Narrative:

During taxi to runway 27R on taxiway M prior to taxiway D, ground control switched us to tower frequency. Tower immediately cleared us to 'position and hold on runway 27R.' the first officer acknowledged the call. As we turned the corner to taxi into position and hold, tower told us to 'hold short of runway 27R.' the first officer responded that we were already on the runway. Tower said we had not acknowledged his position and hold call, so he had cleared another aircraft to land on runway 27R. The first officer said we had acknowledged his call. Tower said we were cleared for an immediate takeoff. At the time tower called us to position and hold, the first officer was accomplishing the after start and before start checklists. He was actually talking to the flight attendants to see if they were ready for takeoff when tower called. I also had my cabin/service interphone selected, listening to the flight attendants and first officer. When he responded to tower, the feedback I heard was apparently on that system and not on tower frequency as I thought. The flight attendants later said they heard his response to the tower on the cabin/service interphone. The first officer had not reselected the #1 radio when responding to the tower call. It was our mistake not responding to tower on the correct radio, but he should have inquired again to see if we had heard him clear us into position and hold. Especially since we were over 6000 ft from the end of the runway when he cleared us into position and hold on runway 27R in atl. Supplemental information from acn 540323: this is a busy time for flight crew's. We are regularly running delayed start, before takeoff, switching from ground to tower, talking with our flight attendants and receiving their before takeoff report. A runway incursion is too big of a threat for tower not to ask again, reissue clearance, or rescind clearance, when they do not hear a response to a cleared position and hold clearance. Especially when issued at an unusual position, ie, 2000 ft up taxiway M.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT ATL, TAXIED INTO POS AS THEY WERE CLRED BY TWR. HOWEVER, TWR CLRED ANOTHER ACFT TO LAND SINCE NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WAS HEARD FROM FLC. FLC HAD MISTAKENLY ACKNOWLEDGED ATC CLRNC ON ACFT CABIN INTERCOM CHANNEL.

Narrative: DURING TAXI TO RWY 27R ON TXWY M PRIOR TO TXWY D, GND CTL SWITCHED US TO TWR FREQ. TWR IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO 'POS AND HOLD ON RWY 27R.' THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL. AS WE TURNED THE CORNER TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, TWR TOLD US TO 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27R.' THE FO RESPONDED THAT WE WERE ALREADY ON THE RWY. TWR SAID WE HAD NOT ACKNOWLEDGED HIS POS AND HOLD CALL, SO HE HAD CLRED ANOTHER ACFT TO LAND ON RWY 27R. THE FO SAID WE HAD ACKNOWLEDGED HIS CALL. TWR SAID WE WERE CLRED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. AT THE TIME TWR CALLED US TO POS AND HOLD, THE FO WAS ACCOMPLISHING THE AFTER START AND BEFORE START CHKLISTS. HE WAS ACTUALLY TALKING TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SEE IF THEY WERE READY FOR TKOF WHEN TWR CALLED. I ALSO HAD MY CABIN/SVC INTERPHONE SELECTED, LISTENING TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND FO. WHEN HE RESPONDED TO TWR, THE FEEDBACK I HEARD WAS APPARENTLY ON THAT SYS AND NOT ON TWR FREQ AS I THOUGHT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS LATER SAID THEY HEARD HIS RESPONSE TO THE TWR ON THE CABIN/SVC INTERPHONE. THE FO HAD NOT RESELECTED THE #1 RADIO WHEN RESPONDING TO THE TWR CALL. IT WAS OUR MISTAKE NOT RESPONDING TO TWR ON THE CORRECT RADIO, BUT HE SHOULD HAVE INQUIRED AGAIN TO SEE IF WE HAD HEARD HIM CLR US INTO POS AND HOLD. ESPECIALLY SINCE WE WERE OVER 6000 FT FROM THE END OF THE RWY WHEN HE CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 27R IN ATL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 540323: THIS IS A BUSY TIME FOR FLC'S. WE ARE REGULARLY RUNNING DELAYED START, BEFORE TKOF, SWITCHING FROM GND TO TWR, TALKING WITH OUR FLT ATTENDANTS AND RECEIVING THEIR BEFORE TKOF RPT. A RWY INCURSION IS TOO BIG OF A THREAT FOR TWR NOT TO ASK AGAIN, REISSUE CLRNC, OR RESCIND CLRNC, WHEN THEY DO NOT HEAR A RESPONSE TO A CLRED POS AND HOLD CLRNC. ESPECIALLY WHEN ISSUED AT AN UNUSUAL POS, IE, 2000 FT UP TXWY M.

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.