B777-200 crew was cleared into position ahead of a landing air carrier aircraft at rjaa.

Attributes
ACN	589409
Time
Date	200308
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rjaa.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : rjaa.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : rjaa.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : go around
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	589409
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	589611
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : executed go around
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On aug/fri/03, I was acting as the first officer of flight from nrt to ZZZ. After completing the pre-departure checks, we pushed back from our parking spot, started engines and proceeded to taxi for takeoff from runway 34L at nrt. While taxiing, ground control asked if we would be ready at the end implying that a takeoff clearance was imminent, to which I replied 'affirmative.' at that time we were instructed to contact tower. Upon contact with the tower, we were instructed to 'continue.' as we approached the departure end of runway 34L, the tower instructed us to 'position and hold runway 34L,' to which I read back, 'air carrier X position and hold runway 34L.' at this point there was no response from the tower indicating a correct readback. Upon taking position on runway 34L, air carrier Y flight contacted the tower that they were inside the final approach fix. Tower responded 'continue' which is a typical response when another aircraft is still on the runway. Noticing the proximity of air carrier Y on the TCASII (approximately 300-400 ft AGL) I keyed the microphone and stated that air carrier X was still on the runway. Simultaneously, the tower instructed, air carrier Y to go around. Tower then questioned us as to why we were on the runway and stated that he told us to hold short. I refuted his statement that he cleared us into position. Subsequently, we were cleared for takeoff. After contacting departure, we were notified to contact approach on another frequency which had a supervisor on the other end. In his inquiry, the supervisor asked us why we had a runway incursion to which I responded that we in fact did not have a runway incursion and we were cleared onto runway 34L. I reiterated that we were cleared into position, I read back that we were cleared into position, that the 3 of us on the flight deck heard that we were cleared into position, and that the controller never responded to the contrary. The supervisor stated that he would pull the tapes to review the dialog. At the time of this event, the WX was reported to be overcast at approximately 200 ft, and visibility was approximately 1 mi. Additionally, there was very little ground traffic and neither the ground nor tower frequencys were congested.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777-200 CREW WAS CLRED INTO POS AHEAD OF A LNDG ACR ACFT AT RJAA.

Narrative: ON AUG/FRI/03, I WAS ACTING AS THE FO OF FLT FROM NRT TO ZZZ. AFTER COMPLETING THE PRE-DEP CHKS, WE PUSHED BACK FROM OUR PARKING SPOT, STARTED ENGS AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI FOR TKOF FROM RWY 34L AT NRT. WHILE TAXIING, GND CTL ASKED IF WE WOULD BE READY AT THE END IMPLYING THAT A TKOF CLRNC WAS IMMINENT, TO WHICH I REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE.' AT THAT TIME WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT TWR. UPON CONTACT WITH THE TWR, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO 'CONTINUE.' AS WE APCHED THE DEP END OF RWY 34L, THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO 'POS AND HOLD RWY 34L,' TO WHICH I READ BACK, 'ACR X POS AND HOLD RWY 34L.' AT THIS POINT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWR INDICATING A CORRECT READBACK. UPON TAKING POS ON RWY 34L, ACR Y FLT CONTACTED THE TWR THAT THEY WERE INSIDE THE FINAL APCH FIX. TWR RESPONDED 'CONTINUE' WHICH IS A TYPICAL RESPONSE WHEN ANOTHER ACFT IS STILL ON THE RWY. NOTICING THE PROX OF ACR Y ON THE TCASII (APPROX 300-400 FT AGL) I KEYED THE MIKE AND STATED THAT ACR X WAS STILL ON THE RWY. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE TWR INSTRUCTED, ACR Y TO GO AROUND. TWR THEN QUESTIONED US AS TO WHY WE WERE ON THE RWY AND STATED THAT HE TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT. I REFUTED HIS STATEMENT THAT HE CLRED US INTO POS. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. AFTER CONTACTING DEP, WE WERE NOTIFIED TO CONTACT APCH ON ANOTHER FREQ WHICH HAD A SUPVR ON THE OTHER END. IN HIS INQUIRY, THE SUPVR ASKED US WHY WE HAD A RWY INCURSION TO WHICH I RESPONDED THAT WE IN FACT DID NOT HAVE A RWY INCURSION AND WE WERE CLRED ONTO RWY 34L. I REITERATED THAT WE WERE CLRED INTO POS, I READ BACK THAT WE WERE CLRED INTO POS, THAT THE 3 OF US ON THE FLT DECK HEARD THAT WE WERE CLRED INTO POS, AND THAT THE CTLR NEVER RESPONDED TO THE CONTRARY. THE SUPVR STATED THAT HE WOULD PULL THE TAPES TO REVIEW THE DIALOG. AT THE TIME OF THIS EVENT, THE WX WAS RPTED TO BE OVCST AT APPROX 200 FT, AND VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 1 MI. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE GND TFC AND NEITHER THE GND NOR TWR FREQS WERE CONGESTED.

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.