Narrative:

At XA02 we pushed back from gate X in reno and shortly began taxiing to runway 16R. We were facing east at the approach end of runway 16R monitoring the tower frequency. The clearance was given 'turn the corner and hold short runway 16R. After releasing the parking brake and reading back the clearance, I had realized the hold short runway 16R communication error by the controller. We stopped short of runway 16R, clear of the runway. The landing lights were on at the time and provided us clear view that west were not on runway 16R. We heard the call from another air carrier Y jet going around for the same runway. We informed the tower we were not on the runway and holding clear of runway 16R. I noticed while holding short of runway 16R the landing/taxi lights of the aircraft behind us at a 45 degree position (approximately heading of 050 degrees, a northeast heading) later to be idented as an air carrier aircraft. I contacted the reno tower on arrival into los angeles and was asked to contact mr X. We had a brief discussion of what had happened at the approach end of runway 16R. Mr X told me that 3 tower controllers had visually attested that we were not on the runway 16R, but due that it was night there may have been an error in viewing. I assured him that we were not on the runway or the displaced threshold of runway 16R. It was later idented by mr X as the air carrier Z aircraft that had told ground/tower that we were on runway 16R and not holding clear of the runway. I feel that the reno tower controller had misidented our aircraft with that of air carrier Z who was facing a northeast heading with landing/taxi lights on at the time to issue a turn the corner and hold short clearance. I'm not sure if the controller had realized that we were holding short or had misidented either aircraft. We had been holding short of runway 16R since XA09 for our scheduled wheels up (XA12) time for los angeles, and were the only aircraft taxiing out for departure that we were aware of. At the tower's option they could have asked that we hold our position, and sent a vehicle to the approach end of the runway to verify our position. A more appropriate clearance would have been. Hold short runway 16R. With our reply holding short runway 16R. As a note, this runway 16R had been closed for construction days prior and recently opened again. The hold line is not easily identifiable for this runway. Such clrncs of turn the corner and hold short are an invitation for future errors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'ROUND THE CORNER' WHILE APCHING RWY 16R IN RNO.

Narrative: AT XA02 WE PUSHED BACK FROM GATE X IN RENO AND SHORTLY BEGAN TAXIING TO RWY 16R. WE WERE FACING E AT THE APCH END OF RWY 16R MONITORING THE TWR FREQ. THE CLRNC WAS GIVEN 'TURN THE CORNER AND HOLD SHORT RWY 16R. AFTER RELEASING THE PARKING BRAKE AND READING BACK THE CLRNC, I HAD REALIZED THE HOLD SHORT RWY 16R COM ERROR BY THE CTLR. WE STOPPED SHORT OF RWY 16R, CLR OF THE RWY. THE LNDG LIGHTS WERE ON AT THE TIME AND PROVIDED US CLR VIEW THAT W WERE NOT ON RWY 16R. WE HEARD THE CALL FROM ANOTHER ACR Y JET GOING AROUND FOR THE SAME RWY. WE INFORMED THE TWR WE WERE NOT ON THE RWY AND HOLDING CLR OF RWY 16R. I NOTICED WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 16R THE LNDG/TAXI LIGHTS OF THE ACFT BEHIND US AT A 45 DEG POS (APPROX HDG OF 050 DEGS, A NE HDG) LATER TO BE IDENTED AS AN ACR ACFT. I CONTACTED THE RENO TWR ON ARR INTO LOS ANGELES AND WAS ASKED TO CONTACT MR X. WE HAD A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AT THE APCH END OF RWY 16R. MR X TOLD ME THAT 3 TWR CTLRS HAD VISUALLY ATTESTED THAT WE WERE NOT ON THE RWY 16R, BUT DUE THAT IT WAS NIGHT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN ERROR IN VIEWING. I ASSURED HIM THAT WE WERE NOT ON THE RWY OR THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 16R. IT WAS LATER IDENTED BY MR X AS THE ACR Z ACFT THAT HAD TOLD GND/TWR THAT WE WERE ON RWY 16R AND NOT HOLDING CLR OF THE RWY. I FEEL THAT THE RENO TWR CTLR HAD MISIDENTED OUR ACFT WITH THAT OF ACR Z WHO WAS FACING A NE HDG WITH LNDG/TAXI LIGHTS ON AT THE TIME TO ISSUE A TURN THE CORNER AND HOLD SHORT CLRNC. I'M NOT SURE IF THE CTLR HAD REALIZED THAT WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OR HAD MISIDENTED EITHER ACFT. WE HAD BEEN HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 16R SINCE XA09 FOR OUR SCHEDULED WHEELS UP (XA12) TIME FOR LOS ANGELES, AND WERE THE ONLY ACFT TAXIING OUT FOR DEP THAT WE WERE AWARE OF. AT THE TWR'S OPTION THEY COULD HAVE ASKED THAT WE HOLD OUR POS, AND SENT A VEHICLE TO THE APCH END OF THE RWY TO VERIFY OUR POS. A MORE APPROPRIATE CLRNC WOULD HAVE BEEN. HOLD SHORT RWY 16R. WITH OUR REPLY HOLDING SHORT RWY 16R. AS A NOTE, THIS RWY 16R HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION DAYS PRIOR AND RECENTLY OPENED AGAIN. THE HOLD LINE IS NOT EASILY IDENTIFIABLE FOR THIS RWY. SUCH CLRNCS OF TURN THE CORNER AND HOLD SHORT ARE AN INVITATION FOR FUTURE ERRORS.

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.