Narrative:

I held short of runway 2L after leaving the run-up area adjacent to runway 2L. I called the tower. I was told to hold short for landing traffic. I was then instructed to cross runway 2L and hold short runway 2R, which I did. The airplane behind me was then holding short of runway 2L. I heard an airplane in the air telling tower they were on the visual for runway 2R for landing. Tower responded with cleared to land runway 2R. The controller also told the landing airplane that there would be 2 departures prior to his arrival, which the pilot acknowledged. Then the events leading up to an almost certain incursion between myself and the landing aircraft began. Since there was just my airplane and the airplane still holding short at runway 2L, I knew we were the 2 aircraft to depart prior to the arriving aircraft. I thought it strange when the controller then cleared the aircraft holding short of runway 2L to cross over runway 2L for runway 2R. What I thought he should have done first was to clear me for takeoff. He then told me to taxi into position and hold on runway 2L. I thought something was amiss and should have questioned him, but I thought he knew where I was and surely meant runway 2R of maybe he said 2R and I just thought he said 2L. I began to taxi onto runway 2R and then I heard the controller scream my tail number to stop. He started to berate me by saying he cleared me for runway 2L and not runway 2R. He told me to do a 180 degree turn and go to runway 2L. I in turn told him that he had cleared me to cross runway 2L for runway 2R and that it was impossible for me to do a 180 degree turn where I was. He told me to just stay where I was. At that point the airplane cleared to land runway 2R touched down. I'm sure had I taxied onto the runway an accident would have occurred. I believe the controller was inexperienced and/or in training. I believe he lost positional awareness of all the airplanes he was controling, especially those on the ground. I think he got confused with the left side and the right side of the runways. The reason I think he was confused with the left and right side was because my departure was to the west. And the usual runway to take off from for a west departure is runway 2L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOONEY PLT IS CLRED ONTO THE OPPOSITE PARALLEL RWY THEN THE ONE TO WHICH HE IS HOLDING. THINKING THE CTLR MEANT THE RWY TO WHICH HE WAS HOLDING, HE TAXIED TOWARD IT. THE CTLR QUICKLY STOPPED HIM. THE CONFUSION WAS STRAIGHTENED OUT AND THE RPTR TOOK OFF AFTER THE LNDG ACFT CLRED THE RWY.

Narrative: I HELD SHORT OF RWY 2L AFTER LEAVING THE RUN-UP AREA ADJACENT TO RWY 2L. I CALLED THE TWR. I WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT FOR LNDG TFC. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO CROSS RWY 2L AND HOLD SHORT RWY 2R, WHICH I DID. THE AIRPLANE BEHIND ME WAS THEN HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 2L. I HEARD AN AIRPLANE IN THE AIR TELLING TWR THEY WERE ON THE VISUAL FOR RWY 2R FOR LNDG. TWR RESPONDED WITH CLRED TO LAND RWY 2R. THE CTLR ALSO TOLD THE LNDG AIRPLANE THAT THERE WOULD BE 2 DEPS PRIOR TO HIS ARR, WHICH THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED. THEN THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO AN ALMOST CERTAIN INCURSION BTWN MYSELF AND THE LNDG ACFT BEGAN. SINCE THERE WAS JUST MY AIRPLANE AND THE AIRPLANE STILL HOLDING SHORT AT RWY 2L, I KNEW WE WERE THE 2 ACFT TO DEPART PRIOR TO THE ARRIVING ACFT. I THOUGHT IT STRANGE WHEN THE CTLR THEN CLRED THE ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 2L TO CROSS OVER RWY 2L FOR RWY 2R. WHAT I THOUGHT HE SHOULD HAVE DONE FIRST WAS TO CLR ME FOR TKOF. HE THEN TOLD ME TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 2L. I THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS AMISS AND SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED HIM, BUT I THOUGHT HE KNEW WHERE I WAS AND SURELY MEANT RWY 2R OF MAYBE HE SAID 2R AND I JUST THOUGHT HE SAID 2L. I BEGAN TO TAXI ONTO RWY 2R AND THEN I HEARD THE CTLR SCREAM MY TAIL NUMBER TO STOP. HE STARTED TO BERATE ME BY SAYING HE CLRED ME FOR RWY 2L AND NOT RWY 2R. HE TOLD ME TO DO A 180 DEG TURN AND GO TO RWY 2L. I IN TURN TOLD HIM THAT HE HAD CLRED ME TO CROSS RWY 2L FOR RWY 2R AND THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO DO A 180 DEG TURN WHERE I WAS. HE TOLD ME TO JUST STAY WHERE I WAS. AT THAT POINT THE AIRPLANE CLRED TO LAND RWY 2R TOUCHED DOWN. I'M SURE HAD I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. I BELIEVE THE CTLR WAS INEXPERIENCED AND/OR IN TRAINING. I BELIEVE HE LOST POSITIONAL AWARENESS OF ALL THE AIRPLANES HE WAS CTLING, ESPECIALLY THOSE ON THE GND. I THINK HE GOT CONFUSED WITH THE L SIDE AND THE R SIDE OF THE RWYS. THE REASON I THINK HE WAS CONFUSED WITH THE L AND R SIDE WAS BECAUSE MY DEP WAS TO THE W. AND THE USUAL RWY TO TAKE OFF FROM FOR A W DEP IS RWY 2L.

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.