Narrative:

Our 'taxi full length' clearance sounded like the previous 'taxi position full length' clearance given. Also I think crew jumped into assumption we were to position and hold when never cleared onto C2. Also; controller should've seen us if not visually then at least on their ground radar which required us to have our transponder on; which it was. So everyone was at fault. Clt tower controller said 'abc hold short of C2.' I repeated clearance and we followed instructions. We were behind an A319 and 2 dash 8's. Controller said to the A319; 'taxi position full length.' they did from C2; back-taxied on runway; then took off. C1 was blocked with another airbus that was having maintenance problems. We then watched the 2 dash 8's depart from C2 to runway 36R. Captain moved up since we were next. Controller then said 'abc taxi full length' so we began taxiing onto the runway. We had previously checked our performance so the captain asked me to inform controller we can take C2 departure. I did. Controller responded 'abc full length' a little agitated I thought. I said 'abc full length.' a plane was just over the threshold for landing; so I said to captain; 'good thing it's VFR for us to see him landing' (before our positioning on runway). We began to back-taxi on runway and then heard controller give the airbus on C1 position full length runway 36R; so I said to captain; 'that's like our clearance; I hope they see us.' they began to move when they saw us back-taxiing on runway 36R; they stopped but were past the hold short markings for runway 36R. I called controller and said we were in position on runway; he said something like 'what?' I don't think he was aware of our position even though our transponder was on. He then told the airbus to continue holding short. They replied they were past markings and controller called an aircraft to 'go around.' shortly thereafter; he gave us a clearance for takeoff. There was quite a lot of confusion going on. ATC controllers should observe ground radars and look out their windows to runways and actual airplanes; if they have capabilities. Flight crew should listen carefully to instructions and comply. Question accordingly any clrncs assigned that seem incorrect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT RPTS A RWY INCURSION AFTER PREVIOUS ACFT CLRNCS WERE TO BACK TAXI ON RWY TO FULL LENGTH BUT HIS FULL LENGTH CLRNC DID NOT INCLUDE RWY BACK TAXI INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: OUR 'TAXI FULL LENGTH' CLRNC SOUNDED LIKE THE PREVIOUS 'TAXI POS FULL LENGTH' CLRNC GIVEN. ALSO I THINK CREW JUMPED INTO ASSUMPTION WE WERE TO POS AND HOLD WHEN NEVER CLRED ONTO C2. ALSO; CTLR SHOULD'VE SEEN US IF NOT VISUALLY THEN AT LEAST ON THEIR GND RADAR WHICH REQUIRED US TO HAVE OUR XPONDER ON; WHICH IT WAS. SO EVERYONE WAS AT FAULT. CLT TWR CTLR SAID 'ABC HOLD SHORT OF C2.' I REPEATED CLRNC AND WE FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS. WE WERE BEHIND AN A319 AND 2 DASH 8'S. CTLR SAID TO THE A319; 'TAXI POS FULL LENGTH.' THEY DID FROM C2; BACK-TAXIED ON RWY; THEN TOOK OFF. C1 WAS BLOCKED WITH ANOTHER AIRBUS THAT WAS HAVING MAINT PROBS. WE THEN WATCHED THE 2 DASH 8'S DEPART FROM C2 TO RWY 36R. CAPT MOVED UP SINCE WE WERE NEXT. CTLR THEN SAID 'ABC TAXI FULL LENGTH' SO WE BEGAN TAXIING ONTO THE RWY. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY CHKED OUR PERFORMANCE SO THE CAPT ASKED ME TO INFORM CTLR WE CAN TAKE C2 DEP. I DID. CTLR RESPONDED 'ABC FULL LENGTH' A LITTLE AGITATED I THOUGHT. I SAID 'ABC FULL LENGTH.' A PLANE WAS JUST OVER THE THRESHOLD FOR LNDG; SO I SAID TO CAPT; 'GOOD THING IT'S VFR FOR US TO SEE HIM LNDG' (BEFORE OUR POSITIONING ON RWY). WE BEGAN TO BACK-TAXI ON RWY AND THEN HEARD CTLR GIVE THE AIRBUS ON C1 POS FULL LENGTH RWY 36R; SO I SAID TO CAPT; 'THAT'S LIKE OUR CLRNC; I HOPE THEY SEE US.' THEY BEGAN TO MOVE WHEN THEY SAW US BACK-TAXIING ON RWY 36R; THEY STOPPED BUT WERE PAST THE HOLD SHORT MARKINGS FOR RWY 36R. I CALLED CTLR AND SAID WE WERE IN POS ON RWY; HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'WHAT?' I DON'T THINK HE WAS AWARE OF OUR POS EVEN THOUGH OUR XPONDER WAS ON. HE THEN TOLD THE AIRBUS TO CONTINUE HOLDING SHORT. THEY REPLIED THEY WERE PAST MARKINGS AND CTLR CALLED AN ACFT TO 'GO AROUND.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER; HE GAVE US A CLRNC FOR TKOF. THERE WAS QUITE A LOT OF CONFUSION GOING ON. ATC CTLRS SHOULD OBSERVE GND RADARS AND LOOK OUT THEIR WINDOWS TO RWYS AND ACTUAL AIRPLANES; IF THEY HAVE CAPABILITIES. FLT CREW SHOULD LISTEN CAREFULLY TO INSTRUCTIONS AND COMPLY. QUESTION ACCORDINGLY ANY CLRNCS ASSIGNED THAT SEEM INCORRECT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.