Runway incursion by the flight crew of a B727-200 when the PIC assumes the clearance as read by the ...

Attributes
ACN	562686
Time
Date	200210
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gso.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	562686
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 6500
ASRS Report	563028
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We left the gate about 15 mins prior to our 'wheels-up' time. Ground asked us to wait on taxiway a. Just short of taxiway K, near the approach end of runway 5. At approximately our wheels-up time, with 1 aircraft about to touch down, we were instructed 'you can taxi to runway 5 now.' in the context of where we were, both I and my so (incorrectly) interpreted this as an instruction to taxi onto runway 5 for immediate release. Fortunately, the first officer pointed out my error just as I crossed the hold short line and I brought the aircraft to a stop within a few feet. Contributing factors: we were already so close to the runway that a clearance to taxi to it seemed redundant. We had been holding so long at the end of the runway with no traffic on the frequency that I had forgotten that we were still on ground control. Because our wheels-up time had just arrived, I was expecting a clearance to 'taxi into position and hold.' to prevent a recurrence: I will listen more carefully in the future, being alert for misperceptions caused by 'expectancy.' ground control might have used the terminology 'taxi up to and hold short of runway 5,' which would have eliminated any chance of misperception on my part. Supplemental information from acn 563028: approaching our eto, ground switched us to tower, who instructed 'cleared to runway 5.' as soon as I (copilot) realized captain's misunderstanding, I commanded him to stop the aircraft immediately. I called tower to tell them of our position, and they were not concerned as there was no traffic for runway 5. This incident itself is benign, but illustrates the problem of receiving a clearance with non-standard phraseology (should have been: 'taxi up to and hold short of runway 5'). While expecting to hear something else ('taxi into position and hold runway 5). The phrase 'cleared to runway 5' directly contributed to the captain's misunderstanding.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION BY THE FLC OF A B727-200 WHEN THE PIC ASSUMES THE CLRNC AS READ BY THE CTLR MEANT THAT THEY WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD AT GSO, NC.

Narrative: WE LEFT THE GATE ABOUT 15 MINS PRIOR TO OUR 'WHEELS-UP' TIME. GND ASKED US TO WAIT ON TXWY A. JUST SHORT OF TXWY K, NEAR THE APCH END OF RWY 5. AT APPROX OUR WHEELS-UP TIME, WITH 1 ACFT ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN, WE WERE INSTRUCTED 'YOU CAN TAXI TO RWY 5 NOW.' IN THE CONTEXT OF WHERE WE WERE, BOTH I AND MY SO (INCORRECTLY) INTERPRETED THIS AS AN INSTRUCTION TO TAXI ONTO RWY 5 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. FORTUNATELY, THE FO POINTED OUT MY ERROR JUST AS I CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP WITHIN A FEW FEET. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WE WERE ALREADY SO CLOSE TO THE RWY THAT A CLRNC TO TAXI TO IT SEEMED REDUNDANT. WE HAD BEEN HOLDING SO LONG AT THE END OF THE RWY WITH NO TFC ON THE FREQ THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN THAT WE WERE STILL ON GND CTL. BECAUSE OUR WHEELS-UP TIME HAD JUST ARRIVED, I WAS EXPECTING A CLRNC TO 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE: I WILL LISTEN MORE CAREFULLY IN THE FUTURE, BEING ALERT FOR MISPERCEPTIONS CAUSED BY 'EXPECTANCY.' GND CTL MIGHT HAVE USED THE TERMINOLOGY 'TAXI UP TO AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 5,' WHICH WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED ANY CHANCE OF MISPERCEPTION ON MY PART. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 563028: APCHING OUR ETO, GND SWITCHED US TO TWR, WHO INSTRUCTED 'CLRED TO RWY 5.' AS SOON AS I (COPLT) REALIZED CAPT'S MISUNDERSTANDING, I COMMANDED HIM TO STOP THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY. I CALLED TWR TO TELL THEM OF OUR POS, AND THEY WERE NOT CONCERNED AS THERE WAS NO TFC FOR RWY 5. THIS INCIDENT ITSELF IS BENIGN, BUT ILLUSTRATES THE PROB OF RECEIVING A CLRNC WITH NON-STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY (SHOULD HAVE BEEN: 'TAXI UP TO AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 5'). WHILE EXPECTING TO HEAR SOMETHING ELSE ('TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 5). THE PHRASE 'CLRED TO RWY 5' DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE CAPT'S MISUNDERSTANDING.

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.

Runway incursion by the flight crew of a B727-200 when the PIC assumes the clearance as read by the controller meant that they were cleared into position and hold at gso, nc.