Narrative:

We were holding short of runway 1L at iad airport, when both the first officer and myself heard a position and hold instruction from tower with our call sign and number. The first officer responded with 'position and hold.' we took our position on the runway and stopped, waiting for takeoff clearance. After approximately 30 seconds a citation that was holding short advised the tower that there is an aircraft on the runway and one on short final. Immediately I taxied off the runway while the first officer announced our actions to tower. When we had crossed the hold short line I announced to tower that we were clear. After talking with the supervisor at iad tower, he advises me they did not issue a position and hold clearance to our aircraft and they did not have any evidence of our xmissions on the tape until I announced clear. My first officer and I have recounted the incident many times and believe our actions were normal for the situation. We both believe we got the clearance and acted appropriately. There may have been other xmissions blocking ours, but we most definitely responded to what we believed were instructions for us. I think the traffic signal lights being tested at different airports would eliminate these possible incursions. There are many similar sounding call signs and runways at different sides of the airport with a common controller, and sometimes left and right are confused. Supplemental information from acn 333428: captain took immediate action to vacate the runway and I radioed 'flight xx leaving the runway.' the tower controller said that he had not given us permission to enter the runway. I replied 'yes sir, you did and we acknowledged.' he then said, 'no I did not.' captain then said, 'flight xx is clear of the runway.' in the meantime, the falcon radioed 'going around' and did same. As a possible contributing factor the tower was handling multiple operations with 3 runways active. This period at iad is known as 'push time,' when activity is at its peak. The tower was not aware of the conflicting traffic and neither were we.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ON RWY TAXIES OFF ON OWN INITIATIVE AS APCHING ACFT PREPARES TO LAND. TWR UNAWARE OF ALL THIS.

Narrative: WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 1L AT IAD ARPT, WHEN BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF HEARD A POS AND HOLD INSTRUCTION FROM TWR WITH OUR CALL SIGN AND NUMBER. THE FO RESPONDED WITH 'POS AND HOLD.' WE TOOK OUR POS ON THE RWY AND STOPPED, WAITING FOR TKOF CLRNC. AFTER APPROX 30 SECONDS A CITATION THAT WAS HOLDING SHORT ADVISED THE TWR THAT THERE IS AN ACFT ON THE RWY AND ONE ON SHORT FINAL. IMMEDIATELY I TAXIED OFF THE RWY WHILE THE FO ANNOUNCED OUR ACTIONS TO TWR. WHEN WE HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE I ANNOUNCED TO TWR THAT WE WERE CLR. AFTER TALKING WITH THE SUPVR AT IAD TWR, HE ADVISES ME THEY DID NOT ISSUE A POS AND HOLD CLRNC TO OUR ACFT AND THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY EVIDENCE OF OUR XMISSIONS ON THE TAPE UNTIL I ANNOUNCED CLR. MY FO AND I HAVE RECOUNTED THE INCIDENT MANY TIMES AND BELIEVE OUR ACTIONS WERE NORMAL FOR THE SIT. WE BOTH BELIEVE WE GOT THE CLRNC AND ACTED APPROPRIATELY. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHER XMISSIONS BLOCKING OURS, BUT WE MOST DEFINITELY RESPONDED TO WHAT WE BELIEVED WERE INSTRUCTIONS FOR US. I THINK THE TFC SIGNAL LIGHTS BEING TESTED AT DIFFERENT ARPTS WOULD ELIMINATE THESE POSSIBLE INCURSIONS. THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS AND RWYS AT DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE ARPT WITH A COMMON CTLR, AND SOMETIMES L AND R ARE CONFUSED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 333428: CAPT TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO VACATE THE RWY AND I RADIOED 'FLT XX LEAVING THE RWY.' THE TWR CTLR SAID THAT HE HAD NOT GIVEN US PERMISSION TO ENTER THE RWY. I REPLIED 'YES SIR, YOU DID AND WE ACKNOWLEDGED.' HE THEN SAID, 'NO I DID NOT.' CAPT THEN SAID, 'FLT XX IS CLR OF THE RWY.' IN THE MEANTIME, THE FALCON RADIOED 'GOING AROUND' AND DID SAME. AS A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THE TWR WAS HANDLING MULTIPLE OPS WITH 3 RWYS ACTIVE. THIS PERIOD AT IAD IS KNOWN AS 'PUSH TIME,' WHEN ACTIVITY IS AT ITS PEAK. THE TWR WAS NOT AWARE OF THE CONFLICTING TFC AND NEITHER WERE WE.

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.