Narrative:

Parked at the ramp, located at phx, we received instructions to taxi to runway 25L via taxiway G. 1/2 way into our taxi, the controller asked if we could accept taxiway G7 for departure. We said we could, and were instructed to continue our taxi and hold short of runway 25L at taxiway G7. As we continued our taxi, we completed our taxi checklist. We changed to tower frequency and advised them we were holding short and ready for departure (I don't recall the controller's response). Holding short of runway 25L I tried to anticipate when we might receive our takeoff clearance by listening and monitoring to the tower controller handling arriving, departing and taxiing aircraft. It became apparent to me that it might be a while before we receive our takeoff clearance. As I looked out towards final approach to runway 25L I could see several aircraft on final approach and it appeared that there was not enough spacing between them for us to be able to depart. Also looking across the field there were about 5 airliners waiting for departure and several other aircraft taxiing either for departure or to their gates after landing. It was very busy and I made a statement to the copilot that it looks like we'll be here for a while. As the third aircraft on final to runway 25L approached it looked like it might be possible for us to depart before the next aircraft in trail arrived. I alerted the copilot to get ready for possible departure. Instead, we were instructed to taxi. I thought I heard the controller say, 'cross runway 25L and right, taxi runway 25R full length.' I made a statement to the copilot to the effect of 'he's (the controller) putting us behind the airliners on runway 25R.' as we crossed runway 25L on taxiway G7, the controller gave instructions to an airliner to give us the right-of-way, that we would be crossing from right to left in front of him. As I looked for that aircraft, I saw 2 aircraft taxiing east, one on the taxiway between the runways of 25L/right (taxiway F) and one taxiing on the north side of runway 25R (taxiway east). So I assumed that, based on our position and the clearance that I thought I heard, it was for the aircraft that was taxiing east of taxiway east, on the north side of runway 25R, that was going to give us the right-of-way. Approximately at the same time, an aircraft departed from runway 25R and I heard the controller give instructions to an airliner to taxi into position and hold on runway 25R. At this point, I assumed that they were waiting for us to cross runway 25R. But to my surprise, the tower controller cleared the airliner, which was in position and holding on runway 25R, to take off. (This was my first indication that something was not right.) I immediately started braking realizing that once an aircraft has been cleared for takeoff another aircraft could not be on that same runway down field. As we came to a stop just past the hold short lines of runway 25R, the controller stated, 'stop and hold your position.' we were already at a complete stop well short of the edge of the runway and the airliner with the takeoff clearance had just started their takeoff roll, approximately 3000 ft from our position. The controller immediately gave the airliner instructions to abort their takeoff. The airliner came to a stop at taxiway F8 one intersection before the intersection where we were sitting at taxiway F7. The airliner continued to the intersecting taxiway abeam our position and cleared the runway at taxiway E8. The tower controller gave us instructions to cross runway 25R and follow the airliner. After we crossed the runway and during our taxi on taxiway east for departure, the tower asked that we copy a phone number and call it as soon as possible because of a possible pilot deviation.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISUNDERSTANDS CLRNC, TAXIES PAST HOLD SHORT LINE. ACFT ON TKOF ROLL DIRECTED TO ABORT TKOF.

Narrative: PARKED AT THE RAMP, LOCATED AT PHX, WE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO RWY 25L VIA TXWY G. 1/2 WAY INTO OUR TAXI, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE COULD ACCEPT TXWY G7 FOR DEP. WE SAID WE COULD, AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE OUR TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25L AT TXWY G7. AS WE CONTINUED OUR TAXI, WE COMPLETED OUR TAXI CHKLIST. WE CHANGED TO TWR FREQ AND ADVISED THEM WE WERE HOLDING SHORT AND READY FOR DEP (I DON'T RECALL THE CTLR'S RESPONSE). HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 25L I TRIED TO ANTICIPATE WHEN WE MIGHT RECEIVE OUR TKOF CLRNC BY LISTENING AND MONITORING TO THE TWR CTLR HANDLING ARRIVING, DEPARTING AND TAXIING ACFT. IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT IT MIGHT BE A WHILE BEFORE WE RECEIVE OUR TKOF CLRNC. AS I LOOKED OUT TOWARDS FINAL APCH TO RWY 25L I COULD SEE SEVERAL ACFT ON FINAL APCH AND IT APPEARED THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH SPACING BTWN THEM FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DEPART. ALSO LOOKING ACROSS THE FIELD THERE WERE ABOUT 5 AIRLINERS WAITING FOR DEP AND SEVERAL OTHER ACFT TAXIING EITHER FOR DEP OR TO THEIR GATES AFTER LNDG. IT WAS VERY BUSY AND I MADE A STATEMENT TO THE COPLT THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL BE HERE FOR A WHILE. AS THE THIRD ACFT ON FINAL TO RWY 25L APCHED IT LOOKED LIKE IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO DEPART BEFORE THE NEXT ACFT IN TRAIL ARRIVED. I ALERTED THE COPLT TO GET READY FOR POSSIBLE DEP. INSTEAD, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI. I THOUGHT I HEARD THE CTLR SAY, 'CROSS RWY 25L AND R, TAXI RWY 25R FULL LENGTH.' I MADE A STATEMENT TO THE COPLT TO THE EFFECT OF 'HE'S (THE CTLR) PUTTING US BEHIND THE AIRLINERS ON RWY 25R.' AS WE CROSSED RWY 25L ON TXWY G7, THE CTLR GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO AN AIRLINER TO GIVE US THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, THAT WE WOULD BE XING FROM R TO L IN FRONT OF HIM. AS I LOOKED FOR THAT ACFT, I SAW 2 ACFT TAXIING E, ONE ON THE TXWY BTWN THE RWYS OF 25L/R (TXWY F) AND ONE TAXIING ON THE N SIDE OF RWY 25R (TXWY E). SO I ASSUMED THAT, BASED ON OUR POS AND THE CLRNC THAT I THOUGHT I HEARD, IT WAS FOR THE ACFT THAT WAS TAXIING E OF TXWY E, ON THE N SIDE OF RWY 25R, THAT WAS GOING TO GIVE US THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. APPROX AT THE SAME TIME, AN ACFT DEPARTED FROM RWY 25R AND I HEARD THE CTLR GIVE INSTRUCTIONS TO AN AIRLINER TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 25R. AT THIS POINT, I ASSUMED THAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR US TO CROSS RWY 25R. BUT TO MY SURPRISE, THE TWR CTLR CLRED THE AIRLINER, WHICH WAS IN POS AND HOLDING ON RWY 25R, TO TAKE OFF. (THIS WAS MY FIRST INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT.) I IMMEDIATELY STARTED BRAKING REALIZING THAT ONCE AN ACFT HAS BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ANOTHER ACFT COULD NOT BE ON THAT SAME RWY DOWN FIELD. AS WE CAME TO A STOP JUST PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINES OF RWY 25R, THE CTLR STATED, 'STOP AND HOLD YOUR POS.' WE WERE ALREADY AT A COMPLETE STOP WELL SHORT OF THE EDGE OF THE RWY AND THE AIRLINER WITH THE TKOF CLRNC HAD JUST STARTED THEIR TKOF ROLL, APPROX 3000 FT FROM OUR POS. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY GAVE THE AIRLINER INSTRUCTIONS TO ABORT THEIR TKOF. THE AIRLINER CAME TO A STOP AT TXWY F8 ONE INTXN BEFORE THE INTXN WHERE WE WERE SITTING AT TXWY F7. THE AIRLINER CONTINUED TO THE INTERSECTING TXWY ABEAM OUR POS AND CLRED THE RWY AT TXWY E8. THE TWR CTLR GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS RWY 25R AND FOLLOW THE AIRLINER. AFTER WE CROSSED THE RWY AND DURING OUR TAXI ON TXWY E FOR DEP, THE TWR ASKED THAT WE COPY A PHONE NUMBER AND CALL IT ASAP BECAUSE OF A POSSIBLE PLTDEV.

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.