B777-200 crew was cleared into position behind the departing A319. The controller did not make clear...

Attributes
ACN	592711
Time
Date	200309
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : egll.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold ground : holding ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : egll.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Airbus Industrie Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	592711
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We taxied from gate around east side of airport onto closed runway used for taxi purposes and told to stop at runway 27R holding position. We complied, stopping on closed runway/taxiway with 1 aircraft (an airbus) ahead. The airbus was waiting on a taxiway that connected the closed runway/taxiway and runway 27R, ahead and to the left, perpendicular to our position. Approximately 5 other aircraft were also waiting for runway 27R on another taxiway that also fed into runway 27R further west (left) of our position, heading east. There was a 10 min delay in takeoff clrncs due to an errant aircraft in the departure corridor. When takeoffs restarted, tower told us to taxi into position on runway 27R after the airbus takes off. After the airbus took off, we taxied into position on runway 27R. As we crossed the runway boundary, a conversation was heard between tower and another aircraft to the effect that 'air carrier X seems to be going ahead so we'll wait here.' after lining up on runway 27R, air carrier Y could see an A319 holding short of the runway. We radioed tower that 'if we followed the wrong airbus, do you want us to taxi clear?' tower advised 'no' and cleared us for takeoff. There was no violation filed to our knowledge. There was no danger of any aircraft taxiing into another aircraft. Human factors were involved in that united kingdom controllers appear to refer to air carrier Z aircraft as 'air carrier Z' and air carrier Y aircraft as 'air carrier Y' which is not a normal process for united states crews.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777-200 CREW WAS CLRED INTO POS BEHIND THE DEPARTING A319. THE CTLR DID NOT MAKE CLR THERE WAS A SECOND A319 THAT THE CREW DID NOT SEE AT EGLL.

Narrative: WE TAXIED FROM GATE AROUND E SIDE OF ARPT ONTO CLOSED RWY USED FOR TAXI PURPOSES AND TOLD TO STOP AT RWY 27R HOLDING POS. WE COMPLIED, STOPPING ON CLOSED RWY/TXWY WITH 1 ACFT (AN AIRBUS) AHEAD. THE AIRBUS WAS WAITING ON A TXWY THAT CONNECTED THE CLOSED RWY/TXWY AND RWY 27R, AHEAD AND TO THE L, PERPENDICULAR TO OUR POS. APPROX 5 OTHER ACFT WERE ALSO WAITING FOR RWY 27R ON ANOTHER TXWY THAT ALSO FED INTO RWY 27R FURTHER W (L) OF OUR POS, HDG E. THERE WAS A 10 MIN DELAY IN TKOF CLRNCS DUE TO AN ERRANT ACFT IN THE DEP CORRIDOR. WHEN TKOFS RESTARTED, TWR TOLD US TO TAXI INTO POS ON RWY 27R AFTER THE AIRBUS TAKES OFF. AFTER THE AIRBUS TOOK OFF, WE TAXIED INTO POS ON RWY 27R. AS WE CROSSED THE RWY BOUNDARY, A CONVERSATION WAS HEARD BTWN TWR AND ANOTHER ACFT TO THE EFFECT THAT 'ACR X SEEMS TO BE GOING AHEAD SO WE'LL WAIT HERE.' AFTER LINING UP ON RWY 27R, ACR Y COULD SEE AN A319 HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY. WE RADIOED TWR THAT 'IF WE FOLLOWED THE WRONG AIRBUS, DO YOU WANT US TO TAXI CLR?' TWR ADVISED 'NO' AND CLRED US FOR TKOF. THERE WAS NO VIOLATION FILED TO OUR KNOWLEDGE. THERE WAS NO DANGER OF ANY ACFT TAXIING INTO ANOTHER ACFT. HUMAN FACTORS WERE INVOLVED IN THAT UNITED KINGDOM CTLRS APPEAR TO REFER TO ACR Z ACFT AS 'ACR Z' AND ACR Y ACFT AS 'ACR Y' WHICH IS NOT A NORMAL PROCESS FOR UNITED STATES CREWS.

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.

B777-200 crew was cleared into position behind the departing A319. The controller did not make clear there was a second A319 that the crew did not see at egll.