Narrative:

During taxi out to runway 9 in cdg, captain believed that he heard a clearance to 'follow air carrier X into position.' captain directed first officer to respond to the clearance and he did so saying 'roger, aircraft XXXX, cleared to follow air carrier X into position.' after air carrier X flight was cleared for takeoff, we taxied into position on the runway. Cdg tower cleared an aircraft to land who questioned tower about the aircraft on the runway. Cdg tower asked us if we were in position on the runway and we answered in the affirmative. Cdg tower stated that he had not cleared us onto the runway and for us to stand by. Cdg tower gave the aircraft on final go around instructions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he heard the clearance to line up and wait behind another air carrier. After that air carrier started his takeoff roll, reporter taxied onto the runway. He knew other aircraft were on final approach, but assumed he would be given takeoff clearance timely enough so there would be no conflict for the approaching aircraft. When approaching aircraft inquired about his aircraft on the runway, the tower stated that clearance onto runway had not been issued. Yet, the captain is positive clearance was issued to 'line up and wait.' furthermore, the captain stated that the tower controller seemed to be confused. Mostly because the takeoff clearance could have been issued earlier or the aircraft on approach could have been given go around instructions earlier if there was going to be a loss of separation. Reporter felt that there was no language barrier, controller english was very understandable. Supplemental information from acn 421662: but workload was higher than normal. As we switched to tower 119.25, workload was just back to normal and the captain told me to respond, for he thought that we had received clearance to follow air carrier X onto the runway and align up. An aircraft on final to runway 9 asked the tower about the aircraft on the runway when cleared to land. Tower told him to go around,' and tower asked us if we were in position on the runway. We responded that we were on the runway. We were told to 'stand by, 2 additional aircraft were to 'go around.' tower then cleared us for takeoff. European clrncs can be very misleading! Sometimes we have been cleared onto the runway behind landing traffic 3 mi out or more. Sometimes we have been cleared to align up and wait when #3 in takeoff line. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that because of pre takeoff duties he was not able to hear any clearance to taxi onto the runway. Before the captain taxied onto the runway, reporter inquired of the captain, 'did you receive clearance to taxi onto the runway, because I did not hear any such clearance,' to which the captain replied that he had received the clearance. At that time, the relief pilot mentioned to the reporter that he never heard any clearance to go onto the runway either. Reporter feels bad that he did not call the tower to confirm the clearance. Reporter has great trust and confidence in the captain and that is the reason why he never followed up with a call to the tower to verify instructions. Reporter feels that ICAO runway terminology can be confusing, such as clearance to taxi onto a runway may be given when waiting as #3 for takeoff. He suspects that may be the case in this situation. The clearance was given so early that his pre takeoff duties distraction him from listening closely to all instructions. Further, reporter states that the language was not a barrier, english was well spoken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 FLC TAXIES ONTO A RWY AT CDG BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO 'LINE UP AND WAIT.' 2 ACFT EXECUTED GAR'S BECAUSE OF THEIR RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT TO RWY 9 IN CDG, CAPT BELIEVED THAT HE HEARD A CLRNC TO 'FOLLOW ACR X INTO POS.' CAPT DIRECTED FO TO RESPOND TO THE CLRNC AND HE DID SO SAYING 'ROGER, ACFT XXXX, CLRED TO FOLLOW ACR X INTO POS.' AFTER ACR X FLT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF, WE TAXIED INTO POS ON THE RWY. CDG TWR CLRED AN ACFT TO LAND WHO QUESTIONED TWR ABOUT THE ACFT ON THE RWY. CDG TWR ASKED US IF WE WERE IN POS ON THE RWY AND WE ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. CDG TWR STATED THAT HE HAD NOT CLRED US ONTO THE RWY AND FOR US TO STAND BY. CDG TWR GAVE THE ACFT ON FINAL GAR INSTRUCTIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HEARD THE CLRNC TO LINE UP AND WAIT BEHIND ANOTHER ACR. AFTER THAT ACR STARTED HIS TKOF ROLL, RPTR TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. HE KNEW OTHER ACFT WERE ON FINAL APCH, BUT ASSUMED HE WOULD BE GIVEN TKOF CLRNC TIMELY ENOUGH SO THERE WOULD BE NO CONFLICT FOR THE APCHING ACFT. WHEN APCHING ACFT INQUIRED ABOUT HIS ACFT ON THE RWY, THE TWR STATED THAT CLRNC ONTO RWY HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED. YET, THE CAPT IS POSITIVE CLRNC WAS ISSUED TO 'LINE UP AND WAIT.' FURTHERMORE, THE CAPT STATED THAT THE TWR CTLR SEEMED TO BE CONFUSED. MOSTLY BECAUSE THE TKOF CLRNC COULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED EARLIER OR THE ACFT ON APCH COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN GAR INSTRUCTIONS EARLIER IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE A LOSS OF SEPARATION. RPTR FELT THAT THERE WAS NO LANGUAGE BARRIER, CTLR ENGLISH WAS VERY UNDERSTANDABLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 421662: BUT WORKLOAD WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL. AS WE SWITCHED TO TWR 119.25, WORKLOAD WAS JUST BACK TO NORMAL AND THE CAPT TOLD ME TO RESPOND, FOR HE THOUGHT THAT WE HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO FOLLOW ACR X ONTO THE RWY AND ALIGN UP. AN ACFT ON FINAL TO RWY 9 ASKED THE TWR ABOUT THE ACFT ON THE RWY WHEN CLRED TO LAND. TWR TOLD HIM TO GO AROUND,' AND TWR ASKED US IF WE WERE IN POS ON THE RWY. WE RESPONDED THAT WE WERE ON THE RWY. WE WERE TOLD TO 'STAND BY, 2 ADDITIONAL ACFT WERE TO 'GO AROUND.' TWR THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF. EUROPEAN CLRNCS CAN BE VERY MISLEADING! SOMETIMES WE HAVE BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY BEHIND LNDG TFC 3 MI OUT OR MORE. SOMETIMES WE HAVE BEEN CLRED TO ALIGN UP AND WAIT WHEN #3 IN TKOF LINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT BECAUSE OF PRE TKOF DUTIES HE WAS NOT ABLE TO HEAR ANY CLRNC TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY. BEFORE THE CAPT TAXIED ONTO THE RWY, RPTR INQUIRED OF THE CAPT, 'DID YOU RECEIVE CLRNC TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY, BECAUSE I DID NOT HEAR ANY SUCH CLRNC,' TO WHICH THE CAPT REPLIED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED THE CLRNC. AT THAT TIME, THE RELIEF PLT MENTIONED TO THE RPTR THAT HE NEVER HEARD ANY CLRNC TO GO ONTO THE RWY EITHER. RPTR FEELS BAD THAT HE DID NOT CALL THE TWR TO CONFIRM THE CLRNC. RPTR HAS GREAT TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THE CAPT AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY HE NEVER FOLLOWED UP WITH A CALL TO THE TWR TO VERIFY INSTRUCTIONS. RPTR FEELS THAT ICAO RWY TERMINOLOGY CAN BE CONFUSING, SUCH AS CLRNC TO TAXI ONTO A RWY MAY BE GIVEN WHEN WAITING AS #3 FOR TKOF. HE SUSPECTS THAT MAY BE THE CASE IN THIS SIT. THE CLRNC WAS GIVEN SO EARLY THAT HIS PRE TKOF DUTIES DISTR HIM FROM LISTENING CLOSELY TO ALL INSTRUCTIONS. FURTHER, RPTR STATES THAT THE LANGUAGE WAS NOT A BARRIER, ENGLISH WAS WELL SPOKEN.

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.