Small aircraft told to taxi into position and hold. Controller cleared an air carrier to land on the...

Attributes
ACN	188555
Time
Date	199109
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdx
State Reference	OR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	188555
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error other

Narrative:

I was waiting for IFR departure. Was told to taxi into position and hold runway 28R. Right after this air carrier X checked on and reported that he was on the visual for the right. After more than 1 min of waiting I turned my aircraft (small aircraft Y) approximately 40 degree to the left. This allowed me both to see the arriving aircraft and also position the aircraft towards the turnoff. After I did this I noticed air carrier X was getting very close. I contacted tower, saying that I was still in position and hold on the right. Tower came back with a very real sense of urgency and told me to turn left and exit the runway immediately. Fortunately I was already facing towards that direction and quickly got off the runway. I estimate that less than 1 1/2 seconds passed between me crossing the hold line exiting the runway and air carrier X crossing the threshold. Shades of lax crossed my mind. After this I was again told to taxi into position and hold, and departure was uneventful. I feel that position and hold gains controllers very little with small planes and that it should never be used unless departure is ensured in a very timely fashion (less than 30 seconds). I hate to think what would have happened if I had not been listening to the radio and noticed the other plane coming in. I might add that the tower frequency was not very busy at the time. I think the controller just forgot about me.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. CTLR CLRED AN ACR TO LAND ON THE RWY AND FORGOT ABOUT THE SMA. SMA ADVISED THE TWR BEFORE AN INCIDENT OCCURRED.

Narrative: I WAS WAITING FOR IFR DEP. WAS TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 28R. RIGHT AFTER THIS ACR X CHKED ON AND RPTED THAT HE WAS ON THE VISUAL FOR THE R. AFTER MORE THAN 1 MIN OF WAITING I TURNED MY ACFT (SMA Y) APPROX 40 DEG TO THE L. THIS ALLOWED ME BOTH TO SEE THE ARRIVING ACFT AND ALSO POS THE ACFT TOWARDS THE TURNOFF. AFTER I DID THIS I NOTICED ACR X WAS GETTING VERY CLOSE. I CONTACTED TWR, SAYING THAT I WAS STILL IN POS AND HOLD ON THE R. TWR CAME BACK WITH A VERY REAL SENSE OF URGENCY AND TOLD ME TO TURN L AND EXIT THE RWY IMMEDIATELY. FORTUNATELY I WAS ALREADY FACING TOWARDS THAT DIRECTION AND QUICKLY GOT OFF THE RWY. I ESTIMATE THAT LESS THAN 1 1/2 SECONDS PASSED BTWN ME XING THE HOLD LINE EXITING THE RWY AND ACR X XING THE THRESHOLD. SHADES OF LAX CROSSED MY MIND. AFTER THIS I WAS AGAIN TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, AND DEP WAS UNEVENTFUL. I FEEL THAT POS AND HOLD GAINS CTLRS VERY LITTLE WITH SMALL PLANES AND THAT IT SHOULD NEVER BE USED UNLESS DEP IS ENSURED IN A VERY TIMELY FASHION (LESS THAN 30 SECS). I HATE TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD NOT BEEN LISTENING TO THE RADIO AND NOTICED THE OTHER PLANE COMING IN. I MIGHT ADD THAT THE TWR FREQ WAS NOT VERY BUSY AT THE TIME. I THINK THE CTLR JUST FORGOT ABOUT ME.

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.

Small aircraft told to taxi into position and hold. Controller cleared an air carrier to land on the runway and forgot about the small aircraft. Small aircraft advised the tower before an incident occurred.