Narrative:

During taxi out from gate, we were told that there would be a runway change. Instead of choshi 1 runway 16R, we were given the choshi 1 runway 34L. Our taxi route was hn gateway h-d-a-runway 34L. Our pace to the runway was unhurried. In fact, we held for a couple of mins just short of taxiway a before being cleared onward. During this time we completed checklists and all 3 of us were monitoring our progress to runway 34L. There is an altitude restr of 7000 ft on the choshi 1 runway 34L. As we taxied, the ground controller had us delete that restr. Both the relief pilot and I heard the call and the first officer read it back with our call sign. After we taxied onto taxiway a, the ATC again called and told us to line up and wait. Again the relief pilot and I head the clearance and had the first officer read back with call sign. For some reason the first officer was having trouble understanding ATC. I called for 'the final items' and proceeded to taxi from taxiway a to runway 34L via taxiway A11. Being new to the aircraft, I taxied slowly (5-6 KTS) in the turn. I visually cleared the approach corridor and looked down the runway before turning onto it. Meanwhile the first officer was completing the 'list.' both the relief pilot and I saw landing lights on short final for runway 16R. I stopped immediately. Our nose was about 8 ft into the runway. The landing aircraft was our sister flight. The first officer told the tower we were still 'holding short,' whereupon the ground switched us to tower. We checked in with tower and were told to hold short. As landing aircraft cleared at mid field, we were cleared into position. The first officer called to verify our altitude clearance and we were given the 7000 ft restr! We could have had a major runway incursion and an altitude bust within 10 mins. Upon reflection there were several red flags. The fact that ground cleared us into position for takeoff. The other was the first officer's difficulty with communication. One other was ATC had their hands full with the runway change. I can only attribute jet lag as the reason for our lack of response to these cues. We may not have been sleepy but we weren't rested!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 FLT CREW IS CONFUSED WITH GND TAXI CLRNC AT NRT, XING RWY HOLD LINE WITH TFC ON FINAL.

Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT FROM GATE, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WOULD BE A RWY CHANGE. INSTEAD OF CHOSHI 1 RWY 16R, WE WERE GIVEN THE CHOSHI 1 RWY 34L. OUR TAXI RTE WAS HN GATEWAY H-D-A-RWY 34L. OUR PACE TO THE RWY WAS UNHURRIED. IN FACT, WE HELD FOR A COUPLE OF MINS JUST SHORT OF TXWY A BEFORE BEING CLRED ONWARD. DURING THIS TIME WE COMPLETED CHKLISTS AND ALL 3 OF US WERE MONITORING OUR PROGRESS TO RWY 34L. THERE IS AN ALT RESTR OF 7000 FT ON THE CHOSHI 1 RWY 34L. AS WE TAXIED, THE GND CTLR HAD US DELETE THAT RESTR. BOTH THE RELIEF PLT AND I HEARD THE CALL AND THE FO READ IT BACK WITH OUR CALL SIGN. AFTER WE TAXIED ONTO TXWY A, THE ATC AGAIN CALLED AND TOLD US TO LINE UP AND WAIT. AGAIN THE RELIEF PLT AND I HEAD THE CLRNC AND HAD THE FO READ BACK WITH CALL SIGN. FOR SOME REASON THE FO WAS HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING ATC. I CALLED FOR 'THE FINAL ITEMS' AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI FROM TXWY A TO RWY 34L VIA TXWY A11. BEING NEW TO THE ACFT, I TAXIED SLOWLY (5-6 KTS) IN THE TURN. I VISUALLY CLRED THE APCH CORRIDOR AND LOOKED DOWN THE RWY BEFORE TURNING ONTO IT. MEANWHILE THE FO WAS COMPLETING THE 'LIST.' BOTH THE RELIEF PLT AND I SAW LNDG LIGHTS ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 16R. I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. OUR NOSE WAS ABOUT 8 FT INTO THE RWY. THE LNDG ACFT WAS OUR SISTER FLT. THE FO TOLD THE TWR WE WERE STILL 'HOLDING SHORT,' WHEREUPON THE GND SWITCHED US TO TWR. WE CHKED IN WITH TWR AND WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT. AS LNDG ACFT CLRED AT MID FIELD, WE WERE CLRED INTO POS. THE FO CALLED TO VERIFY OUR ALT CLRNC AND WE WERE GIVEN THE 7000 FT RESTR! WE COULD HAVE HAD A MAJOR RWY INCURSION AND AN ALT BUST WITHIN 10 MINS. UPON REFLECTION THERE WERE SEVERAL RED FLAGS. THE FACT THAT GND CLRED US INTO POS FOR TKOF. THE OTHER WAS THE FO'S DIFFICULTY WITH COM. ONE OTHER WAS ATC HAD THEIR HANDS FULL WITH THE RWY CHANGE. I CAN ONLY ATTRIBUTE JET LAG AS THE REASON FOR OUR LACK OF RESPONSE TO THESE CUES. WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SLEEPY BUT WE WEREN'T RESTED!

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.