Narrative:

I taxied partly onto the active runway without proper clearance because of an erroneous preconceived idea that I had been cleared to do so. Having a short taxi with heavy checklist duties contributed to the error. We had been given a clearance to taxi on to runway 3 and hold short of the departure runway 30L. The first officer responded 'cleared into position 30L.' the controller did not question or correct his response. (Fairly busy ATC at the time). There was an small transport Z on short final when we got the clearance. We proceeded on to runway 3 and started on to 30L when I stopped the aircraft realizing we had not been officially cleared into position. We called ready for takeoff. Tower said 'hold short.' we said 'we had crossed the hold line, did he want us to taxi across and hold on the other side?' he said 'hold your position,' and then instructed small aircraft Y, on close in left base, to go around. We had not seen that aircraft because he was out of our view behind and to or right. I had a picture in my mind that we would be cleared into position for takeoff when aircraft Z on short final had landed. We were far enough away when given our clearance that the short final aircraft Z would no longer be a factor when we arrived at the runway. The fact that the controller did not correct our readback of 'cleared into position' tended to modify my picture to being cleared into position when we got to the runway. We had a rather short taxi from our gate to the departure runway (approximately 2 mins) so we were somewhat busy doing checklist. I stopped with just the nose past the hold line. There was no other aircraft taxiing nearby at the time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter gave added information reference other aircraft involved and separation distance. Says his first officer was new to type aircraft and had just moved up from flight engine to copilot. Says aircraft Y could have safely landed. Not sure if there actually is a hold line for runway 30L at that end of runway. Reporter did not note difference between ATC clearance and the first officer readback, but later realized that they were not cleared into position and stopped with nose of aircraft about on runway edge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH RWY ENTRY BY ACR.

Narrative: I TAXIED PARTLY ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC BECAUSE OF AN ERRONEOUS PRECONCEIVED IDEA THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO DO SO. HAVING A SHORT TAXI WITH HVY CHKLIST DUTIES CONTRIBUTED TO THE ERROR. WE HAD BEEN GIVEN A CLRNC TO TAXI ON TO RWY 3 AND HOLD SHORT OF THE DEP RWY 30L. THE FO RESPONDED 'CLRED INTO POS 30L.' THE CTLR DID NOT QUESTION OR CORRECT HIS RESPONSE. (FAIRLY BUSY ATC AT THE TIME). THERE WAS AN SMT Z ON SHORT FINAL WHEN WE GOT THE CLRNC. WE PROCEEDED ON TO RWY 3 AND STARTED ON TO 30L WHEN I STOPPED THE ACFT REALIZING WE HAD NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY CLRED INTO POS. WE CALLED READY FOR TKOF. TWR SAID 'HOLD SHORT.' WE SAID 'WE HAD CROSSED THE HOLD LINE, DID HE WANT US TO TAXI ACROSS AND HOLD ON THE OTHER SIDE?' HE SAID 'HOLD YOUR POS,' AND THEN INSTRUCTED SMA Y, ON CLOSE IN L BASE, TO GAR. WE HAD NOT SEEN THAT ACFT BECAUSE HE WAS OUT OF OUR VIEW BEHIND AND TO OR R. I HAD A PICTURE IN MY MIND THAT WE WOULD BE CLRED INTO POS FOR TKOF WHEN ACFT Z ON SHORT FINAL HAD LANDED. WE WERE FAR ENOUGH AWAY WHEN GIVEN OUR CLRNC THAT THE SHORT FINAL ACFT Z WOULD NO LONGER BE A FACTOR WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE RWY. THE FACT THAT THE CTLR DID NOT CORRECT OUR READBACK OF 'CLRED INTO POS' TENDED TO MODIFY MY PICTURE TO BEING CLRED INTO POS WHEN WE GOT TO THE RWY. WE HAD A RATHER SHORT TAXI FROM OUR GATE TO THE DEP RWY (APPROX 2 MINS) SO WE WERE SOMEWHAT BUSY DOING CHKLIST. I STOPPED WITH JUST THE NOSE PAST THE HOLD LINE. THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT TAXIING NEARBY AT THE TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR GAVE ADDED INFO REF OTHER ACFT INVOLVED AND SEPARATION DISTANCE. SAYS HIS FO WAS NEW TO TYPE ACFT AND HAD JUST MOVED UP FROM FLT ENG TO COPLT. SAYS ACFT Y COULD HAVE SAFELY LANDED. NOT SURE IF THERE ACTUALLY IS A HOLD LINE FOR RWY 30L AT THAT END OF RWY. RPTR DID NOT NOTE DIFFERENCE BTWN ATC CLRNC AND THE FO READBACK, BUT LATER REALIZED THAT THEY WERE NOT CLRED INTO POS AND STOPPED WITH NOSE OF ACFT ABOUT ON RWY EDGE.

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