Narrative:

Asked lvk ground to taxi from south hangar area. Ground control said cleared runway 25R with no hold short instructions. Approximately 20 yards from the runway 25R hold line I switched to tower frequency. I said 'ready for takeoff runway 25R,' at which time I heard 'cleared' then the rest was stepped on. I positioned the aircraft for takeoff on the runway. Nothing happened for several seconds. Called the tower again at which time lvk tower said 'exit the runway.' there was an aircraft on about a 1 mi final which was told to go around. Shortly after that, a C172 was cleared for takeoff and then the tower started with the questions and asked for me to contact them at my next airport destination. At which time I asked to taxi over to transit parking and I would call from there. Did this and hopefully got it all ironed out. The problem as I see it was a misunderstanding on my part and ground control saying cleared with no hold short instructions. To prevent a recurrence ground control should not say cleared and give hold short instruction with a pilot readback. Supplemental information from acn 379362: after dropping off a friend at the southeast hangar complex, I moved to the right front seat of the aircraft. While I connected my headset and GPS, the PIC (a private pilot) called for taxi clearance. The PIC thought he was cleared onto runway 25R. The taxi distance from parking to runway 25R was very short and I was not situated until reaching the runway. The PIC taxied onto the runway and I asked if we had been cleared to do that. He stated we were cleared onto the runway and asked me to call the tower. This seemed strange to me, but I complied and called the tower. The tower's reply was for us to taxi clear of the runway and to call the tower via telephone. An aircraft on final was instructed to go around. I believe the cause of this incident to be a lack of clear communication between the pilot and ground, or the PIC's lack of understanding of how taxi instructions are issued. Without my having heard the taxi instructions myself, I can't be sure which was the cause. This incident could have been averted if the PIC had understood the scope of taxi instructions and/or queried the controller for more precise instructions. It also could have been averted if I had been situated prior to receiving taxi clearance. Callback conversation with reporter acn 380060 revealed the following information: reporter was contacted primarily for counseling. The clearance 'cleared to taxi to runway 25' was discussed with varying scenarios so far as runway/airport structure. Reporter said he had gone home that evening and had perused his airman's guide.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A PA23 APACHE TAXIES ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY AT LVK WITH AN ACFT ON FINAL APCH. PLT HAD NOT UNDERSTOOD THE IMPERATIVES OF THE GND CTLR'S CLRNC 'CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 25.'

Narrative: ASKED LVK GND TO TAXI FROM S HANGAR AREA. GND CTL SAID CLRED RWY 25R WITH NO HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. APPROX 20 YARDS FROM THE RWY 25R HOLD LINE I SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. I SAID 'READY FOR TKOF RWY 25R,' AT WHICH TIME I HEARD 'CLRED' THEN THE REST WAS STEPPED ON. I POSITIONED THE ACFT FOR TKOF ON THE RWY. NOTHING HAPPENED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. CALLED THE TWR AGAIN AT WHICH TIME LVK TWR SAID 'EXIT THE RWY.' THERE WAS AN ACFT ON ABOUT A 1 MI FINAL WHICH WAS TOLD TO GAR. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, A C172 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND THEN THE TWR STARTED WITH THE QUESTIONS AND ASKED FOR ME TO CONTACT THEM AT MY NEXT ARPT DEST. AT WHICH TIME I ASKED TO TAXI OVER TO TRANSIT PARKING AND I WOULD CALL FROM THERE. DID THIS AND HOPEFULLY GOT IT ALL IRONED OUT. THE PROB AS I SEE IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING ON MY PART AND GND CTL SAYING CLRED WITH NO HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE GND CTL SHOULD NOT SAY CLRED AND GIVE HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION WITH A PLT READBACK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 379362: AFTER DROPPING OFF A FRIEND AT THE SE HANGAR COMPLEX, I MOVED TO THE R FRONT SEAT OF THE ACFT. WHILE I CONNECTED MY HEADSET AND GPS, THE PIC (A PVT PLT) CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC. THE PIC THOUGHT HE WAS CLRED ONTO RWY 25R. THE TAXI DISTANCE FROM PARKING TO RWY 25R WAS VERY SHORT AND I WAS NOT SITUATED UNTIL REACHING THE RWY. THE PIC TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AND I ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO DO THAT. HE STATED WE WERE CLRED ONTO THE RWY AND ASKED ME TO CALL THE TWR. THIS SEEMED STRANGE TO ME, BUT I COMPLIED AND CALLED THE TWR. THE TWR'S REPLY WAS FOR US TO TAXI CLR OF THE RWY AND TO CALL THE TWR VIA TELEPHONE. AN ACFT ON FINAL WAS INSTRUCTED TO GAR. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT TO BE A LACK OF CLR COM BTWN THE PLT AND GND, OR THE PIC'S LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TAXI INSTRUCTIONS ARE ISSUED. WITHOUT MY HAVING HEARD THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS MYSELF, I CAN'T BE SURE WHICH WAS THE CAUSE. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED IF THE PIC HAD UNDERSTOOD THE SCOPE OF TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND/OR QUERIED THE CTLR FOR MORE PRECISE INSTRUCTIONS. IT ALSO COULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED IF I HAD BEEN SITUATED PRIOR TO RECEIVING TAXI CLRNC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 380060 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS CONTACTED PRIMARILY FOR COUNSELING. THE CLRNC 'CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 25' WAS DISCUSSED WITH VARYING SCENARIOS SO FAR AS RWY/ARPT STRUCTURE. RPTR SAID HE HAD GONE HOME THAT EVENING AND HAD PERUSED HIS AIRMAN'S GUIDE.

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.