Gail
The tape is mounted and something else is writing to it?  If you do a q ses
f=d does session 277 have the tape or is it waiting for it?  If it is
waiting for it then you need to cancel whatever is writing to the tape.  You
can find that out also from the q ses f=d.  You can restore a file from a
tape that is in the filling status but only if something else is not writing
to it at the moment.
Good Luck
Becky Davidson
Data Manager/AIX Administrator
EDS/Earthgrains
voice: 314-259-7589
fax: 314-877-8589
email: davidsbx AT egr DOT com