Narrative:

We were #1 for runway 34R at taxiway H1 in front of several aircraft awaiting departure. We were conducting the before takeoff checklist to the line when a clearance for position hold runway 34R was issued. The first portion of the clearance was illegible because of the checklist being performed, all that was heard for sure was 'into position and hold, runway 34R.' the captain queried the first officer if the clearance issued was for our flight. The first officer responded to ATC by announcing specifically 'position and hold runway 34R, air carrier a.' with no contrary response from ATC we progressed with the remainder of the checklist and started a slow taxi onto the runway. The clearance issued was for an air carrier B aircraft, position and hold from taxiway H2. The air carrier B flight observing the lights and strobes of our aircraft made a communication directed to us that the position and hold clearance was not for the air carrier a aircraft at taxiway H1. We immediately stopped the aircraft over the hold short line but prior to the actual runway. The ATC controller observed the same, then issued a clearance for air carrier a to continue into position and hold and told the air carrier B flight to hold short runway 34R. Upon the departure handoff ATC advised air carrier a to contact the slc control tower upon arrival at the destination airport. The captain upon calling slc tower, and explaining the above situation was told by the tower supervisor that no action would be instigated by the slc tower and that the situation was closed. The tower supervisor indicated that the working local controller had been debriefed and counseled that in a high traffic situation, it would be advisable to notify the aircraft that was waiting #1 for departure for the runway, that an out of sequence departure from an intersection would be forthcoming.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR EMB120 MISUNDERSTOOD TWR 'POS AND HOLD' INSTRUCTIONS AND READ BACK THEIR CALL SIGN AND INTO POS. ANOTHER ACR, WHO THE CLRNC HAD BEEN FOR, ADVISED RPTR THAT THE CLRNC WASN'T FOR THEM. TWR CTLR STOPPED THE OTHER ACR AND CLRED RPTR FOR TKOF SINCE THEY WERE OVER THE HOLD LINE.

Narrative: WE WERE #1 FOR RWY 34R AT TXWY H1 IN FRONT OF SEVERAL ACFT AWAITING DEP. WE WERE CONDUCTING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST TO THE LINE WHEN A CLRNC FOR POS HOLD RWY 34R WAS ISSUED. THE FIRST PORTION OF THE CLRNC WAS ILLEGIBLE BECAUSE OF THE CHKLIST BEING PERFORMED, ALL THAT WAS HEARD FOR SURE WAS 'INTO POS AND HOLD, RWY 34R.' THE CAPT QUERIED THE FO IF THE CLRNC ISSUED WAS FOR OUR FLT. THE FO RESPONDED TO ATC BY ANNOUNCING SPECIFICALLY 'POS AND HOLD RWY 34R, ACR A.' WITH NO CONTRARY RESPONSE FROM ATC WE PROGRESSED WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE CHKLIST AND STARTED A SLOW TAXI ONTO THE RWY. THE CLRNC ISSUED WAS FOR AN ACR B ACFT, POS AND HOLD FROM TXWY H2. THE ACR B FLT OBSERVING THE LIGHTS AND STROBES OF OUR ACFT MADE A COM DIRECTED TO US THAT THE POS AND HOLD CLRNC WAS NOT FOR THE ACR A ACFT AT TXWY H1. WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE BUT PRIOR TO THE ACTUAL RWY. THE ATC CTLR OBSERVED THE SAME, THEN ISSUED A CLRNC FOR ACR A TO CONTINUE INTO POS AND HOLD AND TOLD THE ACR B FLT TO HOLD SHORT RWY 34R. UPON THE DEP HDOF ATC ADVISED ACR A TO CONTACT THE SLC CTL TWR UPON ARR AT THE DEST ARPT. THE CAPT UPON CALLING SLC TWR, AND EXPLAINING THE ABOVE SIT WAS TOLD BY THE TWR SUPVR THAT NO ACTION WOULD BE INSTIGATED BY THE SLC TWR AND THAT THE SIT WAS CLOSED. THE TWR SUPVR INDICATED THAT THE WORKING LCL CTLR HAD BEEN DEBRIEFED AND COUNSELED THAT IN A HIGH TFC SIT, IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO NOTIFY THE ACFT THAT WAS WAITING #1 FOR DEP FOR THE RWY, THAT AN OUT OF SEQUENCE DEP FROM AN INTXN WOULD BE FORTHCOMING.

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.