C182 pilot at ash mistakes, 'hold for release,' for 'position and hold.'

Attributes
ACN	628635
Time
Date	200408
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ash.airport
State Reference	NH
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ash.tower tower : rkpk.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : ash.tower
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 14
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 37 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	628635
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Incident was a runway incursion arising out of communications between the pilot (me) and nashua tower. The flight was planned as IFR from ash to orf -- purpose of which was pleasure. There were no time pressures on me for this flight. I taxied out to the ramp area of ash runway 14, did my run-up as usual, and then called the tower reporting our readiness for takeoff. I heard 'position and hold.' evidently, the instruction was 'hold for release.' I don't recall what I read back, but I believe it was 'position and hold,' otherwise I would have held for release. Moreover, I'd expect the tower controller to restate the instruction if the readback was not correct. After this readback, I started taxiing for position and hold. After crossing the hold line, but before reaching the runway, the tower called and said to hold, which I did. There was another aircraft, which I had not seen, which was on about a 1 mi final. While the field conditions were IFR, the visibility should have been adequate for me to see this aircraft, but since I believed I had been cleared to 'position and hold,' I wasn't really looking for traffic on final. So, this incident was a 'near' runway incursion. This erroneous action on my part also would have been inside the ILS no-taxi zone, but no ILS holds separate from the runway hold line are present at ash. I'm fairly experienced with IFR and have no explanation for misinterping the instruction. I heard (and I believe read back) 'position and hold,' and that's what I was doing up to the call from tower. The suggested corrective action will be added vigilance for ATC (tower) instructions, and clear readback to be sure I've understood correctly. Perhaps complacency and expectations of a relatively unchallenging flight entered into my misinterp of the ATC instruction. I heard what I was expecting to hear. Note that I'm not confident of the actual communication and readback since I was fairly rattled after making the mistake.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT AT ASH MISTAKES, 'HOLD FOR RELEASE,' FOR 'POS AND HOLD.'

Narrative: INCIDENT WAS A RWY INCURSION ARISING OUT OF COMS BTWN THE PLT (ME) AND NASHUA TWR. THE FLT WAS PLANNED AS IFR FROM ASH TO ORF -- PURPOSE OF WHICH WAS PLEASURE. THERE WERE NO TIME PRESSURES ON ME FOR THIS FLT. I TAXIED OUT TO THE RAMP AREA OF ASH RWY 14, DID MY RUN-UP AS USUAL, AND THEN CALLED THE TWR RPTING OUR READINESS FOR TKOF. I HEARD 'POS AND HOLD.' EVIDENTLY, THE INSTRUCTION WAS 'HOLD FOR RELEASE.' I DON'T RECALL WHAT I READ BACK, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS 'POS AND HOLD,' OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE HELD FOR RELEASE. MOREOVER, I'D EXPECT THE TWR CTLR TO RESTATE THE INSTRUCTION IF THE READBACK WAS NOT CORRECT. AFTER THIS READBACK, I STARTED TAXIING FOR POS AND HOLD. AFTER XING THE HOLD LINE, BUT BEFORE REACHING THE RWY, THE TWR CALLED AND SAID TO HOLD, WHICH I DID. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT, WHICH I HAD NOT SEEN, WHICH WAS ON ABOUT A 1 MI FINAL. WHILE THE FIELD CONDITIONS WERE IFR, THE VISIBILITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADEQUATE FOR ME TO SEE THIS ACFT, BUT SINCE I BELIEVED I HAD BEEN CLRED TO 'POS AND HOLD,' I WASN'T REALLY LOOKING FOR TFC ON FINAL. SO, THIS INCIDENT WAS A 'NEAR' RWY INCURSION. THIS ERRONEOUS ACTION ON MY PART ALSO WOULD HAVE BEEN INSIDE THE ILS NO-TAXI ZONE, BUT NO ILS HOLDS SEPARATE FROM THE RWY HOLD LINE ARE PRESENT AT ASH. I'M FAIRLY EXPERIENCED WITH IFR AND HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR MISINTERPING THE INSTRUCTION. I HEARD (AND I BELIEVE READ BACK) 'POS AND HOLD,' AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS DOING UP TO THE CALL FROM TWR. THE SUGGESTED CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE ADDED VIGILANCE FOR ATC (TWR) INSTRUCTIONS, AND CLR READBACK TO BE SURE I'VE UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY. PERHAPS COMPLACENCY AND EXPECTATIONS OF A RELATIVELY UNCHALLENGING FLT ENTERED INTO MY MISINTERP OF THE ATC INSTRUCTION. I HEARD WHAT I WAS EXPECTING TO HEAR. NOTE THAT I'M NOT CONFIDENT OF THE ACTUAL COM AND READBACK SINCE I WAS FAIRLY RATTLED AFTER MAKING THE MISTAKE.

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.