTAM, did not provide clear direction for this aircraft, or apparently, any others. Volunteers pushed this pilot's aircraft up the queue to a position just short of the taxiway and the handler in apparent charge signaled for me to start the engine. The handlers (now 2) signaled for me to taxi out. I was reluctant to do so at first since I had no clearance to taxi from ground control. The handlers did not appear to have any radios, but I proceeded to taxi at their direction. At least one other aircraft followed my own. Meanwhile, 4 or 5 other aircraft, some arriving, some departing, converged at the next intersection, A6. By that time, ground control was aware of the impending traffic jam. I was instructed to hold short of A6, to allow arriving traffic to clear the active runway. However, the arriving aircraft intended to taxi west to A5 and my aircraft (and others) were blocking that route. Ground control complained that aircraft were proceeding east on taxiway a without clearance, and said that 'you are on your own' to another aircraft stuck at the A6 gridlock. I was waiting for further instructions from ground control before moving. However, it was evident to other aircraft present, that I needed to cross the intersection to help clear the jam. Exasperated, 1 pilot called out on the ground control frequency 'move it, cessna!' I didnT need to be told twice. Evidently, traffic managed itself as at a 4-WAY stop and the situation was resolved. I felt that ground control had failed to exert and maintain control of the situation, that publication, and perhaps planning, of ground operations was inadequate, and that the volunteers also contributed to the confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT AT FTG FINDS GRIDLOCK WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DEPART BEFORE AN AIR SHOW CLOSES THE ARPT, TAXIING WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: EAA FLY-IN AT FRONT RANGE ARPT (FTG), TEMPORARY CTL TWR AND GND CTL IN EFFECT. FAA NOTAM FOR VFR ARR PROCS AND DEP PROCS WERE PUBLISHED. THIS PLT HAD A PRINTED COPY IN THE COCKPIT AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. ARPT WAS DUE TO CLOSE FROM XA00-XC00 LCL FOR THE AIR SHOW SEGMENT OF THE FLY-IN. PLT WAS AMONG SEVERAL TRYING TO DEPART PRIOR TO CLOSURE. SOME ACFT WERE STILL ARRIVING. ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 26. TEMPORARY TWR WAS SITUATED AT DEP END OF RWY 26. PLTS WERE PUSHING ACFT BY HAND FROM THE RAMP TO THE A5 INTXN OF TXWY A AND THE PARKING RAMP TO AVOID PROP HAZARD TO SPECTATORS. VOLUNTEERS WERE STAGING ACFT FOR ENG START AND TAXI TO RWY 26 DEP AT INTXN A9. PRIOR TO ENG START, THIS PLT WAS MONITORING TEMPORARY GND CTL ON A HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER. ONE ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE RAMP WENT UNANSWERED, AND SEVERAL MINS OF MONITORING GND CTL, PER THE NOTAM, DID NOT PROVIDE CLR DIRECTION FOR THIS ACFT, OR APPARENTLY, ANY OTHERS. VOLUNTEERS PUSHED THIS PLT'S ACFT UP THE QUEUE TO A POS JUST SHORT OF THE TXWY AND THE HANDLER IN APPARENT CHARGE SIGNALED FOR ME TO START THE ENG. THE HANDLERS (NOW 2) SIGNALED FOR ME TO TAXI OUT. I WAS RELUCTANT TO DO SO AT FIRST SINCE I HAD NO CLRNC TO TAXI FROM GND CTL. THE HANDLERS DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY RADIOS, BUT I PROCEEDED TO TAXI AT THEIR DIRECTION. AT LEAST ONE OTHER ACFT FOLLOWED MY OWN. MEANWHILE, 4 OR 5 OTHER ACFT, SOME ARRIVING, SOME DEPARTING, CONVERGED AT THE NEXT INTXN, A6. BY THAT TIME, GND CTL WAS AWARE OF THE IMPENDING TFC JAM. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF A6, TO ALLOW ARRIVING TFC TO CLR THE ACTIVE RWY. HOWEVER, THE ARRIVING ACFT INTENDED TO TAXI W TO A5 AND MY ACFT (AND OTHERS) WERE BLOCKING THAT RTE. GND CTL COMPLAINED THAT ACFT WERE PROCEEDING E ON TXWY A WITHOUT CLRNC, AND SAID THAT 'YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN' TO ANOTHER ACFT STUCK AT THE A6 GRIDLOCK. I WAS WAITING FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL BEFORE MOVING. HOWEVER, IT WAS EVIDENT TO OTHER ACFT PRESENT, THAT I NEEDED TO CROSS THE INTXN TO HELP CLR THE JAM. EXASPERATED, 1 PLT CALLED OUT ON THE GND CTL FREQ 'MOVE IT, CESSNA!' I DIDNT NEED TO BE TOLD TWICE. EVIDENTLY, TFC MANAGED ITSELF AS AT A 4-WAY STOP AND THE SIT WAS RESOLVED. I FELT THAT GND CTL HAD FAILED TO EXERT AND MAINTAIN CTL OF THE SIT, THAT PUB, AND PERHAPS PLANNING, OF GND OPS WAS INADEQUATE, AND THAT THE VOLUNTEERS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION.

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.