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Language barrier created situation of aircraft receiving 'taxi to position' clearance and moving onto runway only to discover aircraft at other end of runway which had just started takeoff roll. Immediate taxi off runway avoided conflict.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 111604 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198905 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tuf |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 111604 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : runway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We were given start clearance, started engines and requested taxi clearance. Tours tower cleared us to taxi to runway 20. About half way we told tower we were ready and the tower cleared us to 'taxi to position.' when turning from the parallel toward the runway, while still on the taxiway,I asked the captain to confirm we were cleared into position. The captain said yes we were and called the tower to confirm clearance. The tower said to taxi into position. As we pulled onto the runway we saw an mdt at the other end of the runway. Then we realized that the mdt had started his takeoff roll. I immediately pulled off the runway and back onto taxiway. The tower was annoyed at us. The captain was annoyed at the tower. We hadn't seen the mdt taxi out because he had gone the other way. We didn't monitor the communications because it was in french. The clearance we were given was to position, but should have been to the holding point. Because this was a slightly out of the way place,the controllers are not that proficient in english. If we had been more proficient operating in europe we would have further questioned the clearance into position, the usual instruction is to line up. Most pilots won't go to europe but similar situations could happen in mexico or eastern canada where ATC is being conducted in more than one language. After the mdt was in the air and we were back on the taxiway, the mdt pilot and the tower had a discussion about what taxi into position meant to a pilot from america.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LANGUAGE BARRIER CREATED SITUATION OF ACFT RECEIVING 'TAXI TO POSITION' CLRNC AND MOVING ONTO RWY ONLY TO DISCOVER ACFT AT OTHER END OF RWY WHICH HAD JUST STARTED TKOF ROLL. IMMEDIATE TAXI OFF RWY AVOIDED CONFLICT.
Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN START CLRNC, STARTED ENGS AND REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC. TOURS TWR CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 20. ABOUT HALF WAY WE TOLD TWR WE WERE READY AND THE TWR CLRED US TO 'TAXI TO POS.' WHEN TURNING FROM THE PARALLEL TOWARD THE RWY, WHILE STILL ON THE TXWY,I ASKED THE CAPT TO CONFIRM WE WERE CLRED INTO POS. THE CAPT SAID YES WE WERE AND CALLED THE TWR TO CONFIRM CLRNC. THE TWR SAID TO TAXI INTO POS. AS WE PULLED ONTO THE RWY WE SAW AN MDT AT THE OTHER END OF THE RWY. THEN WE REALIZED THAT THE MDT HAD STARTED HIS TKOF ROLL. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE RWY AND BACK ONTO TXWY. THE TWR WAS ANNOYED AT US. THE CAPT WAS ANNOYED AT THE TWR. WE HADN'T SEEN THE MDT TAXI OUT BECAUSE HE HAD GONE THE OTHER WAY. WE DIDN'T MONITOR THE COMS BECAUSE IT WAS IN FRENCH. THE CLRNC WE WERE GIVEN WAS TO POS, BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO THE HOLDING POINT. BECAUSE THIS WAS A SLIGHTLY OUT OF THE WAY PLACE,THE CTLRS ARE NOT THAT PROFICIENT IN ENGLISH. IF WE HAD BEEN MORE PROFICIENT OPERATING IN EUROPE WE WOULD HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONED THE CLRNC INTO POS, THE USUAL INSTRUCTION IS TO LINE UP. MOST PLTS WON'T GO TO EUROPE BUT SIMILAR SITUATIONS COULD HAPPEN IN MEXICO OR EASTERN CANADA WHERE ATC IS BEING CONDUCTED IN MORE THAN ONE LANGUAGE. AFTER THE MDT WAS IN THE AIR AND WE WERE BACK ON THE TXWY, THE MDT PLT AND THE TWR HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT TAXI INTO POS MEANT TO A PLT FROM AMERICA.
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.