Narrative:

Approaching runway 14 on parallel taxiway, #2 for takeoff. The #1 aircraft (same company) pulled off the parallel into the apron off to the right (east) to wait for weight and balance information. My captain held position (not moving up to the hold line) to allow the #1 aircraft room to get back in proper sequence. Instead ind tower said we were now #1 to taxi up and hold short. I acknowledged this clearance, but the captain only moved up just a token few ft, still in consideration of the other company aircraft. 1 min or so passed, when ATC (tower) called and said 'XXX flight XXX runway 14 position and hold,' or similar. I acknowledged and repeated this clearance, and made a P/a announcement to the F/a's to take their seats, that we were 'cleared onto the runway, awaiting takeoff clearance.' I finished the remaining items on the before takeoff checklist, and when the captain taxied the aircraft onto the runway, I turned the WX radar on to scan for trw's in the area (which there were). At this point tower came back and said for us to hold our position, and sent the small commuter aircraft on short final (that we did/could not see) around. The captain was adamant that we received clearance to position and hold, and I know that is the clearance I repeated to the tower controller. As chance would have it, this was the only occasion I could remember where I, as the copilot, did not visually clear the final approach as we were taking the runway, being busy completing checklists and working the WX radar. I believe that if the controller did not clear us to position and hold, this incident was caused by perception-based communication error. But the controller also failed to hear properly my readback of 'cleared to position and hold,' and correct the readback (if, in fact, it was an error). Also, the fact that I allowed distraction with cockpit duties, checklists, radar to keep me from visually clearing the final approach prior to taxiing the active runway. The hazy skies and ceiling contributed to us not seeing the commuter aircraft out of our peripheral vision. Always visually clearing the final prior to taking the runway would have kept this incident from happening, regardless of who's fault it was.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ACFT THOUGHT I WAS CLEARED INTO POSITION AND HOLD ON RWY. TWR SENT ACFT, ON FINAL APCH, AROUND.

Narrative: APCHING RWY 14 ON PARALLEL TXWY, #2 FOR TKOF. THE #1 ACFT (SAME COMPANY) PULLED OFF THE PARALLEL INTO THE APRON OFF TO THE RIGHT (E) TO WAIT FOR WT AND BAL INFO. MY CAPT HELD POS (NOT MOVING UP TO THE HOLD LINE) TO ALLOW THE #1 ACFT ROOM TO GET BACK IN PROPER SEQUENCE. INSTEAD IND TWR SAID WE WERE NOW #1 TO TAXI UP AND HOLD SHORT. I ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CLRNC, BUT THE CAPT ONLY MOVED UP JUST A TOKEN FEW FT, STILL IN CONSIDERATION OF THE OTHER COMPANY ACFT. 1 MIN OR SO PASSED, WHEN ATC (TWR) CALLED AND SAID 'XXX FLT XXX RWY 14 POS AND HOLD,' OR SIMILAR. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND REPEATED THIS CLRNC, AND MADE A P/A ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE F/A'S TO TAKE THEIR SEATS, THAT WE WERE 'CLRED ONTO THE RWY, AWAITING TKOF CLRNC.' I FINISHED THE REMAINING ITEMS ON THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, AND WHEN THE CAPT TAXIED THE ACFT ONTO THE RWY, I TURNED THE WX RADAR ON TO SCAN FOR TRW'S IN THE AREA (WHICH THERE WERE). AT THIS POINT TWR CAME BACK AND SAID FOR US TO HOLD OUR POS, AND SENT THE SMALL COMMUTER ACFT ON SHORT FINAL (THAT WE DID/COULD NOT SEE) AROUND. THE CAPT WAS ADAMANT THAT WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO POS AND HOLD, AND I KNOW THAT IS THE CLRNC I REPEATED TO THE TWR CTLR. AS CHANCE WOULD HAVE IT, THIS WAS THE ONLY OCCASION I COULD REMEMBER WHERE I, AS THE COPLT, DID NOT VISUALLY CLR THE FINAL APCH AS WE WERE TAKING THE RWY, BEING BUSY COMPLETING CHKLISTS AND WORKING THE WX RADAR. I BELIEVE THAT IF THE CTLR DID NOT CLR US TO POS AND HOLD, THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY PERCEPTION-BASED COM ERROR. BUT THE CTLR ALSO FAILED TO HEAR PROPERLY MY READBACK OF 'CLRED TO POS AND HOLD,' AND CORRECT THE READBACK (IF, IN FACT, IT WAS AN ERROR). ALSO, THE FACT THAT I ALLOWED DISTR WITH COCKPIT DUTIES, CHKLISTS, RADAR TO KEEP ME FROM VISUALLY CLRING THE FINAL APCH PRIOR TO TAXIING THE ACTIVE RWY. THE HAZY SKIES AND CEILING CONTRIBUTED TO US NOT SEEING THE COMMUTER ACFT OUT OF OUR PERIPHERAL VISION. ALWAYS VISUALLY CLRING THE FINAL PRIOR TO TAKING THE RWY WOULD HAVE KEPT THIS INCIDENT FROM HAPPENING, REGARDLESS OF WHO'S FAULT IT WAS.

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.