Narrative:

We were given an XA53 local wheels up time for departure. We were sitting #1 at runway 3L/taxiway M intersection at XA52 local. At this time there was a radio transmission from tower which all I heard was 'position and hold runway 3L.' I did not respond to this call. The captain said, 'that was for us.' I then responded, 'air carrier X position and hold.' I cannot remember if I included runway 3L in the transmission. We checked final and saw there was an aircraft on final at an extended distance, (normal spacing for a takeoff). The captain taxied into position and was holding while I finished the before takeoff checklists. After a few seconds sitting on the runway, (which I remember as a few seconds), the tower told us to exit the runway, right turn to clear at taxiway PP1. During the initial clearing of the taxiway, tower said we had a new efc time of XA58 local. When we were making the 180 degree turn at PP1 tower then came back and said, 'call us when you get to your destination at telephone number XXX (dtw tower number) for a possible pilot deviation violation.' needless to say the leg back to ZZZ was not a happy one. When we landed at ZZZ, the captain called dtw tower. They had listened to the tapes with the following results. The tower controller had cleared the aircraft on final to land runway 3L, but in the same transmission also cleared him to taxi into position and hold runway 3L. Something to the effect, 'air carrier Y cleared to land runway 3L, taxi into position and hold runway 3L.' the captain had heard this taxi into position and hold runway 3L and since I did not respond to this call, that's why he said 'that was for us.' when I read back the position and hold call, the controller did not respond immediately to us because he may have thought he had cleared us into position and hold. Within a few seconds the error was discovered and we were instructed to clear the runway with the aircraft on final, landing uneventful. The tower said no further pilot deviation/violation would be taken since tower had made the initial error without correcting it. We, as the pilots, also compounded this error. We could have also corrected it. Lessons learned: (which I already knew, but did not follow). 1) be sure both pilots fully understand the radio xmissions. If both pilots are not 100% clear and sure of the content then ask the controller again. 2) this was also a great set up. We were sitting #1 with 1 min to go for our departure time and heard position and hold. Be sure the radio transmission is for you. Hear what is actually said and not what you want to hear to fulfill your expectations.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR DEP FROM DTW EXPERIENCED CONFUSION WITH ATC CLRNC AND IS DIRECTED TO EXIT RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN AN XA53 LCL WHEELS UP TIME FOR DEP. WE WERE SITTING #1 AT RWY 3L/TXWY M INTXN AT XA52 LCL. AT THIS TIME THERE WAS A RADIO XMISSION FROM TWR WHICH ALL I HEARD WAS 'POS AND HOLD RWY 3L.' I DID NOT RESPOND TO THIS CALL. THE CAPT SAID, 'THAT WAS FOR US.' I THEN RESPONDED, 'ACR X POS AND HOLD.' I CANNOT REMEMBER IF I INCLUDED RWY 3L IN THE XMISSION. WE CHKED FINAL AND SAW THERE WAS AN ACFT ON FINAL AT AN EXTENDED DISTANCE, (NORMAL SPACING FOR A TKOF). THE CAPT TAXIED INTO POS AND WAS HOLDING WHILE I FINISHED THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLISTS. AFTER A FEW SECONDS SITTING ON THE RWY, (WHICH I REMEMBER AS A FEW SECONDS), THE TWR TOLD US TO EXIT THE RWY, R TURN TO CLR AT TXWY PP1. DURING THE INITIAL CLRING OF THE TXWY, TWR SAID WE HAD A NEW EFC TIME OF XA58 LCL. WHEN WE WERE MAKING THE 180 DEG TURN AT PP1 TWR THEN CAME BACK AND SAID, 'CALL US WHEN YOU GET TO YOUR DEST AT TELEPHONE NUMBER XXX (DTW TWR NUMBER) FOR A POSSIBLE PLTDEV VIOLATION.' NEEDLESS TO SAY THE LEG BACK TO ZZZ WAS NOT A HAPPY ONE. WHEN WE LANDED AT ZZZ, THE CAPT CALLED DTW TWR. THEY HAD LISTENED TO THE TAPES WITH THE FOLLOWING RESULTS. THE TWR CTLR HAD CLRED THE ACFT ON FINAL TO LAND RWY 3L, BUT IN THE SAME XMISSION ALSO CLRED HIM TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 3L. SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT, 'ACR Y CLRED TO LAND RWY 3L, TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 3L.' THE CAPT HAD HEARD THIS TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 3L AND SINCE I DID NOT RESPOND TO THIS CALL, THAT'S WHY HE SAID 'THAT WAS FOR US.' WHEN I READ BACK THE POS AND HOLD CALL, THE CTLR DID NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO US BECAUSE HE MAY HAVE THOUGHT HE HAD CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CLR THE RWY WITH THE ACFT ON FINAL, LNDG UNEVENTFUL. THE TWR SAID NO FURTHER PLTDEV/VIOLATION WOULD BE TAKEN SINCE TWR HAD MADE THE INITIAL ERROR WITHOUT CORRECTING IT. WE, AS THE PLTS, ALSO COMPOUNDED THIS ERROR. WE COULD HAVE ALSO CORRECTED IT. LESSONS LEARNED: (WHICH I ALREADY KNEW, BUT DID NOT FOLLOW). 1) BE SURE BOTH PLTS FULLY UNDERSTAND THE RADIO XMISSIONS. IF BOTH PLTS ARE NOT 100% CLR AND SURE OF THE CONTENT THEN ASK THE CTLR AGAIN. 2) THIS WAS ALSO A GREAT SET UP. WE WERE SITTING #1 WITH 1 MIN TO GO FOR OUR DEP TIME AND HEARD POS AND HOLD. BE SURE THE RADIO XMISSION IS FOR YOU. HEAR WHAT IS ACTUALLY SAID AND NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR TO FULFILL YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

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.