Local controller confuses ground vehicle with act. Requests aircraft already on roll to short hold.

Attributes
ACN	147111
Time
Date	199005
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mco
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	147111
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was with a private pilot giving a high performance chkout about to depart for the return leg home. Ground instructed us to call the tower when ready for departure. We called about 1000' from the end, 'we'll be ready at the end.' tower responded, 'well...the medium large transport is on a 3 mi final. West/O delay, cleared for takeoff runway 18L. After departure turn right heading 270 degree. Minimum time please.' we accepted. The student did a good job of getting to the runway quickly. I spotted the medium large transport and felt that the spacing was adequate. We lined up and began the takeoff roll. Tower then said, 'small aircraft hold short runway 18L for landing traffic.' I told him that we were already on the runway and we continued our roll. He responded 'cleared for takeoff runway 18L' and we did everything we could to get out of the medium large transport way (which landed west/O incident). Before handing us off to departure, local apologized to us at length, 'I mistook a veh's lights for yours and thought you weren't on the runway. Nice job getting off the runway. Thanks for your help. Contact departure. So long.' the rest of the trip was west/O incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LCL CTLR CONFUSES GND VEHICLE WITH ACT. REQUESTS ACFT ALREADY ON ROLL TO SHORT HOLD.

Narrative: I WAS WITH A PRIVATE PLT GIVING A HIGH PERFORMANCE CHKOUT ABOUT TO DEPART FOR THE RETURN LEG HOME. GND INSTRUCTED US TO CALL THE TWR WHEN READY FOR DEP. WE CALLED ABOUT 1000' FROM THE END, 'WE'LL BE READY AT THE END.' TWR RESPONDED, 'WELL...THE MLG IS ON A 3 MI FINAL. W/O DELAY, CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 18L. AFTER DEP TURN R HEADING 270 DEG. MINIMUM TIME PLEASE.' WE ACCEPTED. THE STUDENT DID A GOOD JOB OF GETTING TO THE RWY QUICKLY. I SPOTTED THE MLG AND FELT THAT THE SPACING WAS ADEQUATE. WE LINED UP AND BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL. TWR THEN SAID, 'SMA HOLD SHORT RWY 18L FOR LNDG TFC.' I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE ALREADY ON THE RWY AND WE CONTINUED OUR ROLL. HE RESPONDED 'CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 18L' AND WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO GET OUT OF THE MLG WAY (WHICH LANDED W/O INCIDENT). BEFORE HANDING US OFF TO DEP, LCL APOLOGIZED TO US AT LENGTH, 'I MISTOOK A VEH'S LIGHTS FOR YOURS AND THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T ON THE RWY. NICE JOB GETTING OFF THE RWY. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. CONTACT DEP. SO LONG.' THE REST OF THE TRIP WAS W/O INCIDENT.

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.