Narrative:

While taxiing to runway 32R we were cleared into position and hold by tower. We informed tower that we needed a little time and pulled into the holding area to the right of the taxiway B taxi line. Approximately 1-2 mins later, the captain was talking to the purser about a problem that had been resolved when we heard what we thought were instructions for us to again taxi into position and hold. We responded to the cleared into position and hold instructions as required and taxied into position. Once in position, tower asked us why and informed us that the taxi into position and hold instructions were for a B747, flight XY10. Fortunately, XY10 was still on the west side of the bravo bridge and was not even on tower frequency. Tower then informed us that it was fine that we had taken the active runway and said we could depart before XY10. Tower then informed XY10 to hold short, but got no response because XY10 was still not on 126.9. It is obvious that no significant conflict was created since tower had cleared an aircraft onto runway 32R. There was just some confusion as to which aircraft was cleared. Tower was partially at fault as well since they did not object or acknowledge that we had responded to the cleared into position and hold clearance instead of XY10. Supplemental information from acn 473309: in the runway 32R bravo pad waiting for the purser to report on a possible passenger problem in coach. When the purser came to the cockpit to report that everything was ok in the back, we heard the tower tell us to position and hold on runway 32R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 FLT TAXIES INTO POS AND HOLD, ACCEPTING THE CLRNC FOR A B747 THAT WAS STILL ON GND CTL FREQ AT ORD, IL.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO RWY 32R WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD BY TWR. WE INFORMED TWR THAT WE NEEDED A LITTLE TIME AND PULLED INTO THE HOLDING AREA TO THE R OF THE TXWY B TAXI LINE. APPROX 1-2 MINS LATER, THE CAPT WAS TALKING TO THE PURSER ABOUT A PROB THAT HAD BEEN RESOLVED WHEN WE HEARD WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE INSTRUCTIONS FOR US TO AGAIN TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. WE RESPONDED TO THE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD INSTRUCTIONS AS REQUIRED AND TAXIED INTO POS. ONCE IN POS, TWR ASKED US WHY AND INFORMED US THAT THE TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOR A B747, FLT XY10. FORTUNATELY, XY10 WAS STILL ON THE W SIDE OF THE BRAVO BRIDGE AND WAS NOT EVEN ON TWR FREQ. TWR THEN INFORMED US THAT IT WAS FINE THAT WE HAD TAKEN THE ACTIVE RWY AND SAID WE COULD DEPART BEFORE XY10. TWR THEN INFORMED XY10 TO HOLD SHORT, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE BECAUSE XY10 WAS STILL NOT ON 126.9. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT NO SIGNIFICANT CONFLICT WAS CREATED SINCE TWR HAD CLRED AN ACFT ONTO RWY 32R. THERE WAS JUST SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHICH ACFT WAS CLRED. TWR WAS PARTIALLY AT FAULT AS WELL SINCE THEY DID NOT OBJECT OR ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAD RESPONDED TO THE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD CLRNC INSTEAD OF XY10. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 473309: IN THE RWY 32R BRAVO PAD WAITING FOR THE PURSER TO RPT ON A POSSIBLE PAX PROB IN COACH. WHEN THE PURSER CAME TO THE COCKPIT TO RPT THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK IN THE BACK, WE HEARD THE TWR TELL US TO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 32R.

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.