Narrative:

Having received the ATIS information while on the south end of lubbock international airport I called lubbock ground on 121.9 for a VFR clearance to parker county airport in weatherford, tx. I was given a code and instructed to taxi to runway 26 for departure. I stopped short of the intersection with hotel and proceeded with my preflight runup checks, monitoring ground the entire time. When the runup was complete, I switched frequencys to lubbock tower 120.5 and made the following call 'lubbock tower cessna X runway 26 ready for takeoff west departure.' the following transmission I understood from lubbock tower 'cessna X hold in position.' I acknowledged this transmission as follows 'roger, cessna X understand taxi in position and hold.' I received no transmission from tower and therefore assumed that my instructions had been received correctly. I then started a right turn, taxied onto runway 26 and held in position. I remained there for several minutes, during which time I did not receive any xmissions from lubbock tower either to me or any other aircraft. Approximately 4-5 mins after taxiing into position, I heard the roar of a 737 as it passed overhead followed by a transmission from same aircraft that they were going around due to an aircraft on the runway. I acknowledged that I was holding short as instructed. Tower came back 'negative, you were told to hold your position!' I responded 'I was cleared to taxi into position and hold and acknowledged the instructions.' they then responded 'cessna X is cleared for takeoff,' whereupon I started my takeoff roll. After climbing out on runway heading, I called to ask if they wanted a right or left turn, they responded with instructions to make left turn. I continued until told to switch to departure frequency, which I did. I stayed with lubbock departure until I was leaving their area, they informed me that radar service was terminated, and to squawk VFR. I did, and a few mins later they called me again and informed me that lubbock tower believed that there had been a takeoff discrepancy and would like me to call upon arrival at my destination. I conformed to this request and talked with tower. She informed me that they felt I had deviated from my instructions. I explained as above and informed her that the tower tape would confirm the situation as explained. She informed me that the playback machine was not operating. She told me that they would review the tapes on mar/mon/95 and notify me of their decision by phone on the same day. I would like to make it clear that I did not hear instructions to hold short at any time from lubbock tower, the only hold short instruction I received was from lubbock ground prior to crossing runways 17R/13L. In all of my yrs of flying in and out of controled airspace I have never received instructions to hold my position other than from ground control, and would assume that when tower tells an aircraft to hold in position they mean takeoff position at the end of the active runway, which I did. Again I want to stress that I never heard tower tell me to hold short of runway 26! I have always been instructed to hold short, landing traffic or hold short, departing traffic. I feel that the tower tapes should verify all of the above communications. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states an FAA representative called him several days later and indicated they had reviewed the tapes and that no further actions would be taken. He indicated that the controller had used non standard phraseology which created the confusion. Reporter was counseled to do a complete readback of a clearance in the future as the tapes indicated he only 'rogered.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TAXIES INTO POS AND HOLD UPON MISINTERP OF CLRNC. FORCES MLG GAR.

Narrative: HAVING RECEIVED THE ATIS INFO WHILE ON THE S END OF LUBBOCK INTL ARPT I CALLED LUBBOCK GND ON 121.9 FOR A VFR CLRNC TO PARKER COUNTY ARPT IN WEATHERFORD, TX. I WAS GIVEN A CODE AND INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 26 FOR DEP. I STOPPED SHORT OF THE INTXN WITH HOTEL AND PROCEEDED WITH MY PREFLT RUNUP CHKS, MONITORING GND THE ENTIRE TIME. WHEN THE RUNUP WAS COMPLETE, I SWITCHED FREQS TO LUBBOCK TWR 120.5 AND MADE THE FOLLOWING CALL 'LUBBOCK TWR CESSNA X RWY 26 READY FOR TKOF W DEP.' THE FOLLOWING XMISSION I UNDERSTOOD FROM LUBBOCK TWR 'CESSNA X HOLD IN POS.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THIS XMISSION AS FOLLOWS 'ROGER, CESSNA X UNDERSTAND TAXI IN POS AND HOLD.' I RECEIVED NO XMISSION FROM TWR AND THEREFORE ASSUMED THAT MY INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN RECEIVED CORRECTLY. I THEN STARTED A R TURN, TAXIED ONTO RWY 26 AND HELD IN POS. I REMAINED THERE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, DURING WHICH TIME I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY XMISSIONS FROM LUBBOCK TWR EITHER TO ME OR ANY OTHER ACFT. APPROX 4-5 MINS AFTER TAXIING INTO POS, I HEARD THE ROAR OF A 737 AS IT PASSED OVERHEAD FOLLOWED BY A XMISSION FROM SAME ACFT THAT THEY WERE GOING AROUND DUE TO AN ACFT ON THE RWY. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I WAS HOLDING SHORT AS INSTRUCTED. TWR CAME BACK 'NEGATIVE, YOU WERE TOLD TO HOLD YOUR POS!' I RESPONDED 'I WAS CLRED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTIONS.' THEY THEN RESPONDED 'CESSNA X IS CLRED FOR TKOF,' WHEREUPON I STARTED MY TKOF ROLL. AFTER CLBING OUT ON RWY HDG, I CALLED TO ASK IF THEY WANTED A R OR L TURN, THEY RESPONDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE L TURN. I CONTINUED UNTIL TOLD TO SWITCH TO DEP FREQ, WHICH I DID. I STAYED WITH LUBBOCK DEP UNTIL I WAS LEAVING THEIR AREA, THEY INFORMED ME THAT RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED, AND TO SQUAWK VFR. I DID, AND A FEW MINS LATER THEY CALLED ME AGAIN AND INFORMED ME THAT LUBBOCK TWR BELIEVED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A TKOF DISCREPANCY AND WOULD LIKE ME TO CALL UPON ARR AT MY DEST. I CONFORMED TO THIS REQUEST AND TALKED WITH TWR. SHE INFORMED ME THAT THEY FELT I HAD DEVIATED FROM MY INSTRUCTIONS. I EXPLAINED AS ABOVE AND INFORMED HER THAT THE TWR TAPE WOULD CONFIRM THE SIT AS EXPLAINED. SHE INFORMED ME THAT THE PLAYBACK MACHINE WAS NOT OPERATING. SHE TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD REVIEW THE TAPES ON MAR/MON/95 AND NOTIFY ME OF THEIR DECISION BY PHONE ON THE SAME DAY. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT CLR THAT I DID NOT HEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT AT ANY TIME FROM LUBBOCK TWR, THE ONLY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION I RECEIVED WAS FROM LUBBOCK GND PRIOR TO XING RWYS 17R/13L. IN ALL OF MY YRS OF FLYING IN AND OUT OF CTLED AIRSPACE I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD MY POS OTHER THAN FROM GND CTL, AND WOULD ASSUME THAT WHEN TWR TELLS AN ACFT TO HOLD IN POS THEY MEAN TKOF POS AT THE END OF THE ACTIVE RWY, WHICH I DID. AGAIN I WANT TO STRESS THAT I NEVER HEARD TWR TELL ME TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 26! I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT, LNDG TFC OR HOLD SHORT, DEPARTING TFC. I FEEL THAT THE TWR TAPES SHOULD VERIFY ALL OF THE ABOVE COMS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES AN FAA REPRESENTATIVE CALLED HIM SEVERAL DAYS LATER AND INDICATED THEY HAD REVIEWED THE TAPES AND THAT NO FURTHER ACTIONS WOULD BE TAKEN. HE INDICATED THAT THE CTLR HAD USED NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY WHICH CREATED THE CONFUSION. RPTR WAS COUNSELED TO DO A COMPLETE READBACK OF A CLRNC IN THE FUTURE AS THE TAPES INDICATED HE ONLY 'ROGERED.'

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.