Narrative:

We pushed back from the gate on a scheduled flight from cle-cvg. On calling for taxi clearance, we were initially given, 'cleared to runway 5L via violet route, hold short of runway 5R at taxiway north.' as we began the taxi out, we were instructed to hold short of taxiway south and allow the aircraft exiting runway to pass in front of us, then continue taxiing down taxiway left, hold short of runway 5R at taxiway north. While on taxiway left, we started the second engine and completed the taxi and after start checklists. We switched to tower and completed before takeoff checklist, noting there were several aircraft on final for runway 5R. After the first aircraft landed, the tower cleared us to what we could swear was 'aircraft X cross runway 5R and position and hold on runway 5L, be ready to go.' the first officer read back the clearance and we began to taxi out, complying with the clearance as we understood it. Tower then cleared aircraft Y to change his landing clearance from runway 5R to runway 5L. I commented to the first officer as we saw aircraft Y begin to turn that I hoped they planned on keeping us rolling or this was going to be tight. As we were crossing on taxiway north between runway 5R and runway 5L, I began slowing the aircraft taxi and was asking the first officer to 'check and see what tower wanted us to do.' all I got out was 'check to see' when tower called and said 'aircraft X you were supposed to be position and hold on runway 5R.' we stopped the aircraft completely. The nose of our aircraft was still just short of runway 5L, but we were beyond the hold short line. Aircraft Y was given a go around and they responded with 'they could still land on runway 5R' (approximately 2 1/2 mi out). There was silence for about 5 seconds, then tower cleared them to land on runway 5R, just as aircraft Y began executing a missed approach. Tower then cleared us 'position and hold on runway 5R.' we told them we were unable and they cleared us for 'position and hold on runway 5L,' shortly thereafter clearing us to take off on runway 5L. Our return to cvg was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLC CROSSED RWY HOLD LINE AT CLE FOR RWY 5L, THINKING THEY WERE CLRED INTO POS.

Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM CLE-CVG. ON CALLING FOR TAXI CLRNC, WE WERE INITIALLY GIVEN, 'CLRED TO RWY 5L VIA VIOLET RTE, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 5R AT TXWY N.' AS WE BEGAN THE TAXI OUT, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY S AND ALLOW THE ACFT EXITING RWY TO PASS IN FRONT OF US, THEN CONTINUE TAXIING DOWN TXWY L, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 5R AT TXWY N. WHILE ON TXWY L, WE STARTED THE SECOND ENG AND COMPLETED THE TAXI AND AFTER START CHKLISTS. WE SWITCHED TO TWR AND COMPLETED BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, NOTING THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 5R. AFTER THE FIRST ACFT LANDED, THE TWR CLRED US TO WHAT WE COULD SWEAR WAS 'ACFT X CROSS RWY 5R AND POS AND HOLD ON RWY 5L, BE READY TO GO.' THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC AND WE BEGAN TO TAXI OUT, COMPLYING WITH THE CLRNC AS WE UNDERSTOOD IT. TWR THEN CLRED ACFT Y TO CHANGE HIS LNDG CLRNC FROM RWY 5R TO RWY 5L. I COMMENTED TO THE FO AS WE SAW ACFT Y BEGIN TO TURN THAT I HOPED THEY PLANNED ON KEEPING US ROLLING OR THIS WAS GOING TO BE TIGHT. AS WE WERE XING ON TXWY N BTWN RWY 5R AND RWY 5L, I BEGAN SLOWING THE ACFT TAXI AND WAS ASKING THE FO TO 'CHK AND SEE WHAT TWR WANTED US TO DO.' ALL I GOT OUT WAS 'CHK TO SEE' WHEN TWR CALLED AND SAID 'ACFT X YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE POS AND HOLD ON RWY 5R.' WE STOPPED THE ACFT COMPLETELY. THE NOSE OF OUR ACFT WAS STILL JUST SHORT OF RWY 5L, BUT WE WERE BEYOND THE HOLD SHORT LINE. ACFT Y WAS GIVEN A GAR AND THEY RESPONDED WITH 'THEY COULD STILL LAND ON RWY 5R' (APPROX 2 1/2 MI OUT). THERE WAS SILENCE FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS, THEN TWR CLRED THEM TO LAND ON RWY 5R, JUST AS ACFT Y BEGAN EXECUTING A MISSED APCH. TWR THEN CLRED US 'POS AND HOLD ON RWY 5R.' WE TOLD THEM WE WERE UNABLE AND THEY CLRED US FOR 'POS AND HOLD ON RWY 5L,' SHORTLY THEREAFTER CLRING US TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 5L. OUR RETURN TO CVG WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.