Narrative:

Following takeoff of the aircraft in front of me, I was given the following instructions for takeoff runway 16L sea: 'taxi into position and hold, pilot's discretion, aircraft will be crossing the runway.' I thought that meant taxi onto the runway and identify the crossing aircraft and that as a VFR departure, transponder code 1200 was responsible to clear the aircraft during the VFR departure. I idented the crossing aircraft at taxiway north, about 8000 ft south of my takeoff location. After about a 40 second hold and identing 5 crossing aircraft, I took off and maintained runway heading. I had attained approximately 1500 ft prior to crossing the aircraft overhead. The tower operator was quite upset and told me I had been given and had read back correctly the 'position and hold' instruction. I had heard and complied with the 'hold' portion of 'position and hold' instruction and did indeed hold. The part of communication I misunderstood was 'pilots discretion' furthermore, I thought what I was responsible to observe and clear was the crossing aircraft at taxiway north. Following about a 45 second hold to locate and identify my traffic, I departed believing I had cleared my traffic appropriately. In the past, instructions to me for concerns of wake turbulence were issued as 'caution wake turbulence, taxi into position and hold,' not 'taxi into position and hold, pilots discretion.' if there was to be a delay, I was accustomed to 'stand by for departure clearance,' again no mention of the possibly misleading 'pilots discretion' after 'taxi into position and hold' instructions. This discussion and difficulty with the tower also divided my attention away from my level off at the 2500 ft altitude limit and I finally leveled at 3000 ft and was asked by the tower to stay at that altitude but was given a tower phone number to copy and contact at my destination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA24 COM PLT TAKES OFF WITH TAXIING TFC XING RWY 16L AT SEA, WA.

Narrative: FOLLOWING TKOF OF THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME, I WAS GIVEN THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FOR TKOF RWY 16L SEA: 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, PLT'S DISCRETION, ACFT WILL BE XING THE RWY.' I THOUGHT THAT MEANT TAXI ONTO THE RWY AND IDENT THE XING ACFT AND THAT AS A VFR DEP, XPONDER CODE 1200 WAS RESPONSIBLE TO CLR THE ACFT DURING THE VFR DEP. I IDENTED THE XING ACFT AT TXWY N, ABOUT 8000 FT S OF MY TKOF LOCATION. AFTER ABOUT A 40 SECOND HOLD AND IDENTING 5 XING ACFT, I TOOK OFF AND MAINTAINED RWY HDG. I HAD ATTAINED APPROX 1500 FT PRIOR TO XING THE ACFT OVERHEAD. THE TWR OPERATOR WAS QUITE UPSET AND TOLD ME I HAD BEEN GIVEN AND HAD READ BACK CORRECTLY THE 'POS AND HOLD' INSTRUCTION. I HAD HEARD AND COMPLIED WITH THE 'HOLD' PORTION OF 'POS AND HOLD' INSTRUCTION AND DID INDEED HOLD. THE PART OF COM I MISUNDERSTOOD WAS 'PLTS DISCRETION' FURTHERMORE, I THOUGHT WHAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE TO OBSERVE AND CLR WAS THE XING ACFT AT TXWY N. FOLLOWING ABOUT A 45 SECOND HOLD TO LOCATE AND IDENT MY TFC, I DEPARTED BELIEVING I HAD CLRED MY TFC APPROPRIATELY. IN THE PAST, INSTRUCTIONS TO ME FOR CONCERNS OF WAKE TURB WERE ISSUED AS 'CAUTION WAKE TURB, TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD,' NOT 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, PLTS DISCRETION.' IF THERE WAS TO BE A DELAY, I WAS ACCUSTOMED TO 'STAND BY FOR DEP CLRNC,' AGAIN NO MENTION OF THE POSSIBLY MISLEADING 'PLTS DISCRETION' AFTER 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD' INSTRUCTIONS. THIS DISCUSSION AND DIFFICULTY WITH THE TWR ALSO DIVIDED MY ATTN AWAY FROM MY LEVEL OFF AT THE 2500 FT ALT LIMIT AND I FINALLY LEVELED AT 3000 FT AND WAS ASKED BY THE TWR TO STAY AT THAT ALT BUT WAS GIVEN A TWR PHONE NUMBER TO COPY AND CONTACT AT MY DEST.

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.