Narrative:

It is now painfully obvious to me that I did not have clearance onto the runway. I feel the tower operator was trying to help us in telling us to plan on 22L so we could insure we had the correct numbers, could finish checklists, briefing, etc. I also feel that he unintentionally led us down the garden path. We were listening for (wanted to hear) position and hold, but instead got plan on. Very similar phrases and like sounding. Position/plan on. There being an air carrier inspector on board I would obviously go the extra length to insure that there were no deviations from our normal operations, that clrncs were correct and followed. But even with the inspector on board, who is most certainly watching for just such deviations, we missed it and all of us agreed and maintained that we had been given position and hold. The contributing factors are many. It was the copilot's first trip on the aircraft and I was very conscious of insuring checklists were properly completed, load closeouts correct, he understood the departure, how we would operate as a 2-MAN crew (he was transitioning from another aircraft) etc (he had made an error on inserting takeoff cg versus zero fuel weight cg into the FMC) making sure the flight plan, numbers, V speeds, etc were all inserted and correct in the FMC. Being a check airman, I am extremely aware (even though I can't spell) that on IOE the new crew member is very involved in and thinking of procedures, ie, FMC, EFIS, procedures as to takeoff, climb profiles, etc. I am, therefore, even more than normal, very aware of monitoring the radio for compliance with clrncs, and that we are indeed complying. I believe that this event would not have happened if the controller had said 'plan on 22L, hold short'. Rather than just 'plan on'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TASK DISTR CHECK AIRMAN TAXIES INTO POSITION AND HOLD ON RWY WITHOUT CLRNC TO DO SO. CITES TASK DISTR AND THE PHRASEOLOGY USED BY TWR CTLR AS CONTRIBUTORY.

Narrative: IT IS NOW PAINFULLY OBVIOUS TO ME THAT I DID NOT HAVE CLRNC ONTO THE RWY. I FEEL THE TWR OPERATOR WAS TRYING TO HELP US IN TELLING US TO PLAN ON 22L SO WE COULD INSURE WE HAD THE CORRECT NUMBERS, COULD FINISH CHECKLISTS, BRIEFING, ETC. I ALSO FEEL THAT HE UNINTENTIONALLY LED US DOWN THE GARDEN PATH. WE WERE LISTENING FOR (WANTED TO HEAR) POSITION AND HOLD, BUT INSTEAD GOT PLAN ON. VERY SIMILAR PHRASES AND LIKE SOUNDING. POSITION/PLAN ON. THERE BEING AN AIR CARRIER INSPECTOR ON BOARD I WOULD OBVIOUSLY GO THE EXTRA LENGTH TO INSURE THAT THERE WERE NO DEVIATIONS FROM OUR NORMAL OPERATIONS, THAT CLRNCS WERE CORRECT AND FOLLOWED. BUT EVEN WITH THE INSPECTOR ON BOARD, WHO IS MOST CERTAINLY WATCHING FOR JUST SUCH DEVIATIONS, WE MISSED IT AND ALL OF US AGREED AND MAINTAINED THAT WE HAD BEEN GIVEN POSITION AND HOLD. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE MANY. IT WAS THE COPLT'S FIRST TRIP ON THE ACFT AND I WAS VERY CONSCIOUS OF INSURING CHECKLISTS WERE PROPERLY COMPLETED, LOAD CLOSEOUTS CORRECT, HE UNDERSTOOD THE DEP, HOW WE WOULD OPERATE AS A 2-MAN CREW (HE WAS TRANSITIONING FROM ANOTHER ACFT) ETC (HE HAD MADE AN ERROR ON INSERTING TKOF CG VERSUS ZERO FUEL WT CG INTO THE FMC) MAKING SURE THE FLT PLAN, NUMBERS, V SPEEDS, ETC WERE ALL INSERTED AND CORRECT IN THE FMC. BEING A CHECK AIRMAN, I AM EXTREMELY AWARE (EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T SPELL) THAT ON IOE THE NEW CREW MEMBER IS VERY INVOLVED IN AND THINKING OF PROCS, IE, FMC, EFIS, PROCS AS TO TKOF, CLIMB PROFILES, ETC. I AM, THEREFORE, EVEN MORE THAN NORMAL, VERY AWARE OF MONITORING THE RADIO FOR COMPLIANCE WITH CLRNCS, AND THAT WE ARE INDEED COMPLYING. I BELIEVE THAT THIS EVENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE CTLR HAD SAID 'PLAN ON 22L, HOLD SHORT'. RATHER THAN JUST 'PLAN ON'.

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.