Narrative:

Problem started during taxi out when the automated final weight and balance was not received and we were approaching departure end of runway. The first officer went off the radio to expedite transmission of data. While parked at end we received clearance to 'position and hold'. I hesitated to move up since the taxi checklist and before takeoff checklist were incomplete west/O our final weights and balance. As I started to refuse the clearance the first officer said he had just received the data. As the first officer entered the data into the computers and stabilizer trim computer I moved slowly forward so that both incomplete checklists could be completed. I had visly checked for landing traffic as we neared the departure end and the extended final was clear. Both checklists were completed and I had xed the 'hold line'. Once again I checked for traffic. To my amazement, an aircraft was just aligning itself on a 1-2 mi final. I requested first officer to confirm our 'position and hold' clearance. Tower replied they gave 'up to and hold'. Tower instructed to take position and then instructed other aircraft to go around. A review of the events: load control computations delayed, short taxis, new first officer's, heavy traffic were really normal complications of today's flying. The unknowns that help cause this problem was that there were IMC approachs to a displaced lda approach. I didn't see the aircraft on final because he was shooting an approach that's offset over 1500'. With only 2 pilots to listen to today's fast paced radio traffic; when one pilot is distracted the other needs to question every event that seems to not make sense before moving an aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 154705. I had just received the final weight slip on the ACARS printer when the tower said, 'we don't have the final numbers.' I said 'we have the numbers' to the captain. The captain said 'okay'. I told the tower 'air carrier X roger'. When the captain said 'okay' I thought he meant he understood that we had the final weight slip and that he understood the tower clearance 'taxi up to but short of runway 30L.' I looked up to notice that we had xed the hold line and were still taxiing. I said the the captain 'were we cleared into position', thinking I must have not heard the 'position and hold' clearance. Our operations policy states that the PF will readback all clrncs to the PNF. If this had been done rather than 'okay', we could have been certain that we both understood the ATC clearance. As the first officer my priorities should have been with awareness of what our aircraft was doing rather than trying to complete the checklist in time for anticipated takeoff clearance. When doing cockpit duties 'inside' you must be aware of what is going on 'outside' as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MLG BELIEVES HE WAS CLEARED INTO POSITION AND HOLD WHEN HE WAS REALLY CLEARED ONLY TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. LGT ON FINAL APCH HAS TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: PROB STARTED DURING TAXI OUT WHEN THE AUTOMATED FINAL WT AND BALANCE WAS NOT RECEIVED AND WE WERE APCHING DEP END OF RWY. THE F/O WENT OFF THE RADIO TO EXPEDITE XMISSION OF DATA. WHILE PARKED AT END WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO 'POS AND HOLD'. I HESITATED TO MOVE UP SINCE THE TAXI CHKLIST AND BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WERE INCOMPLETE W/O OUR FINAL WTS AND BALANCE. AS I STARTED TO REFUSE THE CLRNC THE F/O SAID HE HAD JUST RECEIVED THE DATA. AS THE F/O ENTERED THE DATA INTO THE COMPUTERS AND STABILIZER TRIM COMPUTER I MOVED SLOWLY FORWARD SO THAT BOTH INCOMPLETE CHKLISTS COULD BE COMPLETED. I HAD VISLY CHKED FOR LNDG TFC AS WE NEARED THE DEP END AND THE EXTENDED FINAL WAS CLR. BOTH CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED AND I HAD XED THE 'HOLD LINE'. ONCE AGAIN I CHKED FOR TFC. TO MY AMAZEMENT, AN ACFT WAS JUST ALIGNING ITSELF ON A 1-2 MI FINAL. I REQUESTED F/O TO CONFIRM OUR 'POS AND HOLD' CLRNC. TWR REPLIED THEY GAVE 'UP TO AND HOLD'. TWR INSTRUCTED TO TAKE POS AND THEN INSTRUCTED OTHER ACFT TO GO AROUND. A REVIEW OF THE EVENTS: LOAD CTL COMPUTATIONS DELAYED, SHORT TAXIS, NEW F/O'S, HVY TFC WERE REALLY NORMAL COMPLICATIONS OF TODAY'S FLYING. THE UNKNOWNS THAT HELP CAUSE THIS PROB WAS THAT THERE WERE IMC APCHS TO A DISPLACED LDA APCH. I DIDN'T SEE THE ACFT ON FINAL BECAUSE HE WAS SHOOTING AN APCH THAT'S OFFSET OVER 1500'. WITH ONLY 2 PLTS TO LISTEN TO TODAY'S FAST PACED RADIO TFC; WHEN ONE PLT IS DISTRACTED THE OTHER NEEDS TO QUESTION EVERY EVENT THAT SEEMS TO NOT MAKE SENSE BEFORE MOVING AN ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 154705. I HAD JUST RECEIVED THE FINAL WT SLIP ON THE ACARS PRINTER WHEN THE TWR SAID, 'WE DON'T HAVE THE FINAL NUMBERS.' I SAID 'WE HAVE THE NUMBERS' TO THE CAPT. THE CAPT SAID 'OKAY'. I TOLD THE TWR 'ACR X ROGER'. WHEN THE CAPT SAID 'OKAY' I THOUGHT HE MEANT HE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE HAD THE FINAL WT SLIP AND THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE TWR CLRNC 'TAXI UP TO BUT SHORT OF RWY 30L.' I LOOKED UP TO NOTICE THAT WE HAD XED THE HOLD LINE AND WERE STILL TAXIING. I SAID THE THE CAPT 'WERE WE CLRED INTO POS', THINKING I MUST HAVE NOT HEARD THE 'POS AND HOLD' CLRNC. OUR OPS POLICY STATES THAT THE PF WILL READBACK ALL CLRNCS TO THE PNF. IF THIS HAD BEEN DONE RATHER THAN 'OKAY', WE COULD HAVE BEEN CERTAIN THAT WE BOTH UNDERSTOOD THE ATC CLRNC. AS THE F/O MY PRIORITIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH AWARENESS OF WHAT OUR ACFT WAS DOING RATHER THAN TRYING TO COMPLETE THE CHKLIST IN TIME FOR ANTICIPATED TKOF CLRNC. WHEN DOING COCKPIT DUTIES 'INSIDE' YOU MUST BE AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON 'OUTSIDE' AS WELL.

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.