Narrative:

Aircraft X cleared into position and hold behind beech 1900 (aircraft Y) who was told to go into position and hold 50 ft down runway 26 with traffic on 5 mi final (trying to get 2 aircraft off as soon as possible). Tower cleared aircraft Y for 'immediate takeoff with immediate right turn to north.' aircraft Y acknowledged takeoff clearance and started takeoff roll. Tower then told aircraft Y to 'be ready for immediate.' aircraft Y told tower they were already rolling. Tower canceled takeoff clearance. We were still holding in position on runway 26. Tower told aircraft Y to clear runway and sent landing traffic (aircraft Z) to circle-to-land runway 15. Landing traffic (aircraft Z) was then on left base, about midway down and paralleling runway 26 for runway 15. Tower cleared us (aircraft X) for immediate takeoff with immediate right turn. Takeoff clearance refused! Tower told us to hold in position and sent another aircraft around (MD80 I believe). I believe that had we accepted takeoff clearance and turned as instructed, there was a great potential for a midair collision with circle-to-land traffic (aircraft Z). As it was, the tower controller, in his zeal to 'get 'em out,' caused a rejected takeoff, a circle-to-land at the last possible moment, a rejected landing, and a takeoff clearance refusal. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter became concerned when the tower put his aircraft (DC9) into position and hold behind the already holding B190. Hearing the confusion with the takeoff clearance, the abort, the go around added to their heightened awareness. When the reporter received their takeoff clearance, he was aware that an aircraft was circling to land that would conflict with his departure instructions and refused takeoff clearance. The reporter stated the flight crew perceived the controller had 'lost his situational awareness' and they would wait for things to 'relax' before trying it again. Later, the reporter received information through his company's ATC representative that the controller had received additional training and another position certification. Although the pilots like to see traffic moved as efficiently as possible, this time the events had 'gone too far.' supplemental information from acn 439718: our flight (aircraft Y) aborted due to confusion on runway 26 at iah. Traffic was heavy and we were instructed by ATC on several different xmissions to be ready for an immediate takeoff. We were then cleared for position and hold and told to be ready due to traffic on an 8 mi final (astra jet aircraft Z). We were also instructed to taxi forward 50 ft down the runway to allow a DC9 to also position and hold behind us. ATC then cleared us for takeoff instructing an immediate right turnout to a heading of 020 degrees and stressed again he needed an immediate roll. My first officer (PF) proceeded to take off. While rolling, tower said 'I need you rolling now.' I then replied that we were. He then said 'no not yet, I want you ready.' I then called for an aborted takeoff and informed ATC. At the same time, the astra jet executed a go around. After clearing the runway, I asked ATC if we were cleared for takeoff. He said we were. Evidently, he was talking to the DC9 behind us. My first officer and myself do not recall any designator used. ATC was so eager to 'push out' traffic it seemed like there was a lot of needless confusion. I aborted in fear we had not been cleared for takeoff, even though we had as a result of that confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IAH CTLR PUTS 2 ACFT INTO POS AND HOLD ON SAME RWY, CONFUSING ACFT POSITIONING SIT, CAUSING A GAR OF A THIRD ACFT WHILE TRYING TO CLR THE SECOND ACFT IN POS FOR TKOF THAT COULD POSSIBLY CONFLICT AFTER DEP WITH CIRCLING TO LAND THIRD ACFT.

Narrative: ACFT X CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD BEHIND BEECH 1900 (ACFT Y) WHO WAS TOLD TO GO INTO POS AND HOLD 50 FT DOWN RWY 26 WITH TFC ON 5 MI FINAL (TRYING TO GET 2 ACFT OFF ASAP). TWR CLRED ACFT Y FOR 'IMMEDIATE TKOF WITH IMMEDIATE R TURN TO N.' ACFT Y ACKNOWLEDGED TKOF CLRNC AND STARTED TKOF ROLL. TWR THEN TOLD ACFT Y TO 'BE READY FOR IMMEDIATE.' ACFT Y TOLD TWR THEY WERE ALREADY ROLLING. TWR CANCELED TKOF CLRNC. WE WERE STILL HOLDING IN POS ON RWY 26. TWR TOLD ACFT Y TO CLR RWY AND SENT LNDG TFC (ACFT Z) TO CIRCLE-TO-LAND RWY 15. LNDG TFC (ACFT Z) WAS THEN ON L BASE, ABOUT MIDWAY DOWN AND PARALLELING RWY 26 FOR RWY 15. TWR CLRED US (ACFT X) FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF WITH IMMEDIATE R TURN. TKOF CLRNC REFUSED! TWR TOLD US TO HOLD IN POS AND SENT ANOTHER ACFT AROUND (MD80 I BELIEVE). I BELIEVE THAT HAD WE ACCEPTED TKOF CLRNC AND TURNED AS INSTRUCTED, THERE WAS A GREAT POTENTIAL FOR A MIDAIR COLLISION WITH CIRCLE-TO-LAND TFC (ACFT Z). AS IT WAS, THE TWR CTLR, IN HIS ZEAL TO 'GET 'EM OUT,' CAUSED A REJECTED TKOF, A CIRCLE-TO-LAND AT THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT, A REJECTED LNDG, AND A TKOF CLRNC REFUSAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR BECAME CONCERNED WHEN THE TWR PUT HIS ACFT (DC9) INTO POS AND HOLD BEHIND THE ALREADY HOLDING B190. HEARING THE CONFUSION WITH THE TKOF CLRNC, THE ABORT, THE GAR ADDED TO THEIR HEIGHTENED AWARENESS. WHEN THE RPTR RECEIVED THEIR TKOF CLRNC, HE WAS AWARE THAT AN ACFT WAS CIRCLING TO LAND THAT WOULD CONFLICT WITH HIS DEP INSTRUCTIONS AND REFUSED TKOF CLRNC. THE RPTR STATED THE FLC PERCEIVED THE CTLR HAD 'LOST HIS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS' AND THEY WOULD WAIT FOR THINGS TO 'RELAX' BEFORE TRYING IT AGAIN. LATER, THE RPTR RECEIVED INFO THROUGH HIS COMPANY'S ATC REPRESENTATIVE THAT THE CTLR HAD RECEIVED ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND ANOTHER POS CERTIFICATION. ALTHOUGH THE PLTS LIKE TO SEE TFC MOVED AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE, THIS TIME THE EVENTS HAD 'GONE TOO FAR.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 439718: OUR FLT (ACFT Y) ABORTED DUE TO CONFUSION ON RWY 26 AT IAH. TFC WAS HVY AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY ATC ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT XMISSIONS TO BE READY FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR POS AND HOLD AND TOLD TO BE READY DUE TO TFC ON AN 8 MI FINAL (ASTRA JET ACFT Z). WE WERE ALSO INSTRUCTED TO TAXI FORWARD 50 FT DOWN THE RWY TO ALLOW A DC9 TO ALSO POS AND HOLD BEHIND US. ATC THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF INSTRUCTING AN IMMEDIATE R TURNOUT TO A HDG OF 020 DEGS AND STRESSED AGAIN HE NEEDED AN IMMEDIATE ROLL. MY FO (PF) PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF. WHILE ROLLING, TWR SAID 'I NEED YOU ROLLING NOW.' I THEN REPLIED THAT WE WERE. HE THEN SAID 'NO NOT YET, I WANT YOU READY.' I THEN CALLED FOR AN ABORTED TKOF AND INFORMED ATC. AT THE SAME TIME, THE ASTRA JET EXECUTED A GAR. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, I ASKED ATC IF WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. HE SAID WE WERE. EVIDENTLY, HE WAS TALKING TO THE DC9 BEHIND US. MY FO AND MYSELF DO NOT RECALL ANY DESIGNATOR USED. ATC WAS SO EAGER TO 'PUSH OUT' TFC IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF NEEDLESS CONFUSION. I ABORTED IN FEAR WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD AS A RESULT OF THAT CONFUSION.

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.