Narrative:

Scheduled to takeoff shortly before dawn, we were cleared to taxi from our gate to runway 27. While taxiing, I noticed that the ground controllers were periodically asking other taxiing aircraft of their positions before issuing takeoff clearance to departing aircraft. Approaching the hold short line for runway 27, I changed to tower frequency and informed the tower that we were ready to takeoff on runway 27. However, before receiving the acknowledgement from the tower, I transmitted that we would be ready in about 30 seconds (needed to perform a normal pretkof engine check). The tower responded by clearing us to 'position and hold, runway 27.' we acknowledged 'position and hold, runway 27', taxied onto runway 27, and waited for takeoff clearance. We listened to the tower controllers talking to other aircraft on the ground, including an large transport taxiing to rw 27 for takeoff behind us. After we had been in position and hold for approximately 3-4 mins, the tower cleared the large transport behind us for takeoff on runway 27. Upon hearing this, my captain immediately asked the tower about our clearance. After a moment, the tower cleared us for takeoff ahead of the large transport. We immediately departed for an other wise routine flight. The factors contributing to this occurrence were the low visibility and the necessity for ATC to continually monitor via radio communications the positions of all taxiing aircraft west/O the ability to see them. West/O visibility contact, the controllers were having to ask pilots of their positions; this served not only to increase controller workload but diverted much of their attention away from the aircraft ready for departure. The controller handling our flight cleared us into position on the active runway, only to forget about us until, when faced with a potential ground conflict, my captain reminded ATC of our position. This would not be a difficult error for a controller to make. It was night, early in the morning, with low visibility so that it would have been difficult to see taxiing aircraft from the tower. Forced to visualize the positions of all aircraft, it is understandable how this error could occur. There are no obvious solutions to this occurrence. Perhaps, when cleared to 'position and hold' in low visibility conditions, an aircraft should turn on all external lights. This could serve to inform other aircraft as well as the controllers that even though an aircraft might not be cleared for takeoff, it is on the active runway and will need to receive ATC attention prior to the issuance of either takeoff or landing clearance to any other aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 169843. The first officer called tower and said we were ready for departure. Realizing that this was not correct he quickly amended that to needing 30 seconds. I believe that the tower responded 'hold short.' after determining that the aircraft was clear, the tower told us to 'taxi into position and hold 27.' the first officer repeated this back, and we taxied onto the runway. After holding an unusually long time, 3 min, we heard tower clear another aircraft into 'position and hold 27'. We quickly called tower and told them we were there. At which point the tower controller said he thought we were on the runup pad and then cleared us for takeoff. It does seem that we had talked to different tower controllers during this brief period. Maybe there was a failure on their part to communicate with each other.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING GND FOG CONDITIONS, TWR CLEARED AN ACR INTO POSITION AND HOLD, THEN CLEARED ANOTHER ACFT FOR TKOF.

Narrative: SCHEDULED TO TKOF SHORTLY BEFORE DAWN, WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI FROM OUR GATE TO RWY 27. WHILE TAXIING, I NOTICED THAT THE GND CTLRS WERE PERIODICALLY ASKING OTHER TAXIING ACFT OF THEIR POSITIONS BEFORE ISSUING TKOF CLRNC TO DEPARTING ACFT. APCHING THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 27, I CHANGED TO TWR FREQ AND INFORMED THE TWR THAT WE WERE READY TO TKOF ON RWY 27. HOWEVER, BEFORE RECEIVING THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE TWR, I XMITTED THAT WE WOULD BE READY IN ABOUT 30 SECS (NEEDED TO PERFORM A NORMAL PRETKOF ENG CHK). THE TWR RESPONDED BY CLRING US TO 'POS AND HOLD, RWY 27.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED 'POS AND HOLD, RWY 27', TAXIED ONTO RWY 27, AND WAITED FOR TKOF CLRNC. WE LISTENED TO THE TWR CTLRS TALKING TO OTHER ACFT ON THE GND, INCLUDING AN LGT TAXIING TO RW 27 FOR TKOF BEHIND US. AFTER WE HAD BEEN IN POS AND HOLD FOR APPROX 3-4 MINS, THE TWR CLRED THE LGT BEHIND US FOR TKOF ON RWY 27. UPON HEARING THIS, MY CAPT IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE TWR ABOUT OUR CLRNC. AFTER A MOMENT, THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF AHEAD OF THE LGT. WE IMMEDIATELY DEPARTED FOR AN OTHER WISE ROUTINE FLT. THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS OCCURRENCE WERE THE LOW VISIBILITY AND THE NECESSITY FOR ATC TO CONTINUALLY MONITOR VIA RADIO COMS THE POSITIONS OF ALL TAXIING ACFT W/O THE ABILITY TO SEE THEM. W/O VIS CONTACT, THE CTLRS WERE HAVING TO ASK PLTS OF THEIR POSITIONS; THIS SERVED NOT ONLY TO INCREASE CTLR WORKLOAD BUT DIVERTED MUCH OF THEIR ATTN AWAY FROM THE ACFT READY FOR DEP. THE CTLR HANDLING OUR FLT CLRED US INTO POS ON THE ACTIVE RWY, ONLY TO FORGET ABOUT US UNTIL, WHEN FACED WITH A POTENTIAL GND CONFLICT, MY CAPT REMINDED ATC OF OUR POS. THIS WOULD NOT BE A DIFFICULT ERROR FOR A CTLR TO MAKE. IT WAS NIGHT, EARLY IN THE MORNING, WITH LOW VISIBILITY SO THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO SEE TAXIING ACFT FROM THE TWR. FORCED TO VISUALIZE THE POSITIONS OF ALL ACFT, IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE HOW THIS ERROR COULD OCCUR. THERE ARE NO OBVIOUS SOLUTIONS TO THIS OCCURRENCE. PERHAPS, WHEN CLRED TO 'POS AND HOLD' IN LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS, AN ACFT SHOULD TURN ON ALL EXTERNAL LIGHTS. THIS COULD SERVE TO INFORM OTHER ACFT AS WELL AS THE CTLRS THAT EVEN THOUGH AN ACFT MIGHT NOT BE CLRED FOR TKOF, IT IS ON THE ACTIVE RWY AND WILL NEED TO RECEIVE ATC ATTN PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF EITHER TKOF OR LNDG CLRNC TO ANY OTHER ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 169843. THE F/O CALLED TWR AND SAID WE WERE READY FOR DEP. REALIZING THAT THIS WAS NOT CORRECT HE QUICKLY AMENDED THAT TO NEEDING 30 SECS. I BELIEVE THAT THE TWR RESPONDED 'HOLD SHORT.' AFTER DETERMINING THAT THE ACFT WAS CLR, THE TWR TOLD US TO 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD 27.' THE F/O REPEATED THIS BACK, AND WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. AFTER HOLDING AN UNUSUALLY LONG TIME, 3 MIN, WE HEARD TWR CLR ANOTHER ACFT INTO 'POS AND HOLD 27'. WE QUICKLY CALLED TWR AND TOLD THEM WE WERE THERE. AT WHICH POINT THE TWR CTLR SAID HE THOUGHT WE WERE ON THE RUNUP PAD AND THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF. IT DOES SEEM THAT WE HAD TALKED TO DIFFERENT TWR CTLRS DURING THIS BRIEF PERIOD. MAYBE THERE WAS A FAILURE ON THEIR PART TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.

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.