Narrative:

We taxied out for takeoff on runway 20. We were monitoring the unicom frequency 123.0 on #2 radio, fca is an uncontrolled airport. We were monitoring salt lake center slc, 133.4 on #1. During taxi out the crew noted not hearing the other departing traffic announce their intentions on 123.0, unicom. As we neared the end of the runway we were notified on frequency 133.4, by when we don't know, to notify tower on frequency 123.7. The transmission was weak and broken. There was some confusion in the cockpit between crew members because fca is an uncontrolled airport and does not have an ATC tower. The first officer called tower on 123.7 on #2 radio and the tower cleared us for takeoff. The tower xmissions were weak, scratchy, almost unreadable. There was more confusion because it is non standard to takeoff without a release from center. The first officer informed tower that we had no center release and questioned the area of control, of the tower whether they were controling the entire airport, or just the fire bombers. Tower replied, contact center for release. I do not recall the exact wording but it was not standard ATC verbiage. Tower never canceled our takeoff clearance. The first officer contacted slc center and obtained our release. At this time I was backing up the first officer, copying our clearance and finishing the after start and before takeoff checklists. The captain started to taxi on to the runway, saw the departing aircraft on runway 02, stopped our aircraft short of the runway, held short, then the first officer and myself heard a transmission from tower to hold short. The captain stated he never heard the transmission to hold short. No crew member heard the other aircraft cleared for takeoff. Contributing factors: poor radio reception. Confusion with the temporary tower. Non standard ATC verbiage from the tower. Possible corrective actions: better temporary tower transmitters. Operate the temporary ATC on the unicom frequency, in this case 123.0. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the tower was set up because of fire bomber activity and tower was primarily controling the bombers coming and going. The temporary tower was notamed but the hours of operation were printed incorrectly and it would not have been in operation at the time of rptrs flight according to the printed hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEMPORARY TWR CAUSES CONFUSION ON TAXI FOR TKOF.

Narrative: WE TAXIED OUT FOR TKOF ON RWY 20. WE WERE MONITORING THE UNICOM FREQ 123.0 ON #2 RADIO, FCA IS AN UNCTLED ARPT. WE WERE MONITORING SALT LAKE CTR SLC, 133.4 ON #1. DURING TAXI OUT THE CREW NOTED NOT HEARING THE OTHER DEPARTING TFC ANNOUNCE THEIR INTENTIONS ON 123.0, UNICOM. AS WE NEARED THE END OF THE RWY WE WERE NOTIFIED ON FREQ 133.4, BY WHEN WE DON'T KNOW, TO NOTIFY TWR ON FREQ 123.7. THE XMISSION WAS WEAK AND BROKEN. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT BTWN CREW MEMBERS BECAUSE FCA IS AN UNCTLED ARPT AND DOES NOT HAVE AN ATC TWR. THE FO CALLED TWR ON 123.7 ON #2 RADIO AND THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. THE TWR XMISSIONS WERE WEAK, SCRATCHY, ALMOST UNREADABLE. THERE WAS MORE CONFUSION BECAUSE IT IS NON STANDARD TO TKOF WITHOUT A RELEASE FROM CTR. THE FO INFORMED TWR THAT WE HAD NO CTR RELEASE AND QUESTIONED THE AREA OF CTL, OF THE TWR WHETHER THEY WERE CTLING THE ENTIRE ARPT, OR JUST THE FIRE BOMBERS. TWR REPLIED, CONTACT CTR FOR RELEASE. I DO NOT RECALL THE EXACT WORDING BUT IT WAS NOT STANDARD ATC VERBIAGE. TWR NEVER CANCELED OUR TKOF CLRNC. THE FO CONTACTED SLC CTR AND OBTAINED OUR RELEASE. AT THIS TIME I WAS BACKING UP THE FO, COPYING OUR CLRNC AND FINISHING THE AFTER START AND BEFORE TKOF CHKLISTS. THE CAPT STARTED TO TAXI ON TO THE RWY, SAW THE DEPARTING ACFT ON RWY 02, STOPPED OUR ACFT SHORT OF THE RWY, HELD SHORT, THEN THE FO AND MYSELF HEARD A XMISSION FROM TWR TO HOLD SHORT. THE CAPT STATED HE NEVER HEARD THE XMISSION TO HOLD SHORT. NO CREW MEMBER HEARD THE OTHER ACFT CLRED FOR TKOF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: POOR RADIO RECEPTION. CONFUSION WITH THE TEMPORARY TWR. NON STANDARD ATC VERBIAGE FROM THE TWR. POSSIBLE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: BETTER TEMPORARY TWR XMITTERS. OPERATE THE TEMPORARY ATC ON THE UNICOM FREQ, IN THIS CASE 123.0. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE TWR WAS SET UP BECAUSE OF FIRE BOMBER ACTIVITY AND TWR WAS PRIMARILY CTLING THE BOMBERS COMING AND GOING. THE TEMPORARY TWR WAS NOTAMED BUT THE HRS OF OP WERE PRINTED INCORRECTLY AND IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN OP AT THE TIME OF RPTRS FLT ACCORDING TO THE PRINTED HRS.

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.