Air carrier cleared onto active runway with another aircraft in position and hold.

Attributes
ACN	547223
Time
Date	200205
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : cle.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	547223
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

For performance reasons, we requested a departure from runway 24L. ATIS had runway 28 departing, runway 24L landing. Our taxi clearance was given from 'spot to taxiway U, down runway 28 to hold short of runway 24L.' as we approached taxiway U, we noticed an rj holding in position full length, lights off. For us to taxi onto runway 28 in front of the rj didn't look right. We held well short of the intersection hold line and queried ground again about our clearance. He said 'proceed down runway 28 to hold short of runway 24L.' we moved slowly forward and stopped again with our aircraft nose over the intersection line (not the nosewheel) 30 ft short of runway 28 edge. We asked the controller about the rj. The rj's lights illuminated and he began his takeoff roll. The controller then said, 'after the rj, taxi onto runway 28 to hold short of runway 24L.' this seemed like an incursion or near incursion worthy of a report and captain irregularity. We should have asked ground control specifically about the rj holding in position at first sighting whether or not we should enter runway 28. During runway 24/28 operations in cle, the tower not ground control should maintain control of all runway operations. Ground control should not be allowed use of an active runway for taxi purposes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CLRED ONTO ACTIVE RWY WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN POS AND HOLD.

Narrative: FOR PERFORMANCE REASONS, WE REQUESTED A DEP FROM RWY 24L. ATIS HAD RWY 28 DEPARTING, RWY 24L LNDG. OUR TAXI CLRNC WAS GIVEN FROM 'SPOT TO TXWY U, DOWN RWY 28 TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24L.' AS WE APCHED TXWY U, WE NOTICED AN RJ HOLDING IN POS FULL LENGTH, LIGHTS OFF. FOR US TO TAXI ONTO RWY 28 IN FRONT OF THE RJ DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT. WE HELD WELL SHORT OF THE INTXN HOLD LINE AND QUERIED GND AGAIN ABOUT OUR CLRNC. HE SAID 'PROCEED DOWN RWY 28 TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24L.' WE MOVED SLOWLY FORWARD AND STOPPED AGAIN WITH OUR ACFT NOSE OVER THE INTXN LINE (NOT THE NOSEWHEEL) 30 FT SHORT OF RWY 28 EDGE. WE ASKED THE CTLR ABOUT THE RJ. THE RJ'S LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND HE BEGAN HIS TKOF ROLL. THE CTLR THEN SAID, 'AFTER THE RJ, TAXI ONTO RWY 28 TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24L.' THIS SEEMED LIKE AN INCURSION OR NEAR INCURSION WORTHY OF A RPT AND CAPT IRREGULARITY. WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED GND CTL SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE RJ HOLDING IN POS AT FIRST SIGHTING WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD ENTER RWY 28. DURING RWY 24/28 OPS IN CLE, THE TWR NOT GND CTL SHOULD MAINTAIN CTL OF ALL RWY OPS. GND CTL SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED USE OF AN ACTIVE RWY FOR TAXI PURPOSES.

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.