Narrative:

My crew arrived at gate X at XA00 for an XA50 departure to hpn. Due to snow and poor visibility, our inbound flight did not arrive at the gate until approximately XA30. After the inbound crew and passenger were unloaded, we gained access to the aircraft and began our preflight duties. The aircraft was being catered and fueled as passenger started to board. The flight deck was set up for departure and a call made to request a deice as the temperature was -2 degrees C with snowfall. The deicing personnel acknowledged our request and provided us with 2 separate frequencys, one for the runway 30L deice pad, and the other for the runway 12L deice pad. At approximately XA55, the refueling was completed. We contacted msp ground control for a pushback clearance. We released the brake at XA57 then were pushed back. All 4 engines were started and we requested a taxi clearance. We were instructed to taxi to the runway 12L deice pad. As we were taxiing out, we noted there was so much congestion on the ground frequency that the ground controller was issuing clrncs to aircraft and stating 'hold the readback.' after the deicing was completed, we contacted ground and were issued a clearance to taxi to runway 30R via taxiway P, hold short of taxiway M. We read back and complied with the clearance. Upon arrival at taxiway M, we were given a further clearance to taxi to runway 30R via taxiway P. We responded to ground, then continued our taxi. As we approached the end of taxiway P, ground asked if we were past taxiway P3. We responded that we had passed taxiway P3. We switched over to tower frequency as we approached the end of taxiway P. There was 1 aircraft in front of us as we waited for our departure clearance for runway 30R. The aircraft in front of us was issued a departure clearance. They taxied into position, then departed runway 30R. We then heard msp tower clear us into position and hold. The first officer read back the clearance. Tower responded back to us 'roger.' after being in position approximately 1 min, we heard tower issue a clearance to the effect 'aircraft Y ??? Turn left heading 2-6-0 cleared for takeoff.' because the controller had not specified runway 30L or runway 30R in the clearance to aircraft Y, we assumed aircraft Y was on runway 30L (which has a separate frequency and that tower was handling both frequencys). Approximately 15 seconds later, tower issued another takeoff clearance to aircraft Y. I then stated to the first officer words to the effect 'tower must think we are aircraft Y.' we immediately tried to advise her that aircraft X was in position and holding on runway 30R. I believe we (aircraft X and tower) stepped on each other. We again called the tower and advised 'aircraft X is in position and holding on runway 30R.' she responded 'aircraft X, I did not clear you into position and hold on runway 30R.' she then contacted another air carrier aircraft that was on the approach and told them there was traffic on the runway and to go around. About 1 min later, we received a clearance 'aircraft X, fly runway heading, cleared for takeoff runway 30R.' we read back the clearance then started our takeoff roll. As we were rolling, we heard tower clear aircraft Y into position and hold runway 30R. This was not correct as the aircraft immediately behind us was an air carrier airbus. I can see numerous factors that contributed to this situation. 1) the flight crew was trying to get the flight out of the gate on time. This was a stress factor causing the crew to be anxious. 2) the ground controller advising aircraft to 'hold the readback' may have prevented aircraft from advising ground of their position. 3) visibility was 3/4 mi due to snow. This prevents the tower from actually seeing the aircraft they have cleared for taxi to or take off on runway 30R. 4) because our flight was first in line for takeoff on runway 30R, we assumed/anticipated we were being cleared for takeoff when in reality the tower cleared air carrier Y aircraft into position and hold on runway 30R. 5) tower cleared air carrier Y for a takeoff without specifying which runway. Had tower stated 'air carrier Y, turn left heading 2-6-0, you are cleared for takeoff (runway 30R or runway 30L)' it would have been apparent to aircraft X as well as aircraft Y that things were not in order.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A POTENTIAL RWY INCURSION AND GAR DURING LOW VISIBILITY AND SNOW CONDITIONS.

Narrative: MY CREW ARRIVED AT GATE X AT XA00 FOR AN XA50 DEP TO HPN. DUE TO SNOW AND POOR VISIBILITY, OUR INBOUND FLT DID NOT ARRIVE AT THE GATE UNTIL APPROX XA30. AFTER THE INBOUND CREW AND PAX WERE UNLOADED, WE GAINED ACCESS TO THE ACFT AND BEGAN OUR PREFLT DUTIES. THE ACFT WAS BEING CATERED AND FUELED AS PAX STARTED TO BOARD. THE FLT DECK WAS SET UP FOR DEP AND A CALL MADE TO REQUEST A DEICE AS THE TEMP WAS -2 DEGS C WITH SNOWFALL. THE DEICING PERSONNEL ACKNOWLEDGED OUR REQUEST AND PROVIDED US WITH 2 SEPARATE FREQS, ONE FOR THE RWY 30L DEICE PAD, AND THE OTHER FOR THE RWY 12L DEICE PAD. AT APPROX XA55, THE REFUELING WAS COMPLETED. WE CONTACTED MSP GND CTL FOR A PUSHBACK CLRNC. WE RELEASED THE BRAKE AT XA57 THEN WERE PUSHED BACK. ALL 4 ENGS WERE STARTED AND WE REQUESTED A TAXI CLRNC. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO THE RWY 12L DEICE PAD. AS WE WERE TAXIING OUT, WE NOTED THERE WAS SO MUCH CONGESTION ON THE GND FREQ THAT THE GND CTLR WAS ISSUING CLRNCS TO ACFT AND STATING 'HOLD THE READBACK.' AFTER THE DEICING WAS COMPLETED, WE CONTACTED GND AND WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 30R VIA TXWY P, HOLD SHORT OF TXWY M. WE READ BACK AND COMPLIED WITH THE CLRNC. UPON ARR AT TXWY M, WE WERE GIVEN A FURTHER CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 30R VIA TXWY P. WE RESPONDED TO GND, THEN CONTINUED OUR TAXI. AS WE APCHED THE END OF TXWY P, GND ASKED IF WE WERE PAST TXWY P3. WE RESPONDED THAT WE HAD PASSED TXWY P3. WE SWITCHED OVER TO TWR FREQ AS WE APCHED THE END OF TXWY P. THERE WAS 1 ACFT IN FRONT OF US AS WE WAITED FOR OUR DEP CLRNC FOR RWY 30R. THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US WAS ISSUED A DEP CLRNC. THEY TAXIED INTO POS, THEN DEPARTED RWY 30R. WE THEN HEARD MSP TWR CLR US INTO POS AND HOLD. THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC. TWR RESPONDED BACK TO US 'ROGER.' AFTER BEING IN POS APPROX 1 MIN, WE HEARD TWR ISSUE A CLRNC TO THE EFFECT 'ACFT Y ??? TURN L HDG 2-6-0 CLRED FOR TKOF.' BECAUSE THE CTLR HAD NOT SPECIFIED RWY 30L OR RWY 30R IN THE CLRNC TO ACFT Y, WE ASSUMED ACFT Y WAS ON RWY 30L (WHICH HAS A SEPARATE FREQ AND THAT TWR WAS HANDLING BOTH FREQS). APPROX 15 SECONDS LATER, TWR ISSUED ANOTHER TKOF CLRNC TO ACFT Y. I THEN STATED TO THE FO WORDS TO THE EFFECT 'TWR MUST THINK WE ARE ACFT Y.' WE IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO ADVISE HER THAT ACFT X WAS IN POS AND HOLDING ON RWY 30R. I BELIEVE WE (ACFT X AND TWR) STEPPED ON EACH OTHER. WE AGAIN CALLED THE TWR AND ADVISED 'ACFT X IS IN POS AND HOLDING ON RWY 30R.' SHE RESPONDED 'ACFT X, I DID NOT CLR YOU INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 30R.' SHE THEN CONTACTED ANOTHER ACR ACFT THAT WAS ON THE APCH AND TOLD THEM THERE WAS TFC ON THE RWY AND TO GO AROUND. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, WE RECEIVED A CLRNC 'ACFT X, FLY RWY HDG, CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 30R.' WE READ BACK THE CLRNC THEN STARTED OUR TKOF ROLL. AS WE WERE ROLLING, WE HEARD TWR CLR ACFT Y INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 30R. THIS WAS NOT CORRECT AS THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY BEHIND US WAS AN ACR AIRBUS. I CAN SEE NUMEROUS FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT. 1) THE FLC WAS TRYING TO GET THE FLT OUT OF THE GATE ON TIME. THIS WAS A STRESS FACTOR CAUSING THE CREW TO BE ANXIOUS. 2) THE GND CTLR ADVISING ACFT TO 'HOLD THE READBACK' MAY HAVE PREVENTED ACFT FROM ADVISING GND OF THEIR POS. 3) VISIBILITY WAS 3/4 MI DUE TO SNOW. THIS PREVENTS THE TWR FROM ACTUALLY SEEING THE ACFT THEY HAVE CLRED FOR TAXI TO OR TAKE OFF ON RWY 30R. 4) BECAUSE OUR FLT WAS FIRST IN LINE FOR TKOF ON RWY 30R, WE ASSUMED/ANTICIPATED WE WERE BEING CLRED FOR TKOF WHEN IN REALITY THE TWR CLRED ACR Y ACFT INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 30R. 5) TWR CLRED ACR Y FOR A TKOF WITHOUT SPECIFYING WHICH RWY. HAD TWR STATED 'ACR Y, TURN L HDG 2-6-0, YOU ARE CLRED FOR TKOF (RWY 30R OR RWY 30L)' IT WOULD HAVE BEEN APPARENT TO ACFT X AS WELL AS ACFT Y THAT THINGS WERE NOT IN ORDER.

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.