Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi by phoenix ground control east on taxiway D behind company. Ground specifically said our departure order was behind our company aircraft (this made us #5 for takeoff). After our company aircraft was cleared for takeoff we taxied up to and held short of the runway 26L. At that time 2 smaller airplanes pulled up to our right side waiting for takeoff. Tower cleared the first one and the second one for takeoff. Both had to taxi behind us and around our left side to get on the runway. The tower controller knew we were at the #1 position because she discussed with the other aircraft whether they could get around us or not, however, she apparently didn't know who we were, and she didn't bother to ask. We then thought that we had been cleared 'on to hold' by tower. We clearly read back 'air carrier X cleared on to hold.' tower did not respond back, and we taxied into position. Air carrier Y then called that they were #2 for takeoff. No response from tower. Tower then cleared air carrier Y for takeoff. We responded that we were air carrier X in position for takeoff. Tower responded 'who are you? I don't have anything on you.' she then said 'standby,' and asked us our destination. Then she said 'we lost your strip, now we have it, you're cleared for takeoff, and give us a call when you get to ontario.' after arrival in ontario I called the tower supervisor in phoenix. He said that air carrier Y was cleared onto the runway, not air carrier X. He also said that they had been having a problem in phoenix with pilots taxiing without clearance and the wrong people taking the runway, with somebody else's clearance. He commented that his ground controller doesn't remember giving us taxi clearance (we're certain he did) (that's why our strip wasn't passed along). When we called for taxi he was busy and quite possibly forgot to pass the strip. Maybe the problem of showing up at #1 isn't the pilots, but ground control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC UNAUTH RWY ENTRY. RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI BY PHOENIX GND CTL E ON TXWY D BEHIND COMPANY. GND SPECIFICALLY SAID OUR DEP ORDER WAS BEHIND OUR COMPANY ACFT (THIS MADE US #5 FOR TKOF). AFTER OUR COMPANY ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF WE TAXIED UP TO AND HELD SHORT OF THE RWY 26L. AT THAT TIME 2 SMALLER AIRPLANES PULLED UP TO OUR R SIDE WAITING FOR TKOF. TWR CLRED THE FIRST ONE AND THE SECOND ONE FOR TKOF. BOTH HAD TO TAXI BEHIND US AND AROUND OUR L SIDE TO GET ON THE RWY. THE TWR CTLR KNEW WE WERE AT THE #1 POS BECAUSE SHE DISCUSSED WITH THE OTHER ACFT WHETHER THEY COULD GET AROUND US OR NOT, HOWEVER, SHE APPARENTLY DIDN'T KNOW WHO WE WERE, AND SHE DIDN'T BOTHER TO ASK. WE THEN THOUGHT THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED 'ON TO HOLD' BY TWR. WE CLRLY READ BACK 'ACR X CLRED ON TO HOLD.' TWR DID NOT RESPOND BACK, AND WE TAXIED INTO POS. ACR Y THEN CALLED THAT THEY WERE #2 FOR TKOF. NO RESPONSE FROM TWR. TWR THEN CLRED ACR Y FOR TKOF. WE RESPONDED THAT WE WERE ACR X IN POS FOR TKOF. TWR RESPONDED 'WHO ARE YOU? I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON YOU.' SHE THEN SAID 'STANDBY,' AND ASKED US OUR DEST. THEN SHE SAID 'WE LOST YOUR STRIP, NOW WE HAVE IT, YOU'RE CLRED FOR TKOF, AND GIVE US A CALL WHEN YOU GET TO ONTARIO.' AFTER ARR IN ONTARIO I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR IN PHOENIX. HE SAID THAT ACR Y WAS CLRED ONTO THE RWY, NOT ACR X. HE ALSO SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN HAVING A PROB IN PHOENIX WITH PLTS TAXIING WITHOUT CLRNC AND THE WRONG PEOPLE TAKING THE RWY, WITH SOMEBODY ELSE'S CLRNC. HE COMMENTED THAT HIS GND CTLR DOESN'T REMEMBER GIVING US TAXI CLRNC (WE'RE CERTAIN HE DID) (THAT'S WHY OUR STRIP WASN'T PASSED ALONG). WHEN WE CALLED FOR TAXI HE WAS BUSY AND QUITE POSSIBLY FORGOT TO PASS THE STRIP. MAYBE THE PROB OF SHOWING UP AT #1 ISN'T THE PLTS, BUT GND CTL.

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.