Narrative:

Flying as first officer from ind to ord, aircraft airbus A320. Called ground for taxi clearance and ground said 'taxi to runway 23L via taxiway H, taxiway P.' I read back full clearance 'taxi runway 23L via taxiway H, taxiway P.' we taxied to runway 23L via route assigned and held short of runway 23L in ind. Shortly after our arrival at hold short point, tower said 'air carrier X runway 23R, cleared for takeoff, turn right heading 242 degrees.' fully expecting runway 23L and thinking that surely tower was just mixing the runway 23L/right, we began to inch forward over the hold line while confirming 'do you mean cleared for takeoff on runway 23L, turn right heading 22 degrees?' we thought surely this must be a simple mistake because we were physically right in front of the tower the whole time. After querying the tower, there was a moment of silence at which point tower said 'hold short' in a slightly excited tone, and called for traffic on about a 1 1/2 mi final to go around. (We did not see small bizjet.) we still do not know if there was confusion on our part, tower was simply mistaking runway identify while trying to 'fit us in' before the arrival, or both. If we had not stopped and perhaps if it would not have been a clear VFR day, this could have been a dangerous situation and a much different outcome!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CREW, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT IND, CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE, SPAWNING A TWR INITIATED GAR TO LNDG TFC.

Narrative: FLYING AS FO FROM IND TO ORD, ACFT AIRBUS A320. CALLED GND FOR TAXI CLRNC AND GND SAID 'TAXI TO RWY 23L VIA TXWY H, TXWY P.' I READ BACK FULL CLRNC 'TAXI RWY 23L VIA TXWY H, TXWY P.' WE TAXIED TO RWY 23L VIA RTE ASSIGNED AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 23L IN IND. SHORTLY AFTER OUR ARR AT HOLD SHORT POINT, TWR SAID 'ACR X RWY 23R, CLRED FOR TKOF, TURN R HDG 242 DEGS.' FULLY EXPECTING RWY 23L AND THINKING THAT SURELY TWR WAS JUST MIXING THE RWY 23L/R, WE BEGAN TO INCH FORWARD OVER THE HOLD LINE WHILE CONFIRMING 'DO YOU MEAN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 23L, TURN R HDG 22 DEGS?' WE THOUGHT SURELY THIS MUST BE A SIMPLE MISTAKE BECAUSE WE WERE PHYSICALLY RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE TWR THE WHOLE TIME. AFTER QUERYING THE TWR, THERE WAS A MOMENT OF SILENCE AT WHICH POINT TWR SAID 'HOLD SHORT' IN A SLIGHTLY EXCITED TONE, AND CALLED FOR TFC ON ABOUT A 1 1/2 MI FINAL TO GO AROUND. (WE DID NOT SEE SMALL BIZJET.) WE STILL DO NOT KNOW IF THERE WAS CONFUSION ON OUR PART, TWR WAS SIMPLY MISTAKING RWY IDENT WHILE TRYING TO 'FIT US IN' BEFORE THE ARR, OR BOTH. IF WE HAD NOT STOPPED AND PERHAPS IF IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A CLR VFR DAY, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DANGEROUS SIT AND A MUCH DIFFERENT OUTCOME!

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.