Narrative:

I was a first officer on a part 121 flight departing pns. We taxied single engine to runway 35, started the other engine and accomplished remaining checklists. At the runway 35 hold short line, I made the normal PA announcement to the passenger and advised the flight attendant to be seated. During my PA, the captain heard tower clear us into position and hold. He acknowledged the radio call and taxied forward. Just after crossing the hold short line, we heard the tower clear a light twin on the opposite side of the runway for an intersection takeoff. We then stopped. I am not sure of the sequence, but the tower cleared an aircraft turning final to land and told us to hold short of the runway. Something was definitely wrong with this picture! Our nose was close to the runway edge, with another aircraft cleared to land, and our last clearance was to hold short of the runway. I advised the tower that we were past the hold short line, then tower cleared us to taxi down the runway and take the first turn-off. When the apt asked the tower if we had caused the problem, the response was something like 'no, you guys are all right.' evidently the tower controller made a mistake or we misunderstood the clearance. The outcome was good in this situation because the conflict was resolved in a timely manner by the tower and the crew. Contributing factors: the local controller was busy with arriving/departing traffic and a transitioning flight of helicopters. The captain noted afterwards that he was hearing my PA in his headset while he was monitoring/responding to the tower. That may have interfered with receiving the clearance. If the clearance was misunderstood, the tower did not correct the captain when he read back 'cleared into position and hold.' corrective action: crew should ensure both are ready to monitor clearance or, if not, ask to hold short for whatever time is necessary. I briefed the captain on deselecting the intercom switch during the RA so he would not have that interference in his headset. ATC should verify clearance readbacks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 FLT CREW CROSSES THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINE AT PNS.

Narrative: I WAS A FO ON A PART 121 FLT DEPARTING PNS. WE TAXIED SINGLE ENG TO RWY 35, STARTED THE OTHER ENG AND ACCOMPLISHED REMAINING CHKLISTS. AT THE RWY 35 HOLD SHORT LINE, I MADE THE NORMAL PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX AND ADVISED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO BE SEATED. DURING MY PA, THE CAPT HEARD TWR CLR US INTO POS AND HOLD. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE RADIO CALL AND TAXIED FORWARD. JUST AFTER XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE, WE HEARD THE TWR CLR A LIGHT TWIN ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE RWY FOR AN INTXN TKOF. WE THEN STOPPED. I AM NOT SURE OF THE SEQUENCE, BUT THE TWR CLRED AN ACFT TURNING FINAL TO LAND AND TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. SOMETHING WAS DEFINITELY WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE! OUR NOSE WAS CLOSE TO THE RWY EDGE, WITH ANOTHER ACFT CLRED TO LAND, AND OUR LAST CLRNC WAS TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. I ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE WERE PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE, THEN TWR CLRED US TO TAXI DOWN THE RWY AND TAKE THE FIRST TURN-OFF. WHEN THE APT ASKED THE TWR IF WE HAD CAUSED THE PROB, THE RESPONSE WAS SOMETHING LIKE 'NO, YOU GUYS ARE ALL RIGHT.' EVIDENTLY THE TWR CTLR MADE A MISTAKE OR WE MISUNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC. THE OUTCOME WAS GOOD IN THIS SIT BECAUSE THE CONFLICT WAS RESOLVED IN A TIMELY MANNER BY THE TWR AND THE CREW. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE LCL CTLR WAS BUSY WITH ARRIVING/DEPARTING TFC AND A TRANSITIONING FLT OF HELIS. THE CAPT NOTED AFTERWARDS THAT HE WAS HEARING MY PA IN HIS HEADSET WHILE HE WAS MONITORING/RESPONDING TO THE TWR. THAT MAY HAVE INTERFERED WITH RECEIVING THE CLRNC. IF THE CLRNC WAS MISUNDERSTOOD, THE TWR DID NOT CORRECT THE CAPT WHEN HE READ BACK 'CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD.' CORRECTIVE ACTION: CREW SHOULD ENSURE BOTH ARE READY TO MONITOR CLRNC OR, IF NOT, ASK TO HOLD SHORT FOR WHATEVER TIME IS NECESSARY. I BRIEFED THE CAPT ON DESELECTING THE INTERCOM SWITCH DURING THE RA SO HE WOULD NOT HAVE THAT INTERFERENCE IN HIS HEADSET. ATC SHOULD VERIFY CLRNC READBACKS.

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.