Narrative:

We were flight 'air carrier X.' we had taxi to runway 19 holding short at taxiway P. The tower had told us to hold short waiting for landing traffic. An air carrier landed and was rolling out. At this time, the first officer and I both heard position and hold contact clearance. The first officer read back the clearance and requested past the cable. The tower came on and said hold short at taxiway P and contact clearance. The first officer told the tower that we had already crossed the line. The tower told us to do a 180 degrees and hold short at taxiway P. Another controller came on and said we could taxi down the runway if needed. While waiting, the first officer and I talked about what happened. Maybe, he said 'position hold' and not 'position and hold' and with the jet on rollout 'position and hold' was what we were waiting or expecting to hear. Supplemental information from acn 618459: after discussing the course of events with the captain, we both agreed that we had heard that tower controller say 'air carrier X, position and hold...' however, after thinking about it, we thought that the controller might have said 'air carrier X, position hold' meaning for us to hold our position at the taxiway P, then to contact clearance delivery because they had a new edct time for us. The controller should have said, 'air carrier X continue holding short of runway 19 at taxiway P, contact clearance delivery on...' or, simply 'air carrier X, we have a new edct for you, contact clearance delivery on...' I know there is a lot of training at the eglin facility, and the fact that there was a second tower controller who over-stepped the first one leads me to conclude that the first controller was new. He gave us a confusing and made-up instruction to 'position hold,' which sounds too much like 'position and hold.' he should not have done that.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT72 FLT CREW DEPARTING FROM VPS, MISUNDERSTANDS ATC COMMENTS AND CROSSED RWY HOLD LINE.

Narrative: WE WERE FLT 'ACR X.' WE HAD TAXI TO RWY 19 HOLDING SHORT AT TXWY P. THE TWR HAD TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT WAITING FOR LNDG TFC. AN ACR LANDED AND WAS ROLLING OUT. AT THIS TIME, THE FO AND I BOTH HEARD POS AND HOLD CONTACT CLRNC. THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC AND REQUESTED PAST THE CABLE. THE TWR CAME ON AND SAID HOLD SHORT AT TXWY P AND CONTACT CLRNC. THE FO TOLD THE TWR THAT WE HAD ALREADY CROSSED THE LINE. THE TWR TOLD US TO DO A 180 DEGS AND HOLD SHORT AT TXWY P. ANOTHER CTLR CAME ON AND SAID WE COULD TAXI DOWN THE RWY IF NEEDED. WHILE WAITING, THE FO AND I TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. MAYBE, HE SAID 'POS HOLD' AND NOT 'POS AND HOLD' AND WITH THE JET ON ROLLOUT 'POS AND HOLD' WAS WHAT WE WERE WAITING OR EXPECTING TO HEAR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 618459: AFTER DISCUSSING THE COURSE OF EVENTS WITH THE CAPT, WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE HAD HEARD THAT TWR CTLR SAY 'ACR X, POS AND HOLD...' HOWEVER, AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT, WE THOUGHT THAT THE CTLR MIGHT HAVE SAID 'ACR X, POS HOLD' MEANING FOR US TO HOLD OUR POS AT THE TXWY P, THEN TO CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY BECAUSE THEY HAD A NEW EDCT TIME FOR US. THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE SAID, 'ACR X CONTINUE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 19 AT TXWY P, CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY ON...' OR, SIMPLY 'ACR X, WE HAVE A NEW EDCT FOR YOU, CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY ON...' I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF TRAINING AT THE EGLIN FACILITY, AND THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A SECOND TWR CTLR WHO OVER-STEPPED THE FIRST ONE LEADS ME TO CONCLUDE THAT THE FIRST CTLR WAS NEW. HE GAVE US A CONFUSING AND MADE-UP INSTRUCTION TO 'POS HOLD,' WHICH SOUNDS TOO MUCH LIKE 'POS AND HOLD.' HE SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT.

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.