Narrative:

The event started while sitting #1 for runway 8R at charles de gaulle (lfpg). I was serving as relief pilot on the jump seat. Our flight was from lfpg to ZZZ, us. Runway 8R is normally the landing runway at lfpg, but due to construction on runway 8L, both takeoffs and lndgs were being conducted on runway 8R. The pattern had been 1 takeoff, then 1 landing, and I was expecting a landing between the aircraft ahead of us and ourselves. An airbus (320, I think) was sitting on runway 8R awaiting takeoff clearance when tower said 'line up behind the airbus A320(?) and wait.' the first officer clearly and slowly read this clearance back and tower said nothing else. The airbus got his takeoff clearance and we taxied into position to hold. The captain told the first officer to make sure final was clear, as both he and I were concerned about landing aircraft (as the pattern had been). As the first officer, clearing final, said 'no aircraft on final,' I reached up to the center console and turned on the TCASII. Immediately an aircraft showed on short final on the TCASII display (6.2 mi). I said that aircraft is very close, and the first officer cleared final again. This time he saw an aircraft and confirmed the proximity. By then we were 1/2 way on the runway. Shortly thereafter, the approaching aircraft said he was going around, and tower told us our clearance had been to taxi into position after the landing aircraft. The first officer pointed out the taxiway approaching the end of runway 8R was at angle of perhaps 45 degrees to the runway which gave him a 135 degree angle to clear final. He said the approaching aircraft just popped into the corner of his right window just after I called out the traffic on TCASII, and he couldn't have seen it on his first clearing. (The taxiway seemed to be built more as a landing high speed than a normal 90 degree to runway taxiway for takeoff.) the 2 main problems in this event as I see it are: 1) english fluency with the french controller. This controller had a very thick accent and english phrases and sentences did not seem to come easily to him. All 3 of us missed his qualification for runway clearance to taxi into position after landing traffic (and we were all expecting this qualification!), and 2) this type of clearance, used widely in europe, is inherently a dangerous kind of clearance. Perhaps a good procedure when this kind of clearance is being used is to turn the TCASII on prior to getting tower clearance onto the runway. Doing this gives an excellent perspective as to what to expect, adding greatly to visual confirmation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777-200 CREW WAS ISSUED THE CONDITIONAL CLRNC 'LINE UP AND WAIT' BEHIND A DEPARTING A320 ACFT ON RWY 8R AT LFPG. BECAUSE OF THE TXWY ANGLE INTO THE RWY THEY WERE UNABLE TO SEE A LNDG ACR ON A SHORT FINAL.

Narrative: THE EVENT STARTED WHILE SITTING #1 FOR RWY 8R AT CHARLES DE GAULLE (LFPG). I WAS SERVING AS RELIEF PLT ON THE JUMP SEAT. OUR FLT WAS FROM LFPG TO ZZZ, US. RWY 8R IS NORMALLY THE LNDG RWY AT LFPG, BUT DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON RWY 8L, BOTH TKOFS AND LNDGS WERE BEING CONDUCTED ON RWY 8R. THE PATTERN HAD BEEN 1 TKOF, THEN 1 LNDG, AND I WAS EXPECTING A LNDG BTWN THE ACFT AHEAD OF US AND OURSELVES. AN AIRBUS (320, I THINK) WAS SITTING ON RWY 8R AWAITING TKOF CLRNC WHEN TWR SAID 'LINE UP BEHIND THE AIRBUS A320(?) AND WAIT.' THE FO CLRLY AND SLOWLY READ THIS CLRNC BACK AND TWR SAID NOTHING ELSE. THE AIRBUS GOT HIS TKOF CLRNC AND WE TAXIED INTO POS TO HOLD. THE CAPT TOLD THE FO TO MAKE SURE FINAL WAS CLR, AS BOTH HE AND I WERE CONCERNED ABOUT LNDG ACFT (AS THE PATTERN HAD BEEN). AS THE FO, CLRING FINAL, SAID 'NO ACFT ON FINAL,' I REACHED UP TO THE CTR CONSOLE AND TURNED ON THE TCASII. IMMEDIATELY AN ACFT SHOWED ON SHORT FINAL ON THE TCASII DISPLAY (6.2 MI). I SAID THAT ACFT IS VERY CLOSE, AND THE FO CLRED FINAL AGAIN. THIS TIME HE SAW AN ACFT AND CONFIRMED THE PROX. BY THEN WE WERE 1/2 WAY ON THE RWY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE APCHING ACFT SAID HE WAS GOING AROUND, AND TWR TOLD US OUR CLRNC HAD BEEN TO TAXI INTO POS AFTER THE LNDG ACFT. THE FO POINTED OUT THE TXWY APCHING THE END OF RWY 8R WAS AT ANGLE OF PERHAPS 45 DEGS TO THE RWY WHICH GAVE HIM A 135 DEG ANGLE TO CLR FINAL. HE SAID THE APCHING ACFT JUST POPPED INTO THE CORNER OF HIS R WINDOW JUST AFTER I CALLED OUT THE TFC ON TCASII, AND HE COULDN'T HAVE SEEN IT ON HIS FIRST CLRING. (THE TXWY SEEMED TO BE BUILT MORE AS A LNDG HIGH SPD THAN A NORMAL 90 DEG TO RWY TXWY FOR TKOF.) THE 2 MAIN PROBS IN THIS EVENT AS I SEE IT ARE: 1) ENGLISH FLUENCY WITH THE FRENCH CTLR. THIS CTLR HAD A VERY THICK ACCENT AND ENGLISH PHRASES AND SENTENCES DID NOT SEEM TO COME EASILY TO HIM. ALL 3 OF US MISSED HIS QUALIFICATION FOR RWY CLRNC TO TAXI INTO POS AFTER LNDG TFC (AND WE WERE ALL EXPECTING THIS QUALIFICATION!), AND 2) THIS TYPE OF CLRNC, USED WIDELY IN EUROPE, IS INHERENTLY A DANGEROUS KIND OF CLRNC. PERHAPS A GOOD PROC WHEN THIS KIND OF CLRNC IS BEING USED IS TO TURN THE TCASII ON PRIOR TO GETTING TWR CLRNC ONTO THE RWY. DOING THIS GIVES AN EXCELLENT PERSPECTIVE AS TO WHAT TO EXPECT, ADDING GREATLY TO VISUAL CONFIRMATION.

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.