Narrative:

Our initial contact with ground control directed us to the holding point for runway 25R. While stopped with the brakes set at the runway 25R hold short line, we completed the takeoff checklist and switched to tower frequency. Brussels tower control then instructed us to take position on the runway and wait for takeoff clearance. We acknowledged the clearance. Tower also indicated there was approaching traffic for runway 25R. We saw the aircraft. The approaching aircraft appeared to be at 6 mi. TCASII confirmed the distance. As we crossed the hold short line, tower asked us if we had heard the clearance. We replied that we had and thought he wanted us to expedite to our position on the runway. At this point tower told the approaching aircraft to go around. This was the first indication that something was amiss. We asked tower if he wanted us to vacate the runway. He responded with a negative reply and then cleared us for takeoff. Brussels tower used incorrect and non standard language leading to confusion at the hold short line. Supplemental information from acn 534513: I was flying the first officer position on this flight and was the pilot talking to brussels ground control while the captain taxied the aircraft. Recorded airport information informed us that our departure runway was runway 25R. We arrived at the holding point of runway 25R and parked there with the parking brake set. Ground control then requested us to switch to brussels tower. We acknowledged and switched to tower frequency. Tower was waiting for us to arrive on their frequency because after we switched over they asked us if we were on their frequency. We acknowledged in the affirmative. Tower then gave us instructions to take the runway and hold there. Another aircraft talked on the radio before I could acknowledge. I waited for that aircraft to finish talking then I acknowledged tower's instructions. Both the captain and I noted an aircraft on final to our runway several mi out. I mentally noted it at a normal distance allowing us to take the runway, get clearance to takeoff, then takeoff without being a conflict. We then started taxiing on to runway 25R. While entering the runway but before being completely aligned with the runway centerline, tower asked if we heard our clearance. We acknowledged positively that we had. After our acknowledgement tower sent an aircraft around. This was my first indication something was not right. I asked if he would like us to exit the runway since the entry to the runway 25R was large and allowed us to exit without delay. Tower replied in the negative. However, he did clear us to take off after that and we did so. Human performance considerations: 1) early in the day body clock time. 2) high workload period in our aircraft. 3) non standard tower phraseology. 4) controller accent. 5) frequency congestion. Supplemental information from acn 534520: flight received what appeared to be a clearance to position and hold on runway. After lining up, tower directed go around of aircraft on final and informed aircraft that it had not been given clearance onto the runway. Communications and phraseology were contributing factors. Phraseology different under ICAO rules.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-ER CREW WAS CLRED INTO POS ON RWY 25R. TWR THEN QUESTIONED WHY THEY WERE ON THE RWY AND SENT ANOTHER ACFT AROUND AT EBBR.

Narrative: OUR INITIAL CONTACT WITH GND CTL DIRECTED US TO THE HOLDING POINT FOR RWY 25R. WHILE STOPPED WITH THE BRAKES SET AT THE RWY 25R HOLD SHORT LINE, WE COMPLETED THE TKOF CHKLIST AND SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. BRUSSELS TWR CTL THEN INSTRUCTED US TO TAKE POS ON THE RWY AND WAIT FOR TKOF CLRNC. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC. TWR ALSO INDICATED THERE WAS APCHING TFC FOR RWY 25R. WE SAW THE ACFT. THE APCHING ACFT APPEARED TO BE AT 6 MI. TCASII CONFIRMED THE DISTANCE. AS WE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE, TWR ASKED US IF WE HAD HEARD THE CLRNC. WE REPLIED THAT WE HAD AND THOUGHT HE WANTED US TO EXPEDITE TO OUR POS ON THE RWY. AT THIS POINT TWR TOLD THE APCHING ACFT TO GO AROUND. THIS WAS THE FIRST INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS. WE ASKED TWR IF HE WANTED US TO VACATE THE RWY. HE RESPONDED WITH A NEGATIVE REPLY AND THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF. BRUSSELS TWR USED INCORRECT AND NON STANDARD LANGUAGE LEADING TO CONFUSION AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 534513: I WAS FLYING THE FO POS ON THIS FLT AND WAS THE PLT TALKING TO BRUSSELS GND CTL WHILE THE CAPT TAXIED THE ACFT. RECORDED ARPT INFO INFORMED US THAT OUR DEP RWY WAS RWY 25R. WE ARRIVED AT THE HOLDING POINT OF RWY 25R AND PARKED THERE WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SET. GND CTL THEN REQUESTED US TO SWITCH TO BRUSSELS TWR. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. TWR WAS WAITING FOR US TO ARRIVE ON THEIR FREQ BECAUSE AFTER WE SWITCHED OVER THEY ASKED US IF WE WERE ON THEIR FREQ. WE ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. TWR THEN GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO TAKE THE RWY AND HOLD THERE. ANOTHER ACFT TALKED ON THE RADIO BEFORE I COULD ACKNOWLEDGE. I WAITED FOR THAT ACFT TO FINISH TALKING THEN I ACKNOWLEDGED TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS. BOTH THE CAPT AND I NOTED AN ACFT ON FINAL TO OUR RWY SEVERAL MI OUT. I MENTALLY NOTED IT AT A NORMAL DISTANCE ALLOWING US TO TAKE THE RWY, GET CLRNC TO TKOF, THEN TKOF WITHOUT BEING A CONFLICT. WE THEN STARTED TAXIING ON TO RWY 25R. WHILE ENTERING THE RWY BUT BEFORE BEING COMPLETELY ALIGNED WITH THE RWY CTRLINE, TWR ASKED IF WE HEARD OUR CLRNC. WE ACKNOWLEDGED POSITIVELY THAT WE HAD. AFTER OUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TWR SENT AN ACFT AROUND. THIS WAS MY FIRST INDICATION SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. I ASKED IF HE WOULD LIKE US TO EXIT THE RWY SINCE THE ENTRY TO THE RWY 25R WAS LARGE AND ALLOWED US TO EXIT WITHOUT DELAY. TWR REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE. HOWEVER, HE DID CLR US TO TAKE OFF AFTER THAT AND WE DID SO. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: 1) EARLY IN THE DAY BODY CLOCK TIME. 2) HIGH WORKLOAD PERIOD IN OUR ACFT. 3) NON STANDARD TWR PHRASEOLOGY. 4) CTLR ACCENT. 5) FREQ CONGESTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 534520: FLT RECEIVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A CLRNC TO POS AND HOLD ON RWY. AFTER LINING UP, TWR DIRECTED GAR OF ACFT ON FINAL AND INFORMED ACFT THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN CLRNC ONTO THE RWY. COMS AND PHRASEOLOGY WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. PHRASEOLOGY DIFFERENT UNDER ICAO RULES.

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.