Narrative:

I was #4 for takeoff and the aircraft ahead of me were departing in sequence, no lndgs between departures. As I entered the runway in turn, tower told me to clear as I had not been released onto the runway. As I taxied off, ATC told an small aircraft to go around. I was reclred onto the runway and departed with no further problems. Contributing factors: I think the factos that contributed to this incident were as follows: I was running 45 min behind schedule and was concerned to make up time. I had a mindset about being cleared onto the runway as soon as the aircraft ahead departed, that was the flow up to that point. I think I heard a transmission clearing me onto the runway, but what I probably heard was the small aircraft being cleared to land. If so this was a classic case of hearing what you want to hear. Visibility was poor and I did not see the small aircraft as I xed the hold line. The first officer had just made a required company PA to the passenger and F/a. His radio was turned down and his comment to me was that he assumed we had been cleared but had not heard it since his radio was turned down. Conclusions. A completely avoidable incident with no blame other than myself. The lessons learned: the danger of a mindset, and prejudging radio xmissions. The wisdom of removing half the crew at a critical stage of operation. As I taxied over the hold line I was operating single pilot with the first officer out of the loop. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter stated that he did not see the landing aircraft until the local controller had instructed it to go around. He estimated that the small aircraft overflew him by 250'. He felt the controllers were fairly busy so that any doubt in his mind about whether he was cleared for takeoff were overridden by his unwillingness to attempt to get clarification on a congested frequency. Reporter said that, in the future, he will have first officer give PA at a different time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF PART 121 COMMUTER ACFT TAXIED ONTO THE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC AFTER WAITING IN LINE FOR DEP. SMA HAD TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: I WAS #4 FOR TKOF AND THE ACFT AHEAD OF ME WERE DEPARTING IN SEQUENCE, NO LNDGS BTWN DEPS. AS I ENTERED THE RWY IN TURN, TWR TOLD ME TO CLR AS I HAD NOT BEEN RELEASED ONTO THE RWY. AS I TAXIED OFF, ATC TOLD AN SMA TO GO AROUND. I WAS RECLRED ONTO THE RWY AND DEPARTED WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I THINK THE FACTOS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT WERE AS FOLLOWS: I WAS RUNNING 45 MIN BEHIND SCHEDULE AND WAS CONCERNED TO MAKE UP TIME. I HAD A MINDSET ABOUT BEING CLRED ONTO THE RWY AS SOON AS THE ACFT AHEAD DEPARTED, THAT WAS THE FLOW UP TO THAT POINT. I THINK I HEARD A XMISSION CLRING ME ONTO THE RWY, BUT WHAT I PROBABLY HEARD WAS THE SMA BEING CLRED TO LAND. IF SO THIS WAS A CLASSIC CASE OF HEARING WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR. VISIBILITY WAS POOR AND I DID NOT SEE THE SMA AS I XED THE HOLD LINE. THE F/O HAD JUST MADE A REQUIRED COMPANY PA TO THE PAX AND F/A. HIS RADIO WAS TURNED DOWN AND HIS COMMENT TO ME WAS THAT HE ASSUMED WE HAD BEEN CLRED BUT HAD NOT HEARD IT SINCE HIS RADIO WAS TURNED DOWN. CONCLUSIONS. A COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE INCIDENT WITH NO BLAME OTHER THAN MYSELF. THE LESSONS LEARNED: THE DANGER OF A MINDSET, AND PREJUDGING RADIO XMISSIONS. THE WISDOM OF REMOVING HALF THE CREW AT A CRITICAL STAGE OF OPERATION. AS I TAXIED OVER THE HOLD LINE I WAS OPERATING SINGLE PLT WITH THE F/O OUT OF THE LOOP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE LNDG ACFT UNTIL THE LCL CTLR HAD INSTRUCTED IT TO GO AROUND. HE ESTIMATED THAT THE SMA OVERFLEW HIM BY 250'. HE FELT THE CTLRS WERE FAIRLY BUSY SO THAT ANY DOUBT IN HIS MIND ABOUT WHETHER HE WAS CLRED FOR TKOF WERE OVERRIDDEN BY HIS UNWILLINGNESS TO ATTEMPT TO GET CLARIFICATION ON A CONGESTED FREQ. RPTR SAID THAT, IN THE FUTURE, HE WILL HAVE F/O GIVE PA AT A DIFFERENT TIME.

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.