Narrative:

I was taking a pilot friend for a demonstration ride in my aircraft. I was cleared to 'taxi into position and hold' for takeoff. While holding on the runway reviewing takeoff checks, tower informed me that there was an aircraft on practice approach from the opposite direction, and that aircraft would not be landing. I was listening for takeoff clearance, but forgot that I had been instructed to hold, and commenced takeoff. My pilot friend was having difficulty adjusting the volume in his headset. He did not think he heard that we were cleared for takeoff, but thought that his radio volume was too low and so he did not object. Immediately after my takeoff, tower instructed the aircraft on approach to turn right. When I heard this, I initiated a right turnout as well. I did not see the aircraft on practice approach, and do not know what his proximity to me was. At about the same time, the tower informed me that I had been instructed to hold on the runway. I could not think of an appropriate response. I immediately realized my mistake and was instructed by the tower to call them by telephone upon my return, which I did. The controller reprimanded me and I apologized. I offered to call the pilot of the other aircraft to apologize, and told the controller that I had made a mistake, with some explanation of how it occurred. Normally, while waiting on the runway after being instructed to 'taxi into position and hold,' the next words from the tower are 'cleared for takeoff,' and I was waiting for those words while performing my final pre-takeoff checks. I believe the tower was being courteous in explaining why I was holding on the runway, but I think subconsciously I took the wrong meaning and proceeded. Because of this episode, the words 'position and hold' will always be highly significant to me in the future. I will listen closely to the exact words of the controller to be certain I hear 'cleared for takeoff.' in addition, I will develop a procedure to set the correct volume of radio, intercom and headphones for right seat passenger. If flying with another pilot, I will ask them to question any action which they think might be improper.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE55 PLT TOOK OFF WITHOUT TKOF CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS TAKING A PLT FRIEND FOR A DEMONSTRATION RIDE IN MY ACFT. I WAS CLRED TO 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD' FOR TKOF. WHILE HOLDING ON THE RWY REVIEWING TKOF CHKS, TWR INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT ON PRACTICE APCH FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND THAT ACFT WOULD NOT BE LNDG. I WAS LISTENING FOR TKOF CLRNC, BUT FORGOT THAT I HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO HOLD, AND COMMENCED TKOF. MY PLT FRIEND WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY ADJUSTING THE VOLUME IN HIS HEADSET. HE DID NOT THINK HE HEARD THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF, BUT THOUGHT THAT HIS RADIO VOLUME WAS TOO LOW AND SO HE DID NOT OBJECT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER MY TKOF, TWR INSTRUCTED THE ACFT ON APCH TO TURN R. WHEN I HEARD THIS, I INITIATED A R TURNOUT AS WELL. I DID NOT SEE THE ACFT ON PRACTICE APCH, AND DO NOT KNOW WHAT HIS PROX TO ME WAS. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE TWR INFORMED ME THAT I HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO HOLD ON THE RWY. I COULD NOT THINK OF AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE. I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED MY MISTAKE AND WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR TO CALL THEM BY TELEPHONE UPON MY RETURN, WHICH I DID. THE CTLR REPRIMANDED ME AND I APOLOGIZED. I OFFERED TO CALL THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT TO APOLOGIZE, AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT I HAD MADE A MISTAKE, WITH SOME EXPLANATION OF HOW IT OCCURRED. NORMALLY, WHILE WAITING ON THE RWY AFTER BEING INSTRUCTED TO 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD,' THE NEXT WORDS FROM THE TWR ARE 'CLRED FOR TKOF,' AND I WAS WAITING FOR THOSE WORDS WHILE PERFORMING MY FINAL PRE-TKOF CHKS. I BELIEVE THE TWR WAS BEING COURTEOUS IN EXPLAINING WHY I WAS HOLDING ON THE RWY, BUT I THINK SUBCONSCIOUSLY I TOOK THE WRONG MEANING AND PROCEEDED. BECAUSE OF THIS EPISODE, THE WORDS 'POS AND HOLD' WILL ALWAYS BE HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT TO ME IN THE FUTURE. I WILL LISTEN CLOSELY TO THE EXACT WORDS OF THE CTLR TO BE CERTAIN I HEAR 'CLRED FOR TKOF.' IN ADDITION, I WILL DEVELOP A PROC TO SET THE CORRECT VOLUME OF RADIO, INTERCOM AND HEADPHONES FOR R SEAT PAX. IF FLYING WITH ANOTHER PLT, I WILL ASK THEM TO QUESTION ANY ACTION WHICH THEY THINK MIGHT BE IMPROPER.

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.