Narrative:

The preflight duties were busy as with a ferry flight we have some additional items to check and set up. After all checklists, pushback, and normal engine start, we received taxi clearance to runway 9L. Runway 9L was in the FMC. Approaching the runway, the tower said what we believed to be 'change departure frequency to 'garbled' taxi into position and hold.' I read back 'runway 9L position and hold, what was the departure frequency?' tower read back the same frequency we had from our clearance. In looking back at what happened, the tower must have said 'change the runway to runway 12, taxi into position and hold.' although I read back 'runway 9L taxi into position and hold,' the controller must have been concentrating on the question of what was the 'new' departure frequency. Contributing factors may include a tremendous amount of construction closing numerous txwys. Additionally, our TCASII, when turned on going into position, was not working, so when we looked out at the final approach, it was difficult to determine whether the aircraft on final was 2 mi out or 5 mi at night. Supplemental information from acn 464160: at this time we started to enter runway 9L for takeoff. At this point, tower told us to vacate runway 9L that we were told instead to take off on runway 12. We both thought we heard a readback over tower frequency cleared for takeoff runway 9L. We then queried tower and he stated he changed takeoff runway to runway 12 at end of his last transmission.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC ATTEMPTS WRONG RWY TKOF AT MIA.

Narrative: THE PREFLT DUTIES WERE BUSY AS WITH A FERRY FLT WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO CHK AND SET UP. AFTER ALL CHKLISTS, PUSHBACK, AND NORMAL ENG START, WE RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 9L. RWY 9L WAS IN THE FMC. APCHING THE RWY, THE TWR SAID WHAT WE BELIEVED TO BE 'CHANGE DEP FREQ TO 'GARBLED' TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' I READ BACK 'RWY 9L POS AND HOLD, WHAT WAS THE DEP FREQ?' TWR READ BACK THE SAME FREQ WE HAD FROM OUR CLRNC. IN LOOKING BACK AT WHAT HAPPENED, THE TWR MUST HAVE SAID 'CHANGE THE RWY TO RWY 12, TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' ALTHOUGH I READ BACK 'RWY 9L TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD,' THE CTLR MUST HAVE BEEN CONCENTRATING ON THE QUESTION OF WHAT WAS THE 'NEW' DEP FREQ. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS MAY INCLUDE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION CLOSING NUMEROUS TXWYS. ADDITIONALLY, OUR TCASII, WHEN TURNED ON GOING INTO POS, WAS NOT WORKING, SO WHEN WE LOOKED OUT AT THE FINAL APCH, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE ACFT ON FINAL WAS 2 MI OUT OR 5 MI AT NIGHT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 464160: AT THIS TIME WE STARTED TO ENTER RWY 9L FOR TKOF. AT THIS POINT, TWR TOLD US TO VACATE RWY 9L THAT WE WERE TOLD INSTEAD TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 12. WE BOTH THOUGHT WE HEARD A READBACK OVER TWR FREQ CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 9L. WE THEN QUERIED TWR AND HE STATED HE CHANGED TKOF RWY TO RWY 12 AT END OF HIS LAST XMISSION.

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.