Clearance confusion as to sequencing 3 aircraft onto runway with clearance to 'line up and wait' leads to a B777 flight crew blocking a B747 at egll, first officer.

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Attributes
ACN	614459
Time
Date	200404
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : egll.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : egll.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	614459
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	613636
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : separated traffic flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Captain was giving 'prepare for takeoff' PA when egll tower simultaneously gave instructions to 'line up and wait after air carrier Y on opposite side of runway departs.' the clearance was acknowledged and confirmed by the first officer with the relief pilot listening and confirming the interpretation of the clearance. The captain was aware of the tower's call and after finishing the PA and getting back on tower frequency was given the tower's instructions by the first officer and relief pilot with no doubt as to the intentions of what we were to do. There was an air carrier Y B767 opposite us, and when he took off, we proceeded to 'line up and wait' when it became apparent that an air carrier Y B747 who was #2 behind the air carrier B767 opposite us was also taxiing to 'line up and wait' after the air carrier B767 which had just taken off. We were told to hold position, but there was not clearance for the B747 to take off in front of us. The tower asked the air carrier Y B747 if it would be ok for us to take off first, and he said that would be acceptable. We were cleared for takeoff. The captain had not heard the tower's original clearance to 'line up and wait' but there was a readback by the first officer which was confirmed by the relief pilot and no mention of following a B747 behind the B767 which was in the #1 position opposite the runway. There was no danger to any aircraft, but there was a miscom in sequence for takeoff. We heard nothing from the egll tower after takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC CONFUSION AS TO SEQUENCING 3 ACFT ONTO RWY WITH CLRNC TO 'LINE UP AND WAIT' LEADS TO A B777 FLT CREW BLOCKING A B747 AT EGLL, FO.

Narrative: CAPT WAS GIVING 'PREPARE FOR TKOF' PA WHEN EGLL TWR SIMULTANEOUSLY GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO 'LINE UP AND WAIT AFTER ACR Y ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF RWY DEPARTS.' THE CLRNC WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND CONFIRMED BY THE FO WITH THE RELIEF PLT LISTENING AND CONFIRMING THE INTERP OF THE CLRNC. THE CAPT WAS AWARE OF THE TWR'S CALL AND AFTER FINISHING THE PA AND GETTING BACK ON TWR FREQ WAS GIVEN THE TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS BY THE FO AND RELIEF PLT WITH NO DOUBT AS TO THE INTENTIONS OF WHAT WE WERE TO DO. THERE WAS AN ACR Y B767 OPPOSITE US, AND WHEN HE TOOK OFF, WE PROCEEDED TO 'LINE UP AND WAIT' WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT AN ACR Y B747 WHO WAS #2 BEHIND THE ACR B767 OPPOSITE US WAS ALSO TAXIING TO 'LINE UP AND WAIT' AFTER THE ACR B767 WHICH HAD JUST TAKEN OFF. WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD POS, BUT THERE WAS NOT CLRNC FOR THE B747 TO TAKE OFF IN FRONT OF US. THE TWR ASKED THE ACR Y B747 IF IT WOULD BE OK FOR US TO TAKE OFF FIRST, AND HE SAID THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. THE CAPT HAD NOT HEARD THE TWR'S ORIGINAL CLRNC TO 'LINE UP AND WAIT' BUT THERE WAS A READBACK BY THE FO WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY THE RELIEF PLT AND NO MENTION OF FOLLOWING A B747 BEHIND THE B767 WHICH WAS IN THE #1 POS OPPOSITE THE RWY. THERE WAS NO DANGER TO ANY ACFT, BUT THERE WAS A MISCOM IN SEQUENCE FOR TKOF. WE HEARD NOTHING FROM THE EGLL TWR AFTER TKOF.

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.