Narrative:

Upon arriving at the end of runway 36R in clt we had not received our weight and balance numbers. I told tower that we needed 30 seconds or so before we took the runway. He said 'taxi into position and hold.' as we were taxiing onto runway the controller said, 'if you need more than 30 seconds you will need to loop around and fall in behind departing traffic.' as we taxied onto the runway the numbers still had not come. I realized we were going to be longer than 30 seconds, so I began to move toward the first intersection to clear the runway. The controller asked what we were doing and I said we were clearing the runway and looping back in to join behind departing traffic. The controller said, 'I said taxi into position and hold.' then he said, 'go ahead and join the taxiway behind the commuter,' and we did. Needless to say we misunderstood the intent of the controller. First officer was on the company radio trying to get our numbers. I heard what I thought were instructions that evidently weren't intended by the controller. Since we were not ready for takeoff we should not have been cleared onto the runway. Breakdown in communication.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B737-400 MISUNDERSTOOD TWR CTLR INSTRUCTIONS BY TURNING OFF THE RWY INSTEAD OF TAXIING INTO POS AND HOLDING. CAPT TOLD TWR THAT HE NEEDED A 30 SECOND DELAY SO TWR INSTRUCTED HIM INTO POS AND IF MORE TIME WAS NEEDED HE COULD TAXI OFF AND FALL BEHIND THE NEXT IN LINE WAITING. AFTER TWR ASKED HIM WHERE RPTR WAS GOING, TWR THEN RECLRED HIM ACCORDINGLY.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING AT THE END OF RWY 36R IN CLT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED OUR WT AND BAL NUMBERS. I TOLD TWR THAT WE NEEDED 30 SECONDS OR SO BEFORE WE TOOK THE RWY. HE SAID 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' AS WE WERE TAXIING ONTO RWY THE CTLR SAID, 'IF YOU NEED MORE THAN 30 SECONDS YOU WILL NEED TO LOOP AROUND AND FALL IN BEHIND DEPARTING TFC.' AS WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY THE NUMBERS STILL HAD NOT COME. I REALIZED WE WERE GOING TO BE LONGER THAN 30 SECONDS, SO I BEGAN TO MOVE TOWARD THE FIRST INTXN TO CLR THE RWY. THE CTLR ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING AND I SAID WE WERE CLRING THE RWY AND LOOPING BACK IN TO JOIN BEHIND DEPARTING TFC. THE CTLR SAID, 'I SAID TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' THEN HE SAID, 'GO AHEAD AND JOIN THE TXWY BEHIND THE COMMUTER,' AND WE DID. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE MISUNDERSTOOD THE INTENT OF THE CTLR. FO WAS ON THE COMPANY RADIO TRYING TO GET OUR NUMBERS. I HEARD WHAT I THOUGHT WERE INSTRUCTIONS THAT EVIDENTLY WEREN'T INTENDED BY THE CTLR. SINCE WE WERE NOT READY FOR TKOF WE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY. BREAKDOWN IN COM.

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.