Narrative:

Upon obtaining our clearance for a training flight; a mishap occurred involving our R22 helicopter and the vgt airport ground control. Upon stating our intentions to ground control; they instructed us to the appropriate runway; telling us to taxi to runway 30L. They will normally tell us to hold short and contact tower. Being used to and not hearing those instructions; I replied back to ground; 'do you want us to hold short of runway 30L?' the controller replied; 'taxi to runway 30L as instructed.' it didn't sound the same; however. After trying to receive clarification; we taxied to runway 30L not holding short. This was one of the first clrncs of this type that this particular student and I had done. While he was nervous and I was concentrating on the taxi instructions; we did not hold short as we should have. We also had the tower frequency in standby as a normal procedure. As we approached runway 30L; we did our clearing turn looking for other traffic and also changed to the tower frequency. The student; not realizing I had switched; changed the frequency back to ground control. As I reported to what I thought was the tower; ground said we were not cleared on the runway and to exit the runway and contact tower. Thinking we were on tower; this is where it all became confusing. As I responded to the controller and proceeded to change the frequency; the student took the exit runway instruction as a takeoff clearance and we were on our way. I know we should have terminated the takeoff; however; we had already traveled a short distance down the runway. My reaction was to continue; taking the controls from the student. As we turned crosswind; tower instructed me to call them upon our arrival back to the airport. When I returned and phoned the tower manager; he said it was clear that I had asked for clarification of the departure instructions which should have triggered another response. Although I accept full responsibility for this incident; I would like to suggest more dialogue with ground and tower to prevent an incident like this in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: R22 INSTRUCTOR PLT DEPARTS WITHOUT CLRNC AFTER A RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: UPON OBTAINING OUR CLRNC FOR A TRAINING FLT; A MISHAP OCCURRED INVOLVING OUR R22 HELI AND THE VGT ARPT GND CTL. UPON STATING OUR INTENTIONS TO GND CTL; THEY INSTRUCTED US TO THE APPROPRIATE RWY; TELLING US TO TAXI TO RWY 30L. THEY WILL NORMALLY TELL US TO HOLD SHORT AND CONTACT TWR. BEING USED TO AND NOT HEARING THOSE INSTRUCTIONS; I REPLIED BACK TO GND; 'DO YOU WANT US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30L?' THE CTLR REPLIED; 'TAXI TO RWY 30L AS INSTRUCTED.' IT DIDN'T SOUND THE SAME; HOWEVER. AFTER TRYING TO RECEIVE CLARIFICATION; WE TAXIED TO RWY 30L NOT HOLDING SHORT. THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST CLRNCS OF THIS TYPE THAT THIS PARTICULAR STUDENT AND I HAD DONE. WHILE HE WAS NERVOUS AND I WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS; WE DID NOT HOLD SHORT AS WE SHOULD HAVE. WE ALSO HAD THE TWR FREQ IN STANDBY AS A NORMAL PROC. AS WE APCHED RWY 30L; WE DID OUR CLRING TURN LOOKING FOR OTHER TFC AND ALSO CHANGED TO THE TWR FREQ. THE STUDENT; NOT REALIZING I HAD SWITCHED; CHANGED THE FREQ BACK TO GND CTL. AS I RPTED TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE TWR; GND SAID WE WERE NOT CLRED ON THE RWY AND TO EXIT THE RWY AND CONTACT TWR. THINKING WE WERE ON TWR; THIS IS WHERE IT ALL BECAME CONFUSING. AS I RESPONDED TO THE CTLR AND PROCEEDED TO CHANGE THE FREQ; THE STUDENT TOOK THE EXIT RWY INSTRUCTION AS A TKOF CLRNC AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY. I KNOW WE SHOULD HAVE TERMINATED THE TKOF; HOWEVER; WE HAD ALREADY TRAVELED A SHORT DISTANCE DOWN THE RWY. MY REACTION WAS TO CONTINUE; TAKING THE CTLS FROM THE STUDENT. AS WE TURNED XWIND; TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL THEM UPON OUR ARR BACK TO THE ARPT. WHEN I RETURNED AND PHONED THE TWR MGR; HE SAID IT WAS CLR THAT I HAD ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION OF THE DEP INSTRUCTIONS WHICH SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED ANOTHER RESPONSE. ALTHOUGH I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS INCIDENT; I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST MORE DIALOGUE WITH GND AND TWR TO PREVENT AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.