B777 flight crew has possible runway incursion after mistaking clearance issued by zbaa tower.

Attributes
ACN	559910
Time
Date	200209
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zbaa.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Flight Phase	landing : missed approach
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	559910
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi
ASRS Report	559913
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Holding short of runway 36R for takeoff. Aircraft on runway starting takeoff roll. Tower calls 'air carrier X, cleared runway 36R position and hold.' because I know they usually say 'line up and wait' I slowly reply clearance and tower says nothing. Tower has clear view of airport and visibility was 9999, so we taxied into position. Sat for almost 2 mins when we see an aircraft going around. Tower asks us to taxi off runway. We ask if we misunderstood clearance. No answer. They had us taxi around to hold short point again, and then cleared us to take off asking if we would accept immediate takeoff. It was odd that they did not explain anything. I feel that the pressure of not admitting a possible mistake weighs heavy on a controller from a country like china. He may lose his job. He may have intended the first time to give us an immediate takeoff and forgot about us, or we may have misinterpreted his call. Either way, the language barrier is potential for a serious problem, if WX were a factor. China also has a habit of asking questions as you are bringing up the gear like, 'can you accept 11400 meters' while giving you other instructions. Our clearance is for 10200 meters and they could ask this question much later. In closing, communications in the pacific should be addressed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FLC HAS POSSIBLE RWY INCURSION AFTER MISTAKING CLRNC ISSUED BY ZBAA TWR.

Narrative: HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 36R FOR TKOF. ACFT ON RWY STARTING TKOF ROLL. TWR CALLS 'ACR X, CLRED RWY 36R POS AND HOLD.' BECAUSE I KNOW THEY USUALLY SAY 'LINE UP AND WAIT' I SLOWLY REPLY CLRNC AND TWR SAYS NOTHING. TWR HAS CLR VIEW OF ARPT AND VISIBILITY WAS 9999, SO WE TAXIED INTO POS. SAT FOR ALMOST 2 MINS WHEN WE SEE AN ACFT GOING AROUND. TWR ASKS US TO TAXI OFF RWY. WE ASK IF WE MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC. NO ANSWER. THEY HAD US TAXI AROUND TO HOLD SHORT POINT AGAIN, AND THEN CLRED US TO TAKE OFF ASKING IF WE WOULD ACCEPT IMMEDIATE TKOF. IT WAS ODD THAT THEY DID NOT EXPLAIN ANYTHING. I FEEL THAT THE PRESSURE OF NOT ADMITTING A POSSIBLE MISTAKE WEIGHS HVY ON A CTLR FROM A COUNTRY LIKE CHINA. HE MAY LOSE HIS JOB. HE MAY HAVE INTENDED THE FIRST TIME TO GIVE US AN IMMEDIATE TKOF AND FORGOT ABOUT US, OR WE MAY HAVE MISINTERPRETED HIS CALL. EITHER WAY, THE LANGUAGE BARRIER IS POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS PROB, IF WX WERE A FACTOR. CHINA ALSO HAS A HABIT OF ASKING QUESTIONS AS YOU ARE BRINGING UP THE GEAR LIKE, 'CAN YOU ACCEPT 11400 METERS' WHILE GIVING YOU OTHER INSTRUCTIONS. OUR CLRNC IS FOR 10200 METERS AND THEY COULD ASK THIS QUESTION MUCH LATER. IN CLOSING, COMS IN THE PACIFIC SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.

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.