Narrative:

Event occurred while holding short of runway 27 at mumbai, india's chhatrapah shivaji international airport. We had already received our ATC departure clearance during the taxi out. We were holding short of runway 27 at the hold short line for approximately 3 mins when the tower controller called us and said 'aircraft X cleared for takeoff runway 27, bimot 1A, climb to FL280 by bimot.' the first officer repeated 'aircraft X cleared for takeoff' and repeated the rest of the clearance. Tower controller repeated the clearance back, and the first officer repeated once again 'aircraft X cleared for takeoff,' and repeated the rest of the clearance again. After that, the tower controller did not respond. We then visually cleared the approach and departure corridor for landing traffic, and also noted an aircraft on TCASII, which was on about an 8 mi final. Captain started to taxi toward the runway when a second controller came on the radio and said 'aircraft X, confirm clear of runway.' the captain immediately stopped the aircraft, and the nose stopped about halfway between the hold short line, and the edge of the runway, and the first officer replied 'negative, aircraft X is not clear of the runway.' at this point, tower directed an aircraft Y on approximately a 4 mi final to execute a go around. (The second controller that told us to confirm clear of the runway may have been a supervisor.) in summary: the same ATC departure clearance was given to us while taxiing out, and while holding short of runway 27. Also, while holding short of runway 27, the tower called and told us what all 3 crew members heard as 'cleared for takeoff.' the first officer repeated 'cleared for takeoff' both times to the tower controller, but was never corrected. A possible contributing factor was the ATC phraseology using the word 'takeoff' when issuing departure instructions while holding short.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT LCL CTLR AT VABB MAY HAVE USED CONFUSING PHRASEOLOGY WHEN HE WANTED AN MD11 FLT TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY FOR LNDG TFC.

Narrative: EVENT OCCURRED WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 27 AT MUMBAI, INDIA'S CHHATRAPAH SHIVAJI INTL ARPT. WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED OUR ATC DEP CLRNC DURING THE TAXI OUT. WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 27 AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR APPROX 3 MINS WHEN THE TWR CTLR CALLED US AND SAID 'ACFT X CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 27, BIMOT 1A, CLB TO FL280 BY BIMOT.' THE FO REPEATED 'ACFT X CLRED FOR TKOF' AND REPEATED THE REST OF THE CLRNC. TWR CTLR REPEATED THE CLRNC BACK, AND THE FO REPEATED ONCE AGAIN 'ACFT X CLRED FOR TKOF,' AND REPEATED THE REST OF THE CLRNC AGAIN. AFTER THAT, THE TWR CTLR DID NOT RESPOND. WE THEN VISUALLY CLRED THE APCH AND DEP CORRIDOR FOR LNDG TFC, AND ALSO NOTED AN ACFT ON TCASII, WHICH WAS ON ABOUT AN 8 MI FINAL. CAPT STARTED TO TAXI TOWARD THE RWY WHEN A SECOND CTLR CAME ON THE RADIO AND SAID 'ACFT X, CONFIRM CLR OF RWY.' THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT, AND THE NOSE STOPPED ABOUT HALFWAY BTWN THE HOLD SHORT LINE, AND THE EDGE OF THE RWY, AND THE FO REPLIED 'NEGATIVE, ACFT X IS NOT CLR OF THE RWY.' AT THIS POINT, TWR DIRECTED AN ACFT Y ON APPROX A 4 MI FINAL TO EXECUTE A GAR. (THE SECOND CTLR THAT TOLD US TO CONFIRM CLR OF THE RWY MAY HAVE BEEN A SUPVR.) IN SUMMARY: THE SAME ATC DEP CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO US WHILE TAXIING OUT, AND WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 27. ALSO, WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 27, THE TWR CALLED AND TOLD US WHAT ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS HEARD AS 'CLRED FOR TKOF.' THE FO REPEATED 'CLRED FOR TKOF' BOTH TIMES TO THE TWR CTLR, BUT WAS NEVER CORRECTED. A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE ATC PHRASEOLOGY USING THE WORD 'TKOF' WHEN ISSUING DEP INSTRUCTIONS WHILE HOLDING SHORT.

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.