Narrative:

F/a's advised of short taxi from gate to runway. Copilot's first trip as copilot. We were 1/2 hour late and trying to make up time. As we were approaching the runway, I was monitoring tower and the F/a's video PA with the PA switch. Then at just about the same time, the F/a's reported they were ready for takeoff, the copilot said he was leaving the frequency to give his takeoff PA and the tower called us. It sounded to me like he said 'position and hold runway 24L', but when we were abut halfway on the runway, he called and said that he had said to 'hold short runway 24L'. Then he cleared us for takeoff and we left in a hurry before we messed anything else up. Why did this happen? I've been flying for over 20 years, but I consider myself not nearly a good enough pilot to be anything else than very methodical, especially when it comes to clrncs. More than once I've got on a copilot's case for accepting a clearance that we did not understand, and now here I am. One has to fight constantly to keep the press of operations from insinuating itself into one's behavior, and the further behind one gets, the more one wants to catch up, the more one has to fight to disengage oneself, slow down and start picking up what one is missing. Supplemental information from acn 119110: our scheduled flight was running 1 hour late. Checklist was rushed and several items were remaining when we reached the active. The tower instructed us to hold short of the active which I acknowledged. At this time I told the captain to 'hold' and I was clearing off the radio to make the passenger/flight attendant PA. While making the PA I noticed the aircraft moving onto the runway and assumed that we had been cleared to take the active. When I came back to tower frequency I heard the tower ask us what we were doing. The captain replied that he was taxiing in position to 'hold'. Apparently, while hurriedly completing the checklist, the captain had misinterpreted my 'hold' call as a 'position and hold' call.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT FLT CREW AT LAX MISINTERPRETS 'HOLD SHORT' CLRNC FOR 'POSITION AND HOLD'. LEADS TO RWY TRANSGRESSION.

Narrative: F/A'S ADVISED OF SHORT TAXI FROM GATE TO RWY. COPLT'S FIRST TRIP AS COPLT. WE WERE 1/2 HR LATE AND TRYING TO MAKE UP TIME. AS WE WERE APCHING THE RWY, I WAS MONITORING TWR AND THE F/A'S VIDEO PA WITH THE PA SWITCH. THEN AT JUST ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE F/A'S REPORTED THEY WERE READY FOR TKOF, THE COPLT SAID HE WAS LEAVING THE FREQ TO GIVE HIS TKOF PA AND THE TWR CALLED US. IT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE HE SAID 'POSITION AND HOLD RWY 24L', BUT WHEN WE WERE ABUT HALFWAY ON THE RWY, HE CALLED AND SAID THAT HE HAD SAID TO 'HOLD SHORT RWY 24L'. THEN HE CLRED US FOR TKOF AND WE LEFT IN A HURRY BEFORE WE MESSED ANYTHING ELSE UP. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? I'VE BEEN FLYING FOR OVER 20 YEARS, BUT I CONSIDER MYSELF NOT NEARLY A GOOD ENOUGH PLT TO BE ANYTHING ELSE THAN VERY METHODICAL, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO CLRNCS. MORE THAN ONCE I'VE GOT ON A COPLT'S CASE FOR ACCEPTING A CLRNC THAT WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND, AND NOW HERE I AM. ONE HAS TO FIGHT CONSTANTLY TO KEEP THE PRESS OF OPERATIONS FROM INSINUATING ITSELF INTO ONE'S BEHAVIOR, AND THE FURTHER BEHIND ONE GETS, THE MORE ONE WANTS TO CATCH UP, THE MORE ONE HAS TO FIGHT TO DISENGAGE ONESELF, SLOW DOWN AND START PICKING UP WHAT ONE IS MISSING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 119110: OUR SCHEDULED FLT WAS RUNNING 1 HR LATE. CHECKLIST WAS RUSHED AND SEVERAL ITEMS WERE REMAINING WHEN WE REACHED THE ACTIVE. THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO HOLD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. AT THIS TIME I TOLD THE CAPT TO 'HOLD' AND I WAS CLEARING OFF THE RADIO TO MAKE THE PAX/FLT ATTENDANT PA. WHILE MAKING THE PA I NOTICED THE ACFT MOVING ONTO THE RWY AND ASSUMED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO TAKE THE ACTIVE. WHEN I CAME BACK TO TWR FREQ I HEARD THE TWR ASK US WHAT WE WERE DOING. THE CAPT REPLIED THAT HE WAS TAXIING IN POSITION TO 'HOLD'. APPARENTLY, WHILE HURRIEDLY COMPLETING THE CHECKLIST, THE CAPT HAD MISINTERPRETED MY 'HOLD' CALL AS A 'POSITION AND HOLD' CALL.

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.