Narrative:

I was cleared to taxi into 'position and hold' on runway 26L from the bravo-5 intersection at stapleton in denver. After a long, maybe 2 min, wait for my takeoff clearance, I began to wonder why I was being held, since I could see no conflicting traffic. The frequency was busy, both with traffic landing on 26R and with the tower preoccupied with sorting out an 'airliner traffic jam' beneath the tower on the west end of runways 26L and 26R. Then, I heard air carrier call final for 26L, and I looked back and saw him coming. He was then cleared to land by the tower. Later, air carrier called again, and was again cleared to land. I immediately called tower and advised that I was 'position and hold on 26L.' tower missed it, and asked for the aircraft calling him to 'say again.' I did, and he immediately sent the airliner around, and asked me to clear the runway. By this time, I was already doing that, since the airliner was only a few seconds away from me. Tower thanked me for the call, then cleared me into 'position and hold' again. I was cleared for takeoff again, and was sent to another frequency to report downwind on runway 17. Tower thanked me twice more on the air. I think that 'position and hold' should not be used for light aircraft, since very little time is saved. From a position on the taxiway, I'd estimate that less than 1 or 2 seconds is lost when compared to the 'position and hold' position, after 'cleared for takeoff' is issued. For this relatively minor time gain, the light aircraft is purposely placed 'in harm's way.' note that tower immediately reclred me into 'position and hold,' even after this near miss incident! For airliners, the time gain using 'position and hold' might be more substantial, but they also are much bigger, and easier seen by both the tower and by the landing aircraft. This makes this type of incident less likely. Since the intersection which I was departing from (B-5) is a long way from the runway 26L threshold, it's possible that the landing airliner did not have me in sight. If he did, he didn't mention it: I would have, had I been in his place. Further, the tower's preoccupation with sorting out taxiing aircraft apparently distracted him from managing the landing and departing aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CLRED POS AND HOLD AT INTXN. HEARS ACR CLRED TO LAND, QUERIES CTLR. CLRS RWY AS ACR MAKES GAR.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO TAXI INTO 'POS AND HOLD' ON RWY 26L FROM THE BRAVO-5 INTXN AT STAPLETON IN DENVER. AFTER A LONG, MAYBE 2 MIN, WAIT FOR MY TKOF CLRNC, I BEGAN TO WONDER WHY I WAS BEING HELD, SINCE I COULD SEE NO CONFLICTING TFC. THE FREQ WAS BUSY, BOTH WITH TFC LNDG ON 26R AND WITH THE TWR PREOCCUPIED WITH SORTING OUT AN 'AIRLINER TFC JAM' BENEATH THE TWR ON THE W END OF RWYS 26L AND 26R. THEN, I HEARD ACR CALL FINAL FOR 26L, AND I LOOKED BACK AND SAW HIM COMING. HE WAS THEN CLRED TO LAND BY THE TWR. LATER, ACR CALLED AGAIN, AND WAS AGAIN CLRED TO LAND. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED TWR AND ADVISED THAT I WAS 'POS AND HOLD ON 26L.' TWR MISSED IT, AND ASKED FOR THE ACFT CALLING HIM TO 'SAY AGAIN.' I DID, AND HE IMMEDIATELY SENT THE AIRLINER AROUND, AND ASKED ME TO CLR THE RWY. BY THIS TIME, I WAS ALREADY DOING THAT, SINCE THE AIRLINER WAS ONLY A FEW SECONDS AWAY FROM ME. TWR THANKED ME FOR THE CALL, THEN CLRED ME INTO 'POS AND HOLD' AGAIN. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AGAIN, AND WAS SENT TO ANOTHER FREQ TO RPT DOWNWIND ON RWY 17. TWR THANKED ME TWICE MORE ON THE AIR. I THINK THAT 'POS AND HOLD' SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR LIGHT ACFT, SINCE VERY LITTLE TIME IS SAVED. FROM A POS ON THE TAXIWAY, I'D ESTIMATE THAT LESS THAN 1 OR 2 SECONDS IS LOST WHEN COMPARED TO THE 'POS AND HOLD' POS, AFTER 'CLRED FOR TKOF' IS ISSUED. FOR THIS RELATIVELY MINOR TIME GAIN, THE LIGHT ACFT IS PURPOSELY PLACED 'IN HARM'S WAY.' NOTE THAT TWR IMMEDIATELY RECLRED ME INTO 'POS AND HOLD,' EVEN AFTER THIS NEAR MISS INCIDENT! FOR AIRLINERS, THE TIME GAIN USING 'POS AND HOLD' MIGHT BE MORE SUBSTANTIAL, BUT THEY ALSO ARE MUCH BIGGER, AND EASIER SEEN BY BOTH THE TWR AND BY THE LNDG ACFT. THIS MAKES THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT LESS LIKELY. SINCE THE INTXN WHICH I WAS DEPARTING FROM (B-5) IS A LONG WAY FROM THE RWY 26L THRESHOLD, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE LNDG AIRLINER DID NOT HAVE ME IN SIGHT. IF HE DID, HE DIDN'T MENTION IT: I WOULD HAVE, HAD I BEEN IN HIS PLACE. FURTHER, THE TWR'S PREOCCUPATION WITH SORTING OUT TAXIING ACFT APPARENTLY DISTRACTED HIM FROM MANAGING THE LNDG AND DEPARTING ACFT.

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.