Believing they had received clearance for takeoff the reporter flight taxied onto the active runway ...

Attributes
ACN	105669
Time
Date	198903
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : slc
State Reference	UT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : slc
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000
ASRS Report	105669
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	observation : company check pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other other

Narrative:

Small aircraft asked slc tower for takeoff on runway 34R. Tower instructed us to hold our position, traffic on final. A few moments later tower instructed us that we were cleared for an immediate takeoff. I began to taxi onto the runway and repeated the instructions. No acknowledgement was received. As I began to line up with the runway I heard an aircraft overhead and looked up and saw an small aircraft at approximately 100' altitude with the gear retracting. I again called tower and queried if we had been cleared for an immediate takeoff. The small aircraft advised he was going around. Tower stated we had been instructed to hold. I responded that I thought I had been cleared for an immediate takeoff. Small aircraft asked why didn't we look? (Impossible from our runup position, and I did not turn the airplane in order to expedite for the immediate takeoff clearance.) tower then asked if we were on the runway. I acknowledged, 'yes.' we were then cleared for takeoff. The purpose of our flight was an annual check ride. Both the chief pilot (who was the check pilot) and myself were sure the takeoff clearance was addressed to us. I believe the situation occurred either because we misunderstood the aircraft number attached to the takeoff clearance or because the controller gave a premature clearance. Prevention could be made by always visually checking the approach path, even at a tower controled field and even when under pressure to expedite.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BELIEVING THEY HAD RECEIVED CLRNC FOR TAKEOFF THE REPORTER FLT TAXIED ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY AND INTO THE PATH OF AN ACFT ON VERY SHORT FINAL.

Narrative: SMA ASKED SLC TWR FOR TKOF ON RWY 34R. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO HOLD OUR POS, TFC ON FINAL. A FEW MOMENTS LATER TWR INSTRUCTED US THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. I BEGAN TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY AND REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS. NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WAS RECEIVED. AS I BEGAN TO LINE UP WITH THE RWY I HEARD AN ACFT OVERHEAD AND LOOKED UP AND SAW AN SMA AT APPROX 100' ALT WITH THE GEAR RETRACTING. I AGAIN CALLED TWR AND QUERIED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. THE SMA ADVISED HE WAS GOING AROUND. TWR STATED WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO HOLD. I RESPONDED THAT I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. SMA ASKED WHY DIDN'T WE LOOK? (IMPOSSIBLE FROM OUR RUNUP POS, AND I DID NOT TURN THE AIRPLANE IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE FOR THE IMMEDIATE TKOF CLRNC.) TWR THEN ASKED IF WE WERE ON THE RWY. I ACKNOWLEDGED, 'YES.' WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF. THE PURPOSE OF OUR FLT WAS AN ANNUAL CHK RIDE. BOTH THE CHIEF PLT (WHO WAS THE CHK PLT) AND MYSELF WERE SURE THE TKOF CLRNC WAS ADDRESSED TO US. I BELIEVE THE SITUATION OCCURRED EITHER BECAUSE WE MISUNDERSTOOD THE ACFT NUMBER ATTACHED TO THE TKOF CLRNC OR BECAUSE THE CTLR GAVE A PREMATURE CLRNC. PREVENTION COULD BE MADE BY ALWAYS VISUALLY CHKING THE APCH PATH, EVEN AT A TWR CTLED FIELD AND EVEN WHEN UNDER PRESSURE TO EXPEDITE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

Believing they had received clearance for takeoff the reporter flight taxied onto the active runway and into the path of an aircraft on very short final.