Narrative:

Cleared into position and hold runway 5 pvd, ri. Captain read back 'position and hold.' next we heard an air carrier say there was aircraft on runway. He went around. Tower asked if we were holding short. We advised position and hold as per readback! We were then advised 'cleared for takeoff.' at time of occurrence, crew had been on duty for 13+ hours. Day involved both international flying and excessive ATC ground delay earlier in the day. Crew was extremely tired and frustrated! We need to limit duty days not to exceed 12 hours! Supplemental information from acn 619423: I read back position and hold to tower. Next thing we heard was air carrier Y saying they were going around. Supplemental information from acn 619552: air carrier X was told to hold short runway 5 awaiting release. At the same time, air carrier Y was cleared to land runway 5. Listening to the tapes later, it sounded like an abbreviated transmission PF position and hold. I observed with the binoculars aircraft X in a perpendicular position to the runway and what I thought was holding short. Shortly after aircraft Y stated he was going around due to an aircraft on the runway. At this time, both myself and the other controller scanned runway 5 and it still appeared air carrier X was perpendicular to the runway. At the time of the above, there were at least 4 technicians doing construction in the tower and were operating a saws-all, a power drill, a vacuum, and a bright fluorescent light. When air carrier Y went around and came back on final, he told the controller on position that he heard the controller tell air carrier Y to hold short. I informed the supervisor of what had happened and he opened a 'qar' and closed it out a short time later. Also during the above time period, the local controller position had to be moved from one location to another in the tower to accommodate for the construction. There was a lot of confusion and obstacles in the tower. The next day when I arrived at work, they were calling this an operational error, but there was no loss of separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 FLT CREW HEARD AND READ BACK CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD, RESULTING IN AN ACFT GOING AROUND. CTLR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY.

Narrative: CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 5 PVD, RI. CAPT READ BACK 'POS AND HOLD.' NEXT WE HEARD AN ACR SAY THERE WAS ACFT ON RWY. HE WENT AROUND. TWR ASKED IF WE WERE HOLDING SHORT. WE ADVISED POS AND HOLD AS PER READBACK! WE WERE THEN ADVISED 'CLRED FOR TKOF.' AT TIME OF OCCURRENCE, CREW HAD BEEN ON DUTY FOR 13+ HRS. DAY INVOLVED BOTH INTL FLYING AND EXCESSIVE ATC GND DELAY EARLIER IN THE DAY. CREW WAS EXTREMELY TIRED AND FRUSTRATED! WE NEED TO LIMIT DUTY DAYS NOT TO EXCEED 12 HRS! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 619423: I READ BACK POS AND HOLD TO TWR. NEXT THING WE HEARD WAS ACR Y SAYING THEY WERE GOING AROUND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 619552: ACR X WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT RWY 5 AWAITING RELEASE. AT THE SAME TIME, ACR Y WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 5. LISTENING TO THE TAPES LATER, IT SOUNDED LIKE AN ABBREVIATED XMISSION PF POSITION AND HOLD. I OBSERVED WITH THE BINOCULARS ACFT X IN A PERPENDICULAR POS TO THE RWY AND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS HOLDING SHORT. SHORTLY AFTER ACFT Y STATED HE WAS GOING AROUND DUE TO AN ACFT ON THE RWY. AT THIS TIME, BOTH MYSELF AND THE OTHER CTLR SCANNED RWY 5 AND IT STILL APPEARED ACR X WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE RWY. AT THE TIME OF THE ABOVE, THERE WERE AT LEAST 4 TECHNICIANS DOING CONSTRUCTION IN THE TWR AND WERE OPERATING A SAWS-ALL, A PWR DRILL, A VACUUM, AND A BRIGHT FLUORESCENT LIGHT. WHEN ACR Y WENT AROUND AND CAME BACK ON FINAL, HE TOLD THE CTLR ON POS THAT HE HEARD THE CTLR TELL ACR Y TO HOLD SHORT. I INFORMED THE SUPVR OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE OPENED A 'QAR' AND CLOSED IT OUT A SHORT TIME LATER. ALSO DURING THE ABOVE TIME PERIOD, THE LCL CTLR POS HAD TO BE MOVED FROM ONE LOCATION TO ANOTHER IN THE TWR TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION. THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION AND OBSTACLES IN THE TWR. THE NEXT DAY WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK, THEY WERE CALLING THIS AN OPERROR, BUT THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION.

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.