Narrative:

The ground time in pop was reduced to shorten our delay to 1 1/2 hours. After a normal pushback and engine start, taxi clearance was requested and received. The clearance I believe I heard was, cleared to runway 8, cleared to back taxi. (Pop airport requires back taxiing approximately 3000 ft for runway 8.) this is where the communication link broke down and the problem began. While on the taxiway approaching runway 8, from which point we would back taxi to the takeoff position, I verbally cleared the left side and the first officer cleared the right. I considered checking with the controller before taxiing onto the runway. However, the clearance was very clear in my mind. Our intentions must have been apparent to the ground controller as he stated -- you are not cleared onto the runway. I stopped the airplane with the nose over the runway. After the initial shock and disbelief of this happening, we discussed the taxi clearance. The first officer thought we were cleared to the holding point for runway 8, which he believed to be the end of the runway. I am aware it would not be so in this case. I still believe I heard the clearance as previously stated. Cleared to runway 8, cleared to back taxi. When the clearance was received I thought, wonderful -- we will depart without further delay. Possibly this is what I wanted to hear. Failure on my part to repeat the clearance as given back to the first officer when it was received and failure of the first officer to challenge my understanding was definitely the major error. This is a procedure which is company policy and was also included in my cockpit preflight briefing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC CONFUSION REGARDING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AT MDPP.

Narrative: THE GND TIME IN POP WAS REDUCED TO SHORTEN OUR DELAY TO 1 1/2 HRS. AFTER A NORMAL PUSHBACK AND ENG START, TAXI CLRNC WAS REQUESTED AND RECEIVED. THE CLRNC I BELIEVE I HEARD WAS, CLRED TO RWY 8, CLRED TO BACK TAXI. (POP ARPT REQUIRES BACK TAXIING APPROX 3000 FT FOR RWY 8.) THIS IS WHERE THE COM LINK BROKE DOWN AND THE PROB BEGAN. WHILE ON THE TXWY APCHING RWY 8, FROM WHICH POINT WE WOULD BACK TAXI TO THE TKOF POS, I VERBALLY CLRED THE L SIDE AND THE FO CLRED THE R. I CONSIDERED CHKING WITH THE CTLR BEFORE TAXIING ONTO THE RWY. HOWEVER, THE CLRNC WAS VERY CLR IN MY MIND. OUR INTENTIONS MUST HAVE BEEN APPARENT TO THE GND CTLR AS HE STATED -- YOU ARE NOT CLRED ONTO THE RWY. I STOPPED THE AIRPLANE WITH THE NOSE OVER THE RWY. AFTER THE INITIAL SHOCK AND DISBELIEF OF THIS HAPPENING, WE DISCUSSED THE TAXI CLRNC. THE FO THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO THE HOLDING POINT FOR RWY 8, WHICH HE BELIEVED TO BE THE END OF THE RWY. I AM AWARE IT WOULD NOT BE SO IN THIS CASE. I STILL BELIEVE I HEARD THE CLRNC AS PREVIOUSLY STATED. CLRED TO RWY 8, CLRED TO BACK TAXI. WHEN THE CLRNC WAS RECEIVED I THOUGHT, WONDERFUL -- WE WILL DEPART WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY. POSSIBLY THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. FAILURE ON MY PART TO REPEAT THE CLRNC AS GIVEN BACK TO THE FO WHEN IT WAS RECEIVED AND FAILURE OF THE FO TO CHALLENGE MY UNDERSTANDING WAS DEFINITELY THE MAJOR ERROR. THIS IS A PROC WHICH IS COMPANY POLICY AND WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN MY COCKPIT PREFLT BRIEFING.

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.