A cpr pilot reports nonstandard tower phraseology. Takeoff aborted.

Attributes
ACN	302969
Time
Date	199504
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mkc
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	302969
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : rejected takeoff other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

There was a delay of 35 mins at the approach end of the runway to takeoff runway 1 mkc. The tower controller, I feel, used some nonstandard phraseology when he asked us if we could make a turn to the northeast inside the airport boundaries and said it in a way that was misinterpreted by the copilot as cleared for takeoff. As I began the takeoff roll, we were instructed to abort the takeoff roll due to landing traffic on runway 3. He immediately told us to taxi back to the runway and gave us clearance to depart at that time. I believe the contributing factors were the long delay in departing from the pilot's point of view and controller's, due to stacking up of inbound and departing aircraft. There seemed to be some urgency of both parties concerned to get going. The corrective action was to abort the takeoff roll without incident. I feel that by not confirming the takeoff clearance as I normally would have, instead of trusting the copilot's words, this would have been avoided. My perception of the whole situation and not to place blame, but the controllers need to weigh their words more carefully and attempt to not have their requests left open-ended.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR PLT RPTS NONSTANDARD TWR PHRASEOLOGY. TKOF ABORTED.

Narrative: THERE WAS A DELAY OF 35 MINS AT THE APCH END OF THE RWY TO TKOF RWY 1 MKC. THE TWR CTLR, I FEEL, USED SOME NONSTANDARD PHRASEOLOGY WHEN HE ASKED US IF WE COULD MAKE A TURN TO THE NE INSIDE THE ARPT BOUNDARIES AND SAID IT IN A WAY THAT WAS MISINTERPRETED BY THE COPLT AS CLRED FOR TKOF. AS I BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO ABORT THE TKOF ROLL DUE TO LNDG TFC ON RWY 3. HE IMMEDIATELY TOLD US TO TAXI BACK TO THE RWY AND GAVE US CLRNC TO DEPART AT THAT TIME. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE LONG DELAY IN DEPARTING FROM THE PLT'S POINT OF VIEW AND CTLR'S, DUE TO STACKING UP OF INBOUND AND DEPARTING ACFT. THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME URGENCY OF BOTH PARTIES CONCERNED TO GET GOING. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TO ABORT THE TKOF ROLL WITHOUT INCIDENT. I FEEL THAT BY NOT CONFIRMING THE TKOF CLRNC AS I NORMALLY WOULD HAVE, INSTEAD OF TRUSTING THE COPLT'S WORDS, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. MY PERCEPTION OF THE WHOLE SIT AND NOT TO PLACE BLAME, BUT THE CTLRS NEED TO WEIGH THEIR WORDS MORE CAREFULLY AND ATTEMPT TO NOT HAVE THEIR REQUESTS LEFT OPEN-ENDED.

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.