Narrative:

We were holding short of taxiway H on taxiway J and #3 for takeoff. Tower could not contact an air carrier on taxiway H holding short of taxiway J. Tower told us we would be next for takeoff. Captain thought the tower instructed us to taxi into position and hold on runway 9L and called for the before takeoff checks. First officer later recalled tower instructing us to taxi up to and hold short of the runway, but at the time of the occurrence, she said nothing and executed the before takeoff checks. We were on the runway awaiting a takeoff clearance. Tower notified us that we were instructed to hold short of the runway and not cleared to hold in position. Tower instructed us to expedite off the runway via taxiway Z, which is off runway 4L and not runway 9L, which we were on. The captain searched for taxiway Z, but only saw txwys J and east, and thus was unsure of where tower wanted us to go. Our ensuing delay off of the runway resulted in tower instructing a jet on final to go around. Once we were clear of the runway, we were resequenced for takeoff without further incident. Suspect tower's nonstandard use of the words 'taxi' and 'hold' as a source of confusion, ie, 'taxi into position and hold' versus 'taxi up to and hold short.' supplemental information from acn 478920: first officer completed all the items allowed prior to receiving a takeoff clearance. When I looked up, the aircraft was aligned with the runway centerline. Then a confused sounding controller commented, 'you're not supposed to be on the runway. I told you to short. There's an aircraft on final. Turn left on taxiway Z and expedite.' at this point, my captain became confused. The most convenient left would have been at taxiway J. Taxiway Z was almost 1/2 way down the runway. My captain was muttering 'Z, how can I turn left on Z?' I responded 'just turn left, get off the runway.' by the time we turned left onto taxiway east, the tower had prompted the approaching aircraft to go around. After a brief delay, the tower gave us instructions back to the top of the runway. We took off, in turn, without incident. I believe that the non standard call from the tower 'I guess you'll be next' continued with the prompts to 'taxi' and 'hold' confused the captain. Next, I believe I became absorbed with the before takeoff check and lost situational awareness. Finally, I believe the controller was disoriented and gave us instructions to taxi clear of runway 4L, not runway 9L. The 'error chain' outlined above could have been broken earlier if the controller had retrained from using nonstandard phraseology, and especially if the captain and I had verbally verified our instructions with each other.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION AT ORD, IL, RESULTING IN GAR BY ARRIVING ACFT.

Narrative: WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY H ON TXWY J AND #3 FOR TKOF. TWR COULD NOT CONTACT AN ACR ON TXWY H HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY J. TWR TOLD US WE WOULD BE NEXT FOR TKOF. CAPT THOUGHT THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 9L AND CALLED FOR THE BEFORE TKOF CHKS. FO LATER RECALLED TWR INSTRUCTING US TO TAXI UP TO AND HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY, BUT AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE, SHE SAID NOTHING AND EXECUTED THE BEFORE TKOF CHKS. WE WERE ON THE RWY AWAITING A TKOF CLRNC. TWR NOTIFIED US THAT WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY AND NOT CLRED TO HOLD IN POS. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO EXPEDITE OFF THE RWY VIA TXWY Z, WHICH IS OFF RWY 4L AND NOT RWY 9L, WHICH WE WERE ON. THE CAPT SEARCHED FOR TXWY Z, BUT ONLY SAW TXWYS J AND E, AND THUS WAS UNSURE OF WHERE TWR WANTED US TO GO. OUR ENSUING DELAY OFF OF THE RWY RESULTED IN TWR INSTRUCTING A JET ON FINAL TO GAR. ONCE WE WERE CLR OF THE RWY, WE WERE RESEQUENCED FOR TKOF WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. SUSPECT TWR'S NONSTANDARD USE OF THE WORDS 'TAXI' AND 'HOLD' AS A SOURCE OF CONFUSION, IE, 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD' VERSUS 'TAXI UP TO AND HOLD SHORT.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 478920: FO COMPLETED ALL THE ITEMS ALLOWED PRIOR TO RECEIVING A TKOF CLRNC. WHEN I LOOKED UP, THE ACFT WAS ALIGNED WITH THE RWY CTRLINE. THEN A CONFUSED SOUNDING CTLR COMMENTED, 'YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE RWY. I TOLD YOU TO SHORT. THERE'S AN ACFT ON FINAL. TURN L ON TXWY Z AND EXPEDITE.' AT THIS POINT, MY CAPT BECAME CONFUSED. THE MOST CONVENIENT L WOULD HAVE BEEN AT TXWY J. TXWY Z WAS ALMOST 1/2 WAY DOWN THE RWY. MY CAPT WAS MUTTERING 'Z, HOW CAN I TURN L ON Z?' I RESPONDED 'JUST TURN L, GET OFF THE RWY.' BY THE TIME WE TURNED L ONTO TXWY E, THE TWR HAD PROMPTED THE APCHING ACFT TO GO AROUND. AFTER A BRIEF DELAY, THE TWR GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS BACK TO THE TOP OF THE RWY. WE TOOK OFF, IN TURN, WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THE NON STANDARD CALL FROM THE TWR 'I GUESS YOU'LL BE NEXT' CONTINUED WITH THE PROMPTS TO 'TAXI' AND 'HOLD' CONFUSED THE CAPT. NEXT, I BELIEVE I BECAME ABSORBED WITH THE BEFORE TKOF CHK AND LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. FINALLY, I BELIEVE THE CTLR WAS DISORIENTED AND GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI CLR OF RWY 4L, NOT RWY 9L. THE 'ERROR CHAIN' OUTLINED ABOVE COULD HAVE BEEN BROKEN EARLIER IF THE CTLR HAD RETRAINED FROM USING NONSTANDARD PHRASEOLOGY, AND ESPECIALLY IF THE CAPT AND I HAD VERBALLY VERIFIED OUR INSTRUCTIONS WITH EACH OTHER.

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.