Commuter flight crew thought heard taxi position and hold, be ready. Tried to confirm clearance for ...

Attributes
ACN	198186
Time
Date	199201
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	198186
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Sfo was departing 1L/1R and landing 28L/28R. We requested departure from 28R intersection east. Tower instructed cross 28L hold short 28R. While holding short 28R instructions were issued '...position and hold be ready for immediate aircraft on final 28R.' the first part of the transmission was blocked. Thinking it was ours, I stated and informed 'if that was meant for company, understand position and hold 28R we'll be ready.' I started in position expecting a confirmation. No reply was given I thought because of the congested frequency. We looked to the approach end of 28R and did see an aircraft on final which appeared far enough out so as not to raise additional doubts about the instructions. We were now in position and still no reply. Instead the aircraft (light transport) on final was cleared to land. Seeing us on the runway the light transport advised the tower. The tower instructed them to go around, which they did. Tower confirmed our position and instructed us to clear the runway and hold short as originally instructed, which we did. I feel the incident was contributed to by frequency congestion, what I felt was a need to comply with the instructions in a timely manner, acting before a reply to my inquiry, and my phrasing could have been more professional. I should have stated 'confirm position and hold 28R be ready' and not moved until a reply was received or simply 'blocked' and not moved without new instructions. Prior to this incident I have always requested confirmation whenever a doubt existed as to the recipient and/or content of any instruction. I assure you I will continue to do so in the future. The scenario in this report is as accurately as I can recall. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states this was a very busy time at sfo. Lots of blocked xmissions. Feels that query to confirm may have been blocked and thus no response. Annoyed at himself for not staying in position until he confirmed clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER FLC THOUGHT HEARD TAXI POS AND HOLD, BE READY. TRIED TO CONFIRM CLRNC FOR THEM BUT TAXIED ONTO RWY PRIOR TO HEARING ANY CONFIRMATION.

Narrative: SFO WAS DEPARTING 1L/1R AND LNDG 28L/28R. WE REQUESTED DEP FROM 28R INTXN E. TWR INSTRUCTED CROSS 28L HOLD SHORT 28R. WHILE HOLDING SHORT 28R INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED '...POS AND HOLD BE READY FOR IMMEDIATE ACFT ON FINAL 28R.' THE FIRST PART OF THE XMISSION WAS BLOCKED. THINKING IT WAS OURS, I STATED AND INFORMED 'IF THAT WAS MEANT FOR COMPANY, UNDERSTAND POS AND HOLD 28R WE'LL BE READY.' I STARTED IN POS EXPECTING A CONFIRMATION. NO REPLY WAS GIVEN I THOUGHT BECAUSE OF THE CONGESTED FREQ. WE LOOKED TO THE APCH END OF 28R AND DID SEE AN ACFT ON FINAL WHICH APPEARED FAR ENOUGH OUT SO AS NOT TO RAISE ADDITIONAL DOUBTS ABOUT THE INSTRUCTIONS. WE WERE NOW IN POS AND STILL NO REPLY. INSTEAD THE ACFT (LTT) ON FINAL WAS CLRED TO LAND. SEEING US ON THE RWY THE LTT ADVISED THE TWR. THE TWR INSTRUCTED THEM TO GAR, WHICH THEY DID. TWR CONFIRMED OUR POS AND INSTRUCTED US TO CLR THE RWY AND HOLD SHORT AS ORIGINALLY INSTRUCTED, WHICH WE DID. I FEEL THE INCIDENT WAS CONTRIBUTED TO BY FREQ CONGESTION, WHAT I FELT WAS A NEED TO COMPLY WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER, ACTING BEFORE A REPLY TO MY INQUIRY, AND MY PHRASING COULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROFESSIONAL. I SHOULD HAVE STATED 'CONFIRM POS AND HOLD 28R BE READY' AND NOT MOVED UNTIL A REPLY WAS RECEIVED OR SIMPLY 'BLOCKED' AND NOT MOVED WITHOUT NEW INSTRUCTIONS. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT I HAVE ALWAYS REQUESTED CONFIRMATION WHENEVER A DOUBT EXISTED AS TO THE RECIPIENT AND/OR CONTENT OF ANY INSTRUCTION. I ASSURE YOU I WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE. THE SCENARIO IN THIS RPT IS AS ACCURATELY AS I CAN RECALL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THIS WAS A VERY BUSY TIME AT SFO. LOTS OF BLOCKED XMISSIONS. FEELS THAT QUERY TO CONFIRM MAY HAVE BEEN BLOCKED AND THUS NO RESPONSE. ANNOYED AT HIMSELF FOR NOT STAYING IN POS UNTIL HE CONFIRMED CLRNC.

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.

Commuter flight crew thought heard taxi position and hold, be ready. Tried to confirm clearance for them but taxied onto runway prior to hearing any confirmation.