Narrative:

We were holding short of runway 4R ILS hold line. The tower controller issued an instruction which both I (captain) and first officer understood to be position and hold runway 4R. the first officer read back position and hold runway 4R and I repeated same to the first officer. As we took the runway there was an rj on final at a distance of approximately 4 1/2 mi. Shortly thereafter the tower sent the rj around, followed by clearance for us to take off. Once airborne and in the clean-up phase, the tower made comment that indicated that there was a point of confusion on the runway clearance and then handed us off to departure control. After 10000 ft, I called back to the tower to see if there was a dispute and was informed that there was. I requested that the tapes be pulled and received a phone number for contact after landing. Outcome: I contacted the boston chief pilot who checked with the tower. He was told that the controller had intended for us to move up to the visual hold point, but his verbiage was not correct. This is what led us to believe we had been cleared into position. He was also told that no action would be taken against the flight crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MD80 MISINTERPS FAULTY PHRASEOLOGY FROM BOS ATCT LCL CTLR AND TAXIING INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 4R AT BOS THINKING THEY HAVE CLRNC. ACFT ON APCH IS GIVEN GAR.

Narrative: WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4R ILS HOLD LINE. THE TWR CTLR ISSUED AN INSTRUCTION WHICH BOTH I (CAPT) AND FO UNDERSTOOD TO BE POS AND HOLD RWY 4R. THE FO READ BACK POS AND HOLD RWY 4R AND I REPEATED SAME TO THE FO. AS WE TOOK THE RWY THERE WAS AN RJ ON FINAL AT A DISTANCE OF APPROX 4 1/2 MI. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE TWR SENT THE RJ AROUND, FOLLOWED BY CLRNC FOR US TO TAKE OFF. ONCE AIRBORNE AND IN THE CLEAN-UP PHASE, THE TWR MADE COMMENT THAT INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A POINT OF CONFUSION ON THE RWY CLRNC AND THEN HANDED US OFF TO DEP CTL. AFTER 10000 FT, I CALLED BACK TO THE TWR TO SEE IF THERE WAS A DISPUTE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS. I REQUESTED THAT THE TAPES BE PULLED AND RECEIVED A PHONE NUMBER FOR CONTACT AFTER LNDG. OUTCOME: I CONTACTED THE BOSTON CHIEF PLT WHO CHKED WITH THE TWR. HE WAS TOLD THAT THE CTLR HAD INTENDED FOR US TO MOVE UP TO THE VISUAL HOLD POINT, BUT HIS VERBIAGE WAS NOT CORRECT. THIS IS WHAT LED US TO BELIEVE WE HAD BEEN CLRED INTO POS. HE WAS ALSO TOLD THAT NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST THE FLT CREW.

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.