Narrative:

B767-200 fra-pwl. Frankfort ground had xferred us to frankfurt tower 119.9 on taxiway D taxiing to runway 25R. I contacted frankfurt tower at the hold short line to runway 25R. Tower controller asked us if we were ready for an immediate departure. Since our flight attendants had not completed their passenger briefing, we advised tower it would be about 1 min. The international relief officer monitored the completion of the passenger briefing, signaled me the flight attendants were ready, and I advised tower we were ready for takeoff. The tower advised us to 'line up and hold on runway 25R.' we complied with the order. (Any other part of tower transmission may have been blocked.) I acknowledged to 'line up and hold.' the captain checked out his window and did not see air carrier B (airbus 320) on final. As we entered onto runway 25R, air carrier B (approximately 2 mi final) and tower recognized the problem and told air carrier B to go around and for us to exit runway. Air carrier B requested change of runway to runway 25L, tower granted it, and they proceeded to land runway 25L. Tower told us to hold our position and then cleared us for takeoff without incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was flying as first officer. He heard the command 'line up and wait,' but is uncertain if there was any command after that. He thinks there might have been, but is unsure. He is fairly positive the captain turned his head to check for an approaching aircraft as they started to move onto the runway. However, the WX was only 700 ft broken, 3 mi visibility, which might have been low enough that an approaching aircraft could not be seen. WX condition was hazy, hard to see other aircraft. As they pulled onto the runway and set the parking brake, they expected an immediate release for takeoff. After 60 seconds they felt they would have been released for takeoff. They heard an approaching airbus being told to go around, to which the airbus flight crew stated that they could sidestep to the parallel runway easily and still land. The airbus sidestepped to the left runway, landing about 4000 ft down the runway, but staying on the runway and stopping with no problem. The airbus flight crew made no comments about having to sidestep. Reporter had a good 27 hour layover in fra, but still felt tired because he has a poor sleep pattern when in europe. He is new to international flying. Supplemental information from acn 420475: tower controller intended for B767 to taxi into position runway 25R and wait following the arrival of airbus A320 on the same runway. Both pilots (PF and PNF) heard and understood the clearance simply as a 'line up and wait runway 25R' clearance. Possibly the phrase relating to the airbus arrival such as 'after arriving air carrier B on 1 mi final,' (line up and wait) was covered or blocked by other xmissions or noise. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter stated that he heard the command 'line up and wait' with the additional phrase 'after next landing' not readable, if it was transmitted. He suspects he did not hear all of the controller commands. He assumes the flying first officer looked out the window when moving onto the runway, but is not sure he did. He did not know if the captain checked for approaching traffic. There were no harsh comments from tower or the landing airbus while they were on the runway waiting for release or during takeoff roll. His chief pilot knows of this incident. He further stated that the controllers are very competent in fra. Supplemental information from acn 419685: when international relief officer confirmed briefing complete, first officer advised tower we were ready to go. Tower advised us to 'line up and hold on runway 25R.' we were positioning position, an aircraft on runway 25R. Captain checked out his window for arriving aircraft. Not seeing any, we proceeded to line up and hold. Entering the runway 25R, an air carrier B aircraft on final inquired about us entering the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-200 RECEIVES COMMAND TO LINE UP AND WAIT ON RWY 25R AT FRA, FO. AN APCHING A320 HAD TO SIDESTEP TO AVOID A GAR WITH THE B767 ON THE RWY. CLRNC TO FLC WAS 'LINE UP AND WAIT.'

Narrative: B767-200 FRA-PWL. FRANKFORT GND HAD XFERRED US TO FRANKFURT TWR 119.9 ON TXWY D TAXIING TO RWY 25R. I CONTACTED FRANKFURT TWR AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE TO RWY 25R. TWR CTLR ASKED US IF WE WERE READY FOR AN IMMEDIATE DEP. SINCE OUR FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOT COMPLETED THEIR PAX BRIEFING, WE ADVISED TWR IT WOULD BE ABOUT 1 MIN. THE INTL RELIEF OFFICER MONITORED THE COMPLETION OF THE PAX BRIEFING, SIGNALED ME THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE READY, AND I ADVISED TWR WE WERE READY FOR TKOF. THE TWR ADVISED US TO 'LINE UP AND HOLD ON RWY 25R.' WE COMPLIED WITH THE ORDER. (ANY OTHER PART OF TWR XMISSION MAY HAVE BEEN BLOCKED.) I ACKNOWLEDGED TO 'LINE UP AND HOLD.' THE CAPT CHKED OUT HIS WINDOW AND DID NOT SEE ACR B (AIRBUS 320) ON FINAL. AS WE ENTERED ONTO RWY 25R, ACR B (APPROX 2 MI FINAL) AND TWR RECOGNIZED THE PROB AND TOLD ACR B TO GAR AND FOR US TO EXIT RWY. ACR B REQUESTED CHANGE OF RWY TO RWY 25L, TWR GRANTED IT, AND THEY PROCEEDED TO LAND RWY 25L. TWR TOLD US TO HOLD OUR POS AND THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS FLYING AS FO. HE HEARD THE COMMAND 'LINE UP AND WAIT,' BUT IS UNCERTAIN IF THERE WAS ANY COMMAND AFTER THAT. HE THINKS THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN, BUT IS UNSURE. HE IS FAIRLY POSITIVE THE CAPT TURNED HIS HEAD TO CHK FOR AN APCHING ACFT AS THEY STARTED TO MOVE ONTO THE RWY. HOWEVER, THE WX WAS ONLY 700 FT BROKEN, 3 MI VISIBILITY, WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN LOW ENOUGH THAT AN APCHING ACFT COULD NOT BE SEEN. WX CONDITION WAS HAZY, HARD TO SEE OTHER ACFT. AS THEY PULLED ONTO THE RWY AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE, THEY EXPECTED AN IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR TKOF. AFTER 60 SECONDS THEY FELT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN RELEASED FOR TKOF. THEY HEARD AN APCHING AIRBUS BEING TOLD TO GAR, TO WHICH THE AIRBUS FLC STATED THAT THEY COULD SIDESTEP TO THE PARALLEL RWY EASILY AND STILL LAND. THE AIRBUS SIDESTEPPED TO THE L RWY, LNDG ABOUT 4000 FT DOWN THE RWY, BUT STAYING ON THE RWY AND STOPPING WITH NO PROB. THE AIRBUS FLC MADE NO COMMENTS ABOUT HAVING TO SIDESTEP. RPTR HAD A GOOD 27 HR LAYOVER IN FRA, BUT STILL FELT TIRED BECAUSE HE HAS A POOR SLEEP PATTERN WHEN IN EUROPE. HE IS NEW TO INTL FLYING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 420475: TWR CTLR INTENDED FOR B767 TO TAXI INTO POS RWY 25R AND WAIT FOLLOWING THE ARR OF AIRBUS A320 ON THE SAME RWY. BOTH PLTS (PF AND PNF) HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC SIMPLY AS A 'LINE UP AND WAIT RWY 25R' CLRNC. POSSIBLY THE PHRASE RELATING TO THE AIRBUS ARR SUCH AS 'AFTER ARRIVING ACR B ON 1 MI FINAL,' (LINE UP AND WAIT) WAS COVERED OR BLOCKED BY OTHER XMISSIONS OR NOISE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR STATED THAT HE HEARD THE COMMAND 'LINE UP AND WAIT' WITH THE ADDITIONAL PHRASE 'AFTER NEXT LNDG' NOT READABLE, IF IT WAS XMITTED. HE SUSPECTS HE DID NOT HEAR ALL OF THE CTLR COMMANDS. HE ASSUMES THE FLYING FO LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW WHEN MOVING ONTO THE RWY, BUT IS NOT SURE HE DID. HE DID NOT KNOW IF THE CAPT CHKED FOR APCHING TFC. THERE WERE NO HARSH COMMENTS FROM TWR OR THE LNDG AIRBUS WHILE THEY WERE ON THE RWY WAITING FOR RELEASE OR DURING TKOF ROLL. HIS CHIEF PLT KNOWS OF THIS INCIDENT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE CTLRS ARE VERY COMPETENT IN FRA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 419685: WHEN IRO CONFIRMED BRIEFING COMPLETE, FO ADVISED TWR WE WERE READY TO GO. TWR ADVISED US TO 'LINE UP AND HOLD ON RWY 25R.' WE WERE POSITIONING POS, AN ACFT ON RWY 25R. CAPT CHKED OUT HIS WINDOW FOR ARRIVING ACFT. NOT SEEING ANY, WE PROCEEDED TO LINE UP AND HOLD. ENTERING THE RWY 25R, AN ACR B ACFT ON FINAL INQUIRED ABOUT US ENTERING THE RWY.

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.