DH8C flight crew is confused with ATC taxi and departure instructions at clt.

Attributes
ACN	598710
Time
Date	200311
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sat.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 233 flight time total : 4900 flight time type : 2600
ASRS Report	598710
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While taxiing out to runway 36R in clt we were following another aircraft several hundred yards in front of us. We were monitoring the tower on the #1 radio. I left the frequency to make the announcement that we were next for departure. The tower called and told us to expect to depart from intersection C2. I believe the captain acknowledged. As I came back up to the #1 radio, the tower cleared the aircraft in front of us for takeoff. We were still 600-700 yards from the C2 intersection. We started to pass intersection C2 expecting to depart from the end of the runway since there was no traffic in front of us. At a point where it would have been difficult to turn into C2 the tower cleared us into position and hold on runway 36R at C2. He then said that we had passed by C2 and I asked if we could have the full length. He said he told us to expect C2 and asked if we needed the full length. I replied yes, so he cleared us for takeoff from the end. The remainder of the flight was normal. Neither I nor the captain understood why we would be told to depart from an intersection when there was no aircraft between us and the end of the runway. The previous aircraft had departed at least 20 seconds prior and there was no aircraft on final approach that we could see. Clt normally has us depart from the C2 intersection during times of heavy traffic. This was not a heavy traffic time period. A normal clearance from the tower is to hold short of C2 or pull into C2 and hold short of the runway. This whole situation seemed confusing to the both of us to depart from an intersection when there wasn't another aircraft in front of us waiting to depart.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DH8C FLT CREW IS CONFUSED WITH ATC TAXI AND DEP INSTRUCTIONS AT CLT.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUT TO RWY 36R IN CLT WE WERE FOLLOWING ANOTHER ACFT SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS IN FRONT OF US. WE WERE MONITORING THE TWR ON THE #1 RADIO. I LEFT THE FREQ TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE WERE NEXT FOR DEP. THE TWR CALLED AND TOLD US TO EXPECT TO DEPART FROM INTXN C2. I BELIEVE THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED. AS I CAME BACK UP TO THE #1 RADIO, THE TWR CLRED THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US FOR TKOF. WE WERE STILL 600-700 YARDS FROM THE C2 INTXN. WE STARTED TO PASS INTXN C2 EXPECTING TO DEPART FROM THE END OF THE RWY SINCE THERE WAS NO TFC IN FRONT OF US. AT A POINT WHERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO TURN INTO C2 THE TWR CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 36R AT C2. HE THEN SAID THAT WE HAD PASSED BY C2 AND I ASKED IF WE COULD HAVE THE FULL LENGTH. HE SAID HE TOLD US TO EXPECT C2 AND ASKED IF WE NEEDED THE FULL LENGTH. I REPLIED YES, SO HE CLRED US FOR TKOF FROM THE END. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS NORMAL. NEITHER I NOR THE CAPT UNDERSTOOD WHY WE WOULD BE TOLD TO DEPART FROM AN INTXN WHEN THERE WAS NO ACFT BTWN US AND THE END OF THE RWY. THE PREVIOUS ACFT HAD DEPARTED AT LEAST 20 SECONDS PRIOR AND THERE WAS NO ACFT ON FINAL APCH THAT WE COULD SEE. CLT NORMALLY HAS US DEPART FROM THE C2 INTXN DURING TIMES OF HVY TFC. THIS WAS NOT A HVY TFC TIME PERIOD. A NORMAL CLRNC FROM THE TWR IS TO HOLD SHORT OF C2 OR PULL INTO C2 AND HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. THIS WHOLE SIT SEEMED CONFUSING TO THE BOTH OF US TO DEPART FROM AN INTXN WHEN THERE WASN'T ANOTHER ACFT IN FRONT OF US WAITING TO DEPART.

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.