Narrative:

Taxiing out for departure, we requested our IFR clearance back to honolulu. The tower called and read the clearance. I read it back while taxiing, and with no further instructions other than taxi to runway 5, I entered the runway and began to depart. Although I checked the base leg and the downwind, I failed to see the aircraft on final for our runway. The tower then said cleared for immediate takeoff, which we did, and the traffic on final was instructed to go around. It seems that after the tower 'read back correct,' they could have added, 'and hold short runway 5,' that might have averted this problem and apparently, the other aircraft was cleared to land approximately 4 1/2 to 5 mi out (before we even had started #1 while still in the chocks), maybe to save clear to land for final approach or even in the pattern would be better. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Reporter stated that the principal cause of the runway incursion was a mistake on his part. He was distracted by the pre-takeoff checklist and the copying of their enroute clearance and when he arrived at the end of the runway, he lost sight of the taxi instructions and taxied onto the runway with an aircraft on short final. His taxi instructions were, 'taxi to runway 5.' reporter admitted knowing that taxi to a runway did not constitute permission to taxi onto that runway. He does feel, however, that controllers should always say, 'hold short,' with every taxi instruction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR SMT CAPT TAXIED ONTO ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC AND FORCED GO AROUND.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT FOR DEP, WE REQUESTED OUR IFR CLRNC BACK TO HONOLULU. THE TWR CALLED AND READ THE CLRNC. I READ IT BACK WHILE TAXIING, AND WITH NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS OTHER THAN TAXI TO RWY 5, I ENTERED THE RWY AND BEGAN TO DEPART. ALTHOUGH I CHKED THE BASE LEG AND THE DOWNWIND, I FAILED TO SEE THE ACFT ON FINAL FOR OUR RWY. THE TWR THEN SAID CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF, WHICH WE DID, AND THE TFC ON FINAL WAS INSTRUCTED TO GO AROUND. IT SEEMS THAT AFTER THE TWR 'READ BACK CORRECT,' THEY COULD HAVE ADDED, 'AND HOLD SHORT RWY 5,' THAT MIGHT HAVE AVERTED THIS PROB AND APPARENTLY, THE OTHER ACFT WAS CLRED TO LAND APPROX 4 1/2 TO 5 MI OUT (BEFORE WE EVEN HAD STARTED #1 WHILE STILL IN THE CHOCKS), MAYBE TO SAVE CLR TO LAND FOR FINAL APCH OR EVEN IN THE PATTERN WOULD BE BETTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED THAT THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF THE RWY INCURSION WAS A MISTAKE ON HIS PART. HE WAS DISTRACTED BY THE PRE-TKOF CHKLIST AND THE COPYING OF THEIR ENROUTE CLRNC AND WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE END OF THE RWY, HE LOST SIGHT OF THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND TAXIED ONTO THE RWY WITH AN ACFT ON SHORT FINAL. HIS TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE, 'TAXI TO RWY 5.' RPTR ADMITTED KNOWING THAT TAXI TO A RWY DID NOT CONSTITUTE PERMISSION TO TAXI ONTO THAT RWY. HE DOES FEEL, HOWEVER, THAT CTLRS SHOULD ALWAYS SAY, 'HOLD SHORT,' WITH EVERY TAXI INSTRUCTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.