Narrative:

As we taxied for takeoff to runway 3 at lihue airport, ground control told us to make lihue 5 departure, taxi into position and monitor tower. As we turned onto the active runway and changed frequency to tower, we heard an aircraft ask tower if the medium large transport was going into position. We looked back behind and out the right side window. About 4 O'clock our position we saw an small transport turning a close in base to final. We immediately cleared the runway as the tower told the small transport to go around. We stated to the tower that we believed that we were 'cleared into position'. His reply was a very unprofessional 'well I guess you thought wrong'. One of our company aircraft was on final approach to runway 35 at the time of this incident, and the pilot stated to me that he heard the tower clear us into position. It is common practice at this tower to have the local controller working ground control as well. It's possible the controller was overloaded with 3 airliners on final runway 35, our aircraft ready to depart runway 3 and at least 2 light aircraft on left base for runway 3, all at the same time. This practice of one controller working two positions was the contributing factor in this incident (and maybe others).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT TAXIED INTO POSITION ON ACTIVE RWY AND ACFT ON FINAL SENT AROUND BY LCL CTLR.

Narrative: AS WE TAXIED FOR TKOF TO RWY 3 AT LIHUE ARPT, GND CTL TOLD US TO MAKE LIHUE 5 DEP, TAXI INTO POSITION AND MONITOR TWR. AS WE TURNED ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY AND CHANGED FREQ TO TWR, WE HEARD AN ACFT ASK TWR IF THE MLG WAS GOING INTO POSITION. WE LOOKED BACK BEHIND AND OUT THE RIGHT SIDE WINDOW. ABOUT 4 O'CLOCK OUR POSITION WE SAW AN SMT TURNING A CLOSE IN BASE TO FINAL. WE IMMEDIATELY CLRED THE RWY AS THE TWR TOLD THE SMT TO GO AROUND. WE STATED TO THE TWR THAT WE BELIEVED THAT WE WERE 'CLRED INTO POSITION'. HIS REPLY WAS A VERY UNPROFESSIONAL 'WELL I GUESS YOU THOUGHT WRONG'. ONE OF OUR COMPANY ACFT WAS ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 35 AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT, AND THE PLT STATED TO ME THAT HE HEARD THE TWR CLEAR US INTO POSITION. IT IS COMMON PRACTICE AT THIS TWR TO HAVE THE LCL CTLR WORKING GND CTL AS WELL. IT'S POSSIBLE THE CTLR WAS OVERLOADED WITH 3 AIRLINERS ON FINAL RWY 35, OUR ACFT READY TO DEPART RWY 3 AND AT LEAST 2 LIGHT ACFT ON LEFT BASE FOR RWY 3, ALL AT THE SAME TIME. THIS PRACTICE OF ONE CTLR WORKING TWO POSITIONS WAS THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT (AND MAYBE OTHERS).

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.