Narrative:

Student pilot was solo in cherokee X and was holding short of runway 25L at intersection D. He observed aircraft Y landing. Tower was extremely busy, and many calls were taking place. Aircraft Y was taking a long time for its 'touch and go,' so tower instructed 'aircraft Y if you're going to go, go now' tower then told landing traffic behind, to go around. Student pilot misheard the call sign Y, and thought that tower was telling him to 'go now' and so he starting rolling onto the runway and replied 'cherokee X rolling, runway 25L.' tower came back and instructed student to stop immediately, exit the runway and call the tower. No other aircraft was on the runway, and the landing aircraft had already been told to go around. Upon reflection, student pilot incorrectly thought he had missed a takeoff clearance, and that tower was getting impatient with him. He has received additional training from his instructor, and now understands that he must hear 'clear for takeoff' or 'position and hold' before he can enter a runway. Furthermore, he understands that he must be more vigilant when listening to tail numbers and other calls, and maintain better situational awareness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STUDENT PLT MISUNDERSTANDS THE ABBREVIATED SIMILAR CALL SIGN USED BY THE LCL CTLR TO ISSUE A GAR TO ANOTHER ACFT AS HIS CLRNC TO TAKE OFF AND ENTERS RWY 25L WITHOUT AUTH AT LGB.

Narrative: STUDENT PLT WAS SOLO IN CHEROKEE X AND WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 25L AT INTXN D. HE OBSERVED ACFT Y LNDG. TWR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, AND MANY CALLS WERE TAKING PLACE. ACFT Y WAS TAKING A LONG TIME FOR ITS 'TOUCH AND GO,' SO TWR INSTRUCTED 'ACFT Y IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO, GO NOW' TWR THEN TOLD LNDG TFC BEHIND, TO GO AROUND. STUDENT PLT MISHEARD THE CALL SIGN Y, AND THOUGHT THAT TWR WAS TELLING HIM TO 'GO NOW' AND SO HE STARTING ROLLING ONTO THE RWY AND REPLIED 'CHEROKEE X ROLLING, RWY 25L.' TWR CAME BACK AND INSTRUCTED STUDENT TO STOP IMMEDIATELY, EXIT THE RWY AND CALL THE TWR. NO OTHER ACFT WAS ON THE RWY, AND THE LNDG ACFT HAD ALREADY BEEN TOLD TO GO AROUND. UPON REFLECTION, STUDENT PLT INCORRECTLY THOUGHT HE HAD MISSED A TKOF CLRNC, AND THAT TWR WAS GETTING IMPATIENT WITH HIM. HE HAS RECEIVED ADDITIONAL TRAINING FROM HIS INSTRUCTOR, AND NOW UNDERSTANDS THAT HE MUST HEAR 'CLR FOR TKOF' OR 'POS AND HOLD' BEFORE HE CAN ENTER A RWY. FURTHERMORE, HE UNDERSTANDS THAT HE MUST BE MORE VIGILANT WHEN LISTENING TO TAIL NUMBERS AND OTHER CALLS, AND MAINTAIN BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

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.