Narrative:

As 1 of 4 pilots on board, I was tasked with copying and readback of an IFR clearance from elp to den. I copied the original clearance and was told the readback was correct when an amended clearance was suggested and approved by the instructor. We were unfamiliar with the airport and requested assistance for the taxi to the active as there were also many taxiway closings and construction. We were told that with the amended clearance that 'I might be able to get you out on runway 08,' by the ground controller. This was intended to be, and was, very helpful on his part. Unfortunately, I mistook his helpfulness as a clearance onto runway 8, and proceeded to tell him that our aircraft would need 20 seconds in position, whereby he switched us to the tower frequency. I switched to tower, was acknowledged by the specialist by our aircraft number and mistook the word 'hold' to mean 'position and hold.' the ground control specialist gave our aircraft a heading of 020 degrees to fly after takeoff to be followed by vectors until we could resume our own navigation. Our aircraft proceeded onto the runway, set the manual wastegate turbochargers, released brakes, and performed the takeoff. Upon reaching an altitude that was safe for the turn to our assigned heading, we were contacted by the tower who said, 'in the future, it would be wise to wait until you (we) were cleared to enter the runway and to takeoff before doing so.' in my opinion, the genuine cause of the problem would have to be my confusion with the new amended clearance, the misunderstanding of the ground control clearance by the PIC, myself, and the instructor, and the haste at which I tried to perform the task I was assigned. To prevent a recurrence would certainly rest on my shoulders as a user of the ATC system. A thorough study and review of radio communication procedures is in order if not required. Supplemental information from acn 250832: although I appreciate the controller advising us of a problem, I am a little bit confused as to his timing. Since we were on the runway for some time before we initiated our takeoff, why couldn't he have advised us then that we were not cleared to enter the runway. Also, his timing after takeoff was poorly chosen in that he told us at one of the busiest times of a flight. Although not an excuse, I have very limited experience flying into and out of tower controled airports. I learned at an uncontrolled airport and almost all of my flying and instruction are done in uncontrolled airports and airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH RWY ENTRY OP TKOF. RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: AS 1 OF 4 PLTS ON BOARD, I WAS TASKED WITH COPYING AND READBACK OF AN IFR CLRNC FROM ELP TO DEN. I COPIED THE ORIGINAL CLRNC AND WAS TOLD THE READBACK WAS CORRECT WHEN AN AMENDED CLRNC WAS SUGGESTED AND APPROVED BY THE INSTRUCTOR. WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FOR THE TAXI TO THE ACTIVE AS THERE WERE ALSO MANY TXWY CLOSINGS AND CONSTRUCTION. WE WERE TOLD THAT WITH THE AMENDED CLRNC THAT 'I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET YOU OUT ON RWY 08,' BY THE GND CTLR. THIS WAS INTENDED TO BE, AND WAS, VERY HELPFUL ON HIS PART. UNFORTUNATELY, I MISTOOK HIS HELPFULNESS AS A CLRNC ONTO RWY 8, AND PROCEEDED TO TELL HIM THAT OUR ACFT WOULD NEED 20 SECONDS IN POS, WHEREBY HE SWITCHED US TO THE TWR FREQ. I SWITCHED TO TWR, WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE SPECIALIST BY OUR ACFT NUMBER AND MISTOOK THE WORD 'HOLD' TO MEAN 'POS AND HOLD.' THE GND CTL SPECIALIST GAVE OUR ACFT A HDG OF 020 DEGS TO FLY AFTER TKOF TO BE FOLLOWED BY VECTORS UNTIL WE COULD RESUME OUR OWN NAV. OUR ACFT PROCEEDED ONTO THE RWY, SET THE MANUAL WASTEGATE TURBOCHARGERS, RELEASED BRAKES, AND PERFORMED THE TKOF. UPON REACHING AN ALT THAT WAS SAFE FOR THE TURN TO OUR ASSIGNED HDG, WE WERE CONTACTED BY THE TWR WHO SAID, 'IN THE FUTURE, IT WOULD BE WISE TO WAIT UNTIL YOU (WE) WERE CLRED TO ENTER THE RWY AND TO TKOF BEFORE DOING SO.' IN MY OPINION, THE GENUINE CAUSE OF THE PROB WOULD HAVE TO BE MY CONFUSION WITH THE NEW AMENDED CLRNC, THE MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE GND CTL CLRNC BY THE PIC, MYSELF, AND THE INSTRUCTOR, AND THE HASTE AT WHICH I TRIED TO PERFORM THE TASK I WAS ASSIGNED. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE WOULD CERTAINLY REST ON MY SHOULDERS AS A USER OF THE ATC SYS. A THOROUGH STUDY AND REVIEW OF RADIO COM PROCS IS IN ORDER IF NOT REQUIRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 250832: ALTHOUGH I APPRECIATE THE CTLR ADVISING US OF A PROB, I AM A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED AS TO HIS TIMING. SINCE WE WERE ON THE RWY FOR SOME TIME BEFORE WE INITIATED OUR TKOF, WHY COULDN'T HE HAVE ADVISED US THEN THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED TO ENTER THE RWY. ALSO, HIS TIMING AFTER TKOF WAS POORLY CHOSEN IN THAT HE TOLD US AT ONE OF THE BUSIEST TIMES OF A FLT. ALTHOUGH NOT AN EXCUSE, I HAVE VERY LIMITED EXPERIENCE FLYING INTO AND OUT OF TWR CTLED ARPTS. I LEARNED AT AN UNCTLED ARPT AND ALMOST ALL OF MY FLYING AND INSTRUCTION ARE DONE IN UNCTLED ARPTS AND AIRSPACE.

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.