Narrative:

At tucson, the first officer and I were completing a takeoff brief and thought we heard position and hold. As we taxied onto runway 11L we noticed a small aircraft was instructed to go around by tower. As we crossed the runway line, the controller told us we were cleared into position and hold for runway 11L. Small airplane went around and we were given clearance for takeoff. It appeared that we prematurely taxied into position and tower stated that there was not a problem after we apologized for the confusion. Upon reaching dfw, we called tucson tower and spoke briefly with the controller who didn't seem to be too concerned with the situation and that the small aircraft was doing air work to the west and did not intend to land at tus. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the main reason for the problem is that on taxi out they received a company call stating the possibility of a door not secured. They pulled off to side of taxiway while a truck came out to inspect the doors and then gave a thumbs up. During the process of getting back into the flow of traffic and cockpit procedures both pilots thought they heard the position and hold clearance. Since both heard it they did not question the controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B757 ON TAXI OUT THOUGHT THEY HEARD A CLRNC TO POS AND HOLD. THERE WAS NO QUESTION IN THEIR MINDS UNTIL THEY HEARD CTLR INSTRUCT A LIGHT ACFT TO GAR.

Narrative: AT TUCSON, THE FO AND I WERE COMPLETING A TAKEOFF BRIEF AND THOUGHT WE HEARD POS AND HOLD. AS WE TAXIED ONTO RWY 11L WE NOTICED A SMALL ACFT WAS INSTRUCTED TO GAR BY TWR. AS WE CROSSED THE RWY LINE, THE CTLR TOLD US WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD FOR RWY 11L. SMALL AIRPLANE WENT AROUND AND WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC FOR TAKEOFF. IT APPEARED THAT WE PREMATURELY TAXIED INTO POS AND TWR STATED THAT THERE WAS NOT A PROB AFTER WE APOLOGIZED FOR THE CONFUSION. UPON REACHING DFW, WE CALLED TUCSON TWR AND SPOKE BRIEFLY WITH THE CTLR WHO DIDN'T SEEM TO BE TOO CONCERNED WITH THE SIT AND THAT THE SMALL ACFT WAS DOING AIR WORK TO THE W AND DID NOT INTEND TO LAND AT TUS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE MAIN REASON FOR THE PROB IS THAT ON TAXI OUT THEY RECEIVED A COMPANY CALL STATING THE POSSIBILITY OF A DOOR NOT SECURED. THEY PULLED OFF TO SIDE OF TXWY WHILE A TRUCK CAME OUT TO INSPECT THE DOORS AND THEN GAVE A THUMBS UP. DURING THE PROCESS OF GETTING BACK INTO THE FLOW OF TFC AND COCKPIT PROCS BOTH PLTS THOUGHT THEY HEARD THE POS AND HOLD CLRNC. SINCE BOTH HEARD IT THEY DID NOT QUESTION THE CTLR.

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.