Narrative:

While holding short of runway 8 at iah, I heard the tower controller issue taxi into position and hold instructions for my flight. The call sign was partially blocked out, but readable, so I read back the instructions and asked for clarification that those instructions were for us. I heard a second time to taxi into position runway 8, so I read back again, 'taxi into position and hold runway 8.' at this time the captain released brakes and slowly passed the hold short line. When we were about 8-10 ft over the line, the tower said 'hold position, hold position' at which point the captain stopped the aircraft. At no point was there a conflict with the landing aircraft nor was there any loss of separation. The controller stated that there was no problem whatsoever. It is important to note that the runway was extremely busy, departures and arrs spaced very closely. The talking on the tower frequency was extremely fast paced, so it is entirely possible that my readback was blocked, which is why I read back twice. On this day, there was a certain flow to the lndgs and takeoffs. All landing aircraft were asked to take the first turn off of the active runway so that the following aircraft would be able to land. All departing aircraft were told to be ready for immediate takeoffs. As a result, I believe that most pilots would be expecting to quickly take the runway for departure and would be expecting a position and hold clearance as soon as the landing aircraft crossed the threshold. Supplemental information from acn 561294: a B757/or B767 was on final to runway 8 at iah and landed uneventfully. It seems ATC's #1 priority is to move airplanes and the ATC environment is becoming too saturated. The #1 concern should be safety, then #2, aircraft movement. Also, pilots and ATC personnel in the USA are using too much slang, not using standard ICAO language. Pilots and ATC personnel need to pass an ICAO language examination in the USA like they do in europe and japan before certification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NEAR GND CONFLICT WHEN A B737-500 FLT CROSSES OVER THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINE WITH TFC ON FINAL AT HOU, TX.

Narrative: WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 8 AT IAH, I HEARD THE TWR CTLR ISSUE TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD INSTRUCTIONS FOR MY FLT. THE CALL SIGN WAS PARTIALLY BLOCKED OUT, BUT READABLE, SO I READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS AND ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION THAT THOSE INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOR US. I HEARD A SECOND TIME TO TAXI INTO POS RWY 8, SO I READ BACK AGAIN, 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 8.' AT THIS TIME THE CAPT RELEASED BRAKES AND SLOWLY PASSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 8-10 FT OVER THE LINE, THE TWR SAID 'HOLD POS, HOLD POS' AT WHICH POINT THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT. AT NO POINT WAS THERE A CONFLICT WITH THE LNDG ACFT NOR WAS THERE ANY LOSS OF SEPARATION. THE CTLR STATED THAT THERE WAS NO PROB WHATSOEVER. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE RWY WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, DEPS AND ARRS SPACED VERY CLOSELY. THE TALKING ON THE TWR FREQ WAS EXTREMELY FAST PACED, SO IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT MY READBACK WAS BLOCKED, WHICH IS WHY I READ BACK TWICE. ON THIS DAY, THERE WAS A CERTAIN FLOW TO THE LNDGS AND TKOFS. ALL LNDG ACFT WERE ASKED TO TAKE THE FIRST TURN OFF OF THE ACTIVE RWY SO THAT THE FOLLOWING ACFT WOULD BE ABLE TO LAND. ALL DEPARTING ACFT WERE TOLD TO BE READY FOR IMMEDIATE TKOFS. AS A RESULT, I BELIEVE THAT MOST PLTS WOULD BE EXPECTING TO QUICKLY TAKE THE RWY FOR DEP AND WOULD BE EXPECTING A POS AND HOLD CLRNC AS SOON AS THE LNDG ACFT CROSSED THE THRESHOLD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 561294: A B757/OR B767 WAS ON FINAL TO RWY 8 AT IAH AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. IT SEEMS ATC'S #1 PRIORITY IS TO MOVE AIRPLANES AND THE ATC ENVIRONMENT IS BECOMING TOO SATURATED. THE #1 CONCERN SHOULD BE SAFETY, THEN #2, ACFT MOVEMENT. ALSO, PLTS AND ATC PERSONNEL IN THE USA ARE USING TOO MUCH SLANG, NOT USING STANDARD ICAO LANGUAGE. PLTS AND ATC PERSONNEL NEED TO PASS AN ICAO LANGUAGE EXAMINATION IN THE USA LIKE THEY DO IN EUROPE AND JAPAN BEFORE CERTIFICATION.

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.