Narrative:

Coming out of the runway 30L deicing pad with taxi clearance from ground control, we accomplished the taxi check and were directed to change to tower frequency. We completed the takeoff briefing and before takeoff check. Tower cleared the aircraft ahead of us for takeoff and cleared us on-to-hold runway 30L with an advisory of traffic -- an arj on a 3 mi final. Apparently, the first officer acknowledged the on-to-hold clearance inadvertently and unrealized by the captain who was visually confirming no traffic on short final, using the inoperative (MEL M23-51-08) side stick radio selector. The captain and first officer had discussed microphone usage regarding this MEL in the preflight pilot briefing. The first officer had the hand microphone draped over his lap since leaving the gate as a reminder, and had made all previous xmissions using the handheld microphone. As our aircraft was passing the hold short line, about ready to turn to align with the runway, tower asked what was our position. The first officer replied (with the handheld microphone) that we were on-to-hold runway 30L. Tower replied that their was the first time he had heard from us. Tower then cleared us for takeoff followed immediately by a cancel takeoff clearance -- apparently due to the spacing of the aircraft on final. Tower then sent that traffic around. Next, tower cleared a falcon (who was on an extended final approach) for takeoff on runway 30L. The falcon replied that he was on final approach, not taking off. Tower then cleared him to land. Tower's next transmission cleared the airbus behind us into position and hold, advising him to use caution for the departing airbus (us) ahead. Finally tower cleared us for takeoff and the remainder of the flight was uneventful. During the entire sequence of events, we never received a transmission from tower telling us to hold short, to cancel our on-to-hold clearance, to clear the runway, or any direction telling us we were not doing what we were supposed to be doing. Also, we never sensed that we were doing anything unusual until tower's question regarding our position. There was never any urgency on tower's part regarding our actions/position. In reviewing the MEL book, the side stick radio selector remarks and exceptions block (B) specifies 'selector is deactivated in non-transmitting position.' does this mean removed or immobile? (Our first officer's side stick microphone switch moved freely and felt normal. It just did not transmit.) we suggest removing the switch, locking it from movement, or making the switch a non-MEL/no-go item. Using the side stick radio selector to transmit is as ingrained a habit as using the side stick to control the aircraft. A better fix needs to be in place to avoid future occurrences.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 WITH RADIO EQUIP PROBS TAXIED ONTO RWY WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING CLRNC RESULTING IN ACFT GAR.

Narrative: COMING OUT OF THE RWY 30L DEICING PAD WITH TAXI CLRNC FROM GND CTL, WE ACCOMPLISHED THE TAXI CHK AND WERE DIRECTED TO CHANGE TO TWR FREQ. WE COMPLETED THE TKOF BRIEFING AND BEFORE TKOF CHK. TWR CLRED THE ACFT AHEAD OF US FOR TKOF AND CLRED US ON-TO-HOLD RWY 30L WITH AN ADVISORY OF TFC -- AN ARJ ON A 3 MI FINAL. APPARENTLY, THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED THE ON-TO-HOLD CLRNC INADVERTENTLY AND UNREALIZED BY THE CAPT WHO WAS VISUALLY CONFIRMING NO TFC ON SHORT FINAL, USING THE INOP (MEL M23-51-08) SIDE STICK RADIO SELECTOR. THE CAPT AND FO HAD DISCUSSED MIKE USAGE REGARDING THIS MEL IN THE PREFLT PLT BRIEFING. THE FO HAD THE HAND MIKE DRAPED OVER HIS LAP SINCE LEAVING THE GATE AS A REMINDER, AND HAD MADE ALL PREVIOUS XMISSIONS USING THE HANDHELD MIKE. AS OUR ACFT WAS PASSING THE HOLD SHORT LINE, ABOUT READY TO TURN TO ALIGN WITH THE RWY, TWR ASKED WHAT WAS OUR POS. THE FO REPLIED (WITH THE HANDHELD MIKE) THAT WE WERE ON-TO-HOLD RWY 30L. TWR REPLIED THAT THEIR WAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD HEARD FROM US. TWR THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A CANCEL TKOF CLRNC -- APPARENTLY DUE TO THE SPACING OF THE ACFT ON FINAL. TWR THEN SENT THAT TFC AROUND. NEXT, TWR CLRED A FALCON (WHO WAS ON AN EXTENDED FINAL APCH) FOR TKOF ON RWY 30L. THE FALCON REPLIED THAT HE WAS ON FINAL APCH, NOT TAKING OFF. TWR THEN CLRED HIM TO LAND. TWR'S NEXT XMISSION CLRED THE AIRBUS BEHIND US INTO POS AND HOLD, ADVISING HIM TO USE CAUTION FOR THE DEPARTING AIRBUS (US) AHEAD. FINALLY TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, WE NEVER RECEIVED A XMISSION FROM TWR TELLING US TO HOLD SHORT, TO CANCEL OUR ON-TO-HOLD CLRNC, TO CLR THE RWY, OR ANY DIRECTION TELLING US WE WERE NOT DOING WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. ALSO, WE NEVER SENSED THAT WE WERE DOING ANYTHING UNUSUAL UNTIL TWR'S QUESTION REGARDING OUR POS. THERE WAS NEVER ANY URGENCY ON TWR'S PART REGARDING OUR ACTIONS/POS. IN REVIEWING THE MEL BOOK, THE SIDE STICK RADIO SELECTOR REMARKS AND EXCEPTIONS BLOCK (B) SPECIFIES 'SELECTOR IS DEACTIVATED IN NON-XMITTING POS.' DOES THIS MEAN REMOVED OR IMMOBILE? (OUR FO'S SIDE STICK MIKE SWITCH MOVED FREELY AND FELT NORMAL. IT JUST DID NOT XMIT.) WE SUGGEST REMOVING THE SWITCH, LOCKING IT FROM MOVEMENT, OR MAKING THE SWITCH A NON-MEL/NO-GO ITEM. USING THE SIDE STICK RADIO SELECTOR TO XMIT IS AS INGRAINED A HABIT AS USING THE SIDE STICK TO CTL THE ACFT. A BETTER FIX NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE TO AVOID FUTURE OCCURRENCES.

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.