Tower sent an aircraft around just after reporter was cleared into position and hold.

Attributes
ACN	285277
Time
Date	199410
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	landing : go around
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	285277
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were cleared into 'position and hold' on runway 8R at atl just after changing frequencys (from ground to tower). As I taxied into position I noticed what appeared to be an airplane on final approach to runway 8R. The tower directed the aircraft to go around. The tower would not answer me when I asked for verification that I had in fact been cleared into position. I think that it is bad practice to clear aircraft to land on runways that are normally used for lndgs. ATC has dual parallel runways -- the outboards are normally used for landing and inboards for takeoff. The tower will sometimes clear an aircraft to land on the inboard to save taxi time. It is not worth it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR SENT AN ACFT AROUND JUST AFTER RPTR WAS CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED INTO 'POS AND HOLD' ON RWY 8R AT ATL JUST AFTER CHANGING FREQS (FROM GND TO TWR). AS I TAXIED INTO POS I NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN AIRPLANE ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 8R. THE TWR DIRECTED THE ACFT TO GAR. THE TWR WOULD NOT ANSWER ME WHEN I ASKED FOR VERIFICATION THAT I HAD IN FACT BEEN CLRED INTO POS. I THINK THAT IT IS BAD PRACTICE TO CLR ACFT TO LAND ON RWYS THAT ARE NORMALLY USED FOR LNDGS. ATC HAS DUAL PARALLEL RWYS -- THE OUTBOARDS ARE NORMALLY USED FOR LNDG AND INBOARDS FOR TKOF. THE TWR WILL SOMETIMES CLR AN ACFT TO LAND ON THE INBOARD TO SAVE TAXI TIME. IT IS NOT WORTH IT.

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.