Narrative:

The problem arose due to the pilot not repeating back clearance for takeoff due to a distraction by a passenger. The sequence began as the aircraft was instructed to 'hold short of the active for landing traffic.' a light twin completed its approach and landing well down a 9000 ft runway, and the pilot of the aircraft holding short returned his attention to the passenger on board his aircraft. The tower queried the pilot on his direction of departure and then 'cleared the aircraft....' here is where the confusion resulted. The pilot feels positive that he did not hear 'into position and hold' -- the word 'hold' would have gotten his attention -- those words never got by him before. He does remember that he was 'cleared' -- and from what transpired later. Tower's instruction must have been 'cleared to take the active.' the landing twin now has been out of sight and mind for a period of time. The pilot taxied onto the runway and began the takeoff roll. The tower noticed the aircraft in the initial part of its takeoff roll and advised the pilot that 'the other aircraft is still on the runway and that you have not been cleared for takeoff.' the pilot aborted the takeoff roll immediately and completed his rollout as the light twin slowly departed the runway some distance ahead. Once again, the lesson being that pilots must repeat back all clrncs. This pilot always does -- or he thought he always did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT STARTING TKOF ADVISED BY TWR LNDG ACFT STILL ON RWY - - ABORT TKOF.

Narrative: THE PROBLEM AROSE DUE TO THE PLT NOT REPEATING BACK CLRNC FOR TKOF DUE TO A DISTR BY A PAX. THE SEQUENCE BEGAN AS THE ACFT WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'HOLD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE FOR LNDG TFC.' A LIGHT TWIN COMPLETED ITS APCH AND LNDG WELL DOWN A 9000 FT RWY, AND THE PLT OF THE ACFT HOLDING SHORT RETURNED HIS ATTN TO THE PAX ON BOARD HIS ACFT. THE TWR QUERIED THE PLT ON HIS DIRECTION OF DEP AND THEN 'CLRED THE ACFT....' HERE IS WHERE THE CONFUSION RESULTED. THE PLT FEELS POSITIVE THAT HE DID NOT HEAR 'INTO POS AND HOLD' -- THE WORD 'HOLD' WOULD HAVE GOTTEN HIS ATTN -- THOSE WORDS NEVER GOT BY HIM BEFORE. HE DOES REMEMBER THAT HE WAS 'CLRED' -- AND FROM WHAT TRANSPIRED LATER. TWR'S INSTRUCTION MUST HAVE BEEN 'CLRED TO TAKE THE ACTIVE.' THE LNDG TWIN NOW HAS BEEN OUT OF SIGHT AND MIND FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THE PLT TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AND BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL. THE TWR NOTICED THE ACFT IN THE INITIAL PART OF ITS TKOF ROLL AND ADVISED THE PLT THAT 'THE OTHER ACFT IS STILL ON THE RWY AND THAT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF.' THE PLT ABORTED THE TKOF ROLL IMMEDIATELY AND COMPLETED HIS ROLLOUT AS THE LIGHT TWIN SLOWLY DEPARTED THE RWY SOME DISTANCE AHEAD. ONCE AGAIN, THE LESSON BEING THAT PLTS MUST REPEAT BACK ALL CLRNCS. THIS PLT ALWAYS DOES -- OR HE THOUGHT HE ALWAYS DID.

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.