Narrative:

We were cleared into position and hold and I believe I read back cleared for takeoff. Then the controller advised us of traffic on a 5 mi final. The impression he left with me was to hurry. The common phrasing that I have heard in a situation like this is 'traffic on a 5 mi final, be ready to go.' this type of phraseology reaffirms the clearance that it was only position and hold. We instead rolled about 200-300 ft and then tower advised us that we were not cleared for takeoff. I took control of aircraft (copilot's leg) and brought the aircraft to a stop on runway 18R at about 800 ft from the end. We had used intersection for takeoff. Immediately on stopping the tower advised cleared for takeoff and we went from there using maximum thrust knowing we had plenty of runway available. Had the controller used the phraseology of 'traffic on a 5 mi final, be ready to go' or 'traffic on 5 mi final, have them spooled up,' this would have clued us in that it was indeed only a position and hold clearance. Also, if the controller heard as cleared for takeoff reply he should correct our readback. Supplemental information from acn 456160: at best, it was poor communication/nonstandard phraseology. Fatigue was a factor, as the captain had only 5 1/2 hours sleep the 24 hours prior, and I had 4 1/2 hours. Clear communications and exact phraseology are critical. Supplemental information from acn 456161: the captain (in the right seat, doing IOE for a captain upgrade) said 'all right, we'll keep it rolling here' or something to that effect, and the controller said nothing in response. The captain was also giving the captain IOE pointers and instruction as we taxied onto the runway. We still had over 10000 ft of runway ahead of us. I believe the tower's statement implying to hurry was confusing and I would recommend tower say 'be ready to go' instead.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW CONFUSED BY PHRASEOLOGY OF POS AND HOLD CLRNC AND BEGINS TKOF WITHOUT CLRNC AT DFW.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD AND I BELIEVE I READ BACK CLRED FOR TKOF. THEN THE CTLR ADVISED US OF TFC ON A 5 MI FINAL. THE IMPRESSION HE LEFT WITH ME WAS TO HURRY. THE COMMON PHRASING THAT I HAVE HEARD IN A SIT LIKE THIS IS 'TFC ON A 5 MI FINAL, BE READY TO GO.' THIS TYPE OF PHRASEOLOGY REAFFIRMS THE CLRNC THAT IT WAS ONLY POS AND HOLD. WE INSTEAD ROLLED ABOUT 200-300 FT AND THEN TWR ADVISED US THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR TKOF. I TOOK CTL OF ACFT (COPLT'S LEG) AND BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP ON RWY 18R AT ABOUT 800 FT FROM THE END. WE HAD USED INTXN FOR TKOF. IMMEDIATELY ON STOPPING THE TWR ADVISED CLRED FOR TKOF AND WE WENT FROM THERE USING MAX THRUST KNOWING WE HAD PLENTY OF RWY AVAILABLE. HAD THE CTLR USED THE PHRASEOLOGY OF 'TFC ON A 5 MI FINAL, BE READY TO GO' OR 'TFC ON 5 MI FINAL, HAVE THEM SPOOLED UP,' THIS WOULD HAVE CLUED US IN THAT IT WAS INDEED ONLY A POS AND HOLD CLRNC. ALSO, IF THE CTLR HEARD AS CLRED FOR TKOF REPLY HE SHOULD CORRECT OUR READBACK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 456160: AT BEST, IT WAS POOR COM/NONSTANDARD PHRASEOLOGY. FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR, AS THE CAPT HAD ONLY 5 1/2 HRS SLEEP THE 24 HRS PRIOR, AND I HAD 4 1/2 HRS. CLR COMS AND EXACT PHRASEOLOGY ARE CRITICAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 456161: THE CAPT (IN THE R SEAT, DOING IOE FOR A CAPT UPGRADE) SAID 'ALL RIGHT, WE'LL KEEP IT ROLLING HERE' OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT, AND THE CTLR SAID NOTHING IN RESPONSE. THE CAPT WAS ALSO GIVING THE CAPT IOE POINTERS AND INSTRUCTION AS WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. WE STILL HAD OVER 10000 FT OF RWY AHEAD OF US. I BELIEVE THE TWR'S STATEMENT IMPLYING TO HURRY WAS CONFUSING AND I WOULD RECOMMEND TWR SAY 'BE READY TO GO' INSTEAD.

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.