During a night operation, a commuter flight alerts the tower to the fact that their takeoff clearanc...

Attributes
ACN	564340
Time
Date	200211
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
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
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : san.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	564340
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	564343
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We had taxied out for takeoff and were #1 at the hold short line on the north side of runway 27 at san diego airport. At the same time, there were passenger carrying aircraft holding short of the same runway on the south side. The control tower radioed what we thought we heard was 'aircraft X position and hold.' my first officer responded with 'roger, aircraft X position and hold.' after about 1 min on the runway in position, we heard the tower clear a commuter plane for takeoff. We then heard the commuter plane respond with 'that's aircraft X on the runway.' the tower then instructed us, 'aircraft X cleared for takeoff' and we complied with the clearance. I am absolutely positive that we responded to the tower with an 'air carrier X position and hold' radio transmission and we heard nothing back from either the tower controller or commuter questioning who exactly was supposed to position and hold. It's possible that the commuter may have had a flight number that was similar to ours and it's also possible that because both of our flts had female coplts working the radio, the tower may have thought he heard a position and hold readback from commuter. In any event, the bottom line on all this is that even if we did err by positioning onto the runway, it was an honest mistake that neither the tower nor commuter questioned after our readback to position and hold. We simply thought we had clearance onto the runway and were routinely complying with the control tower's directive.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A NIGHT OP, A COMMUTER FLT ALERTS THE TWR TO THE FACT THAT THEIR TKOF CLRNC IS NOT VALID SINCE A B727 CARGO FLT WAS IN POS AND HOLD IN FRONT OF THEM ON RWY 27 AT SAN, CA.

Narrative: WE HAD TAXIED OUT FOR TKOF AND WERE #1 AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON THE N SIDE OF RWY 27 AT SAN DIEGO ARPT. AT THE SAME TIME, THERE WERE PAX CARRYING ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF THE SAME RWY ON THE S SIDE. THE CTL TWR RADIOED WHAT WE THOUGHT WE HEARD WAS 'ACFT X POS AND HOLD.' MY FO RESPONDED WITH 'ROGER, ACFT X POS AND HOLD.' AFTER ABOUT 1 MIN ON THE RWY IN POS, WE HEARD THE TWR CLR A COMMUTER PLANE FOR TKOF. WE THEN HEARD THE COMMUTER PLANE RESPOND WITH 'THAT'S ACFT X ON THE RWY.' THE TWR THEN INSTRUCTED US, 'ACFT X CLRED FOR TKOF' AND WE COMPLIED WITH THE CLRNC. I AM ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE THAT WE RESPONDED TO THE TWR WITH AN 'ACR X POS AND HOLD' RADIO XMISSION AND WE HEARD NOTHING BACK FROM EITHER THE TWR CTLR OR COMMUTER QUESTIONING WHO EXACTLY WAS SUPPOSED TO POS AND HOLD. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE COMMUTER MAY HAVE HAD A FLT NUMBER THAT WAS SIMILAR TO OURS AND IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE THAT BECAUSE BOTH OF OUR FLTS HAD FEMALE COPLTS WORKING THE RADIO, THE TWR MAY HAVE THOUGHT HE HEARD A POS AND HOLD READBACK FROM COMMUTER. IN ANY EVENT, THE BOTTOM LINE ON ALL THIS IS THAT EVEN IF WE DID ERR BY POSITIONING ONTO THE RWY, IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE THAT NEITHER THE TWR NOR COMMUTER QUESTIONED AFTER OUR READBACK TO POS AND HOLD. WE SIMPLY THOUGHT WE HAD CLRNC ONTO THE RWY AND WERE ROUTINELY COMPLYING WITH THE CTL TWR'S DIRECTIVE.

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.

During a night operation, a commuter flight alerts the tower to the fact that their takeoff clearance is not valid since a B727 cargo flight was in position and hold in front of them on runway 27 at san, ca.