Narrative:

On the afternoon of sep/sat/93 I had visited the den FSS for a WX briefing and had filed an IFR flight plan. On my initial callup to the tower, I was advised that it had my clearance and was asked if I was ready to copy. I copied the clearance as I was taxiing out of the transient parking area and the tower informed me that my readback was correct. I was directed to taxi to runway 35R. Upon arriving at the south end of 35R, I found myself to be #2 behind an small aircraft. I competed my pre-takeoff checklist and runup and called the tower indicating that I was ready for takeoff. The tower then called the small aircraft and inquired how much more time the pilot would need before he was ready to depart. When the small aircraft responded that it would require 2 more mins before it would be ready for departure, the tower asked me if I would be able to taxi around the small aircraft and onto the runway. I responded that there was insufficient room but that I had room to do a 180 and to return to the next taxiway to the north. The tower then instructed me to do so and, I think, cleared me for takeoff. I immediately did as instructed. As I began my takeoff roll, I heard the tower clear the small aircraft for takeoff and then realized that something was amiss. The tower then instructed me to abort my takeoff and to exit the runway. I did so. It also amended the small aircraft's instructions to a request that it taxi into position and hold. As soon as I was clear of the runway, the small aircraft was cleared for takeoff and departed. As I was returning to the south end of runway 35R, the tower first informed me that it had not yet received my release from ATC. By the time that I had returned to the hold line for 35R, the tower issued an amendment to my earlier-received clearance and cleared me for takeoff. I believe that I was at fault in misunderstanding the tower's instructions to include a takeoff clearance. I am still puzzled, however, to think that the tower would inquire of the small aircraft as to the amount of time it would need before it would be ready to depart and to then instruct me to taxi around him or, as it happened, to travel to the next intersection north when it knew, and I did not, that ATC had not yet authorized the release of my aircraft! I feel that this entire situation would not have occurred if the tower had simply informed me immediately that it was still waiting for my release from ATC when I called to indicate that I was ready for takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT TOOK THE RWY FOR TKOF WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC.

Narrative: ON THE AFTERNOON OF SEP/SAT/93 I HAD VISITED THE DEN FSS FOR A WX BRIEFING AND HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. ON MY INITIAL CALLUP TO THE TWR, I WAS ADVISED THAT IT HAD MY CLRNC AND WAS ASKED IF I WAS READY TO COPY. I COPIED THE CLRNC AS I WAS TAXIING OUT OF THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA AND THE TWR INFORMED ME THAT MY READBACK WAS CORRECT. I WAS DIRECTED TO TAXI TO RWY 35R. UPON ARRIVING AT THE S END OF 35R, I FOUND MYSELF TO BE #2 BEHIND AN SMA. I COMPETED MY PRE-TKOF CHKLIST AND RUNUP AND CALLED THE TWR INDICATING THAT I WAS READY FOR TKOF. THE TWR THEN CALLED THE SMA AND INQUIRED HOW MUCH MORE TIME THE PLT WOULD NEED BEFORE HE WAS READY TO DEPART. WHEN THE SMA RESPONDED THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE 2 MORE MINS BEFORE IT WOULD BE READY FOR DEP, THE TWR ASKED ME IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO TAXI AROUND THE SMA AND ONTO THE RWY. I RESPONDED THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ROOM BUT THAT I HAD ROOM TO DO A 180 AND TO RETURN TO THE NEXT TXWY TO THE N. THE TWR THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO DO SO AND, I THINK, CLRED ME FOR TKOF. I IMMEDIATELY DID AS INSTRUCTED. AS I BEGAN MY TKOF ROLL, I HEARD THE TWR CLR THE SMA FOR TKOF AND THEN REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS. THE TWR THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO ABORT MY TKOF AND TO EXIT THE RWY. I DID SO. IT ALSO AMENDED THE SMA'S INSTRUCTIONS TO A REQUEST THAT IT TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. AS SOON AS I WAS CLR OF THE RWY, THE SMA WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND DEPARTED. AS I WAS RETURNING TO THE S END OF RWY 35R, THE TWR FIRST INFORMED ME THAT IT HAD NOT YET RECEIVED MY RELEASE FROM ATC. BY THE TIME THAT I HAD RETURNED TO THE HOLD LINE FOR 35R, THE TWR ISSUED AN AMENDMENT TO MY EARLIER-RECEIVED CLRNC AND CLRED ME FOR TKOF. I BELIEVE THAT I WAS AT FAULT IN MISUNDERSTANDING THE TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS TO INCLUDE A TKOF CLRNC. I AM STILL PUZZLED, HOWEVER, TO THINK THAT THE TWR WOULD INQUIRE OF THE SMA AS TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT WOULD NEED BEFORE IT WOULD BE READY TO DEPART AND TO THEN INSTRUCT ME TO TAXI AROUND HIM OR, AS IT HAPPENED, TO TRAVEL TO THE NEXT INTXN NORTH WHEN IT KNEW, AND I DID NOT, THAT ATC HAD NOT YET AUTHORIZED THE RELEASE OF MY ACFT! I FEEL THAT THIS ENTIRE SIT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF THE TWR HAD SIMPLY INFORMED ME IMMEDIATELY THAT IT WAS STILL WAITING FOR MY RELEASE FROM ATC WHEN I CALLED TO INDICATE THAT I WAS READY FOR TKOF.

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.