Narrative:

Our school's insurance policy requires that prior to student solo, another instructor (other than the one who trained the student), fly with him/her to evaluate if they are ready to solo. I was flying with this student for the pre-solo chkout evaluation. This student was not one of mine, and therefore, I had not flown with the student previously and was unaware of the student's capabilities. The student completed preflight and run-up duties, and we were subsequently cleared for takeoff on runway 15. As we were on the takeoff roll, tower called our number and all I heard was 'departing aircraft runway 10.' I assumed we were to follow the aircraft since we were already cleared for takeoff. (We did not use headsets, since this particular student didn't have any.) tower then called 2 more times and said 'do you understand.' the student acknowledged both times. When we lifted off, we saw another aircraft ahead of us that had just taken off runway 10. I instructed the student to widen out and follow behind aircraft a who departed runway 10. (There was plenty of distance separation throughout.) as we made a left turn and overflew the field to the northwest, I heard tower again call our number and say, 'did you hear your takeoff clearance was canceled?' this was the first time I heard that it had been canceled, and as I looked over at the student, he proceeded to call the tower and said 'yes, I did'. Then tower said, 'so what happened?' at this point my mouth was open in shock! I took the microphone away from the student and I told tower I was the instructor on board, and that I had not heard a cancellation of our takeoff, I thought we were only being instructed to pass behind the departing aircraft off of runway 10. We came back in and landed, and after I informed the student he would not be authority/authorized to solo and sent the student home, I went and talked to the controllers. What had happened was an aircraft that was cleared to land on runway 10 did a go around. Since we were still on the ground on runway 15, the controller canceled our clearance when they saw the other aircraft going around. However, all I heard of this transmission was the last half, 'for departing aircraft off runway 10,' and since the student acknowledged tower, I assumed that we were only told to pass behind the other aircraft. (Naturally, if student heard a takeoff cancellation, and acknowledged, he would abort and stop?) when I asked the student why he acknowledged that he did hear the takeoff cancellation, he told me he thought the controller was asking if he had received the takeoff clearance. Ways to prevent this in the future include: always wearing headsets. Never assume the student knows anything, even if they acknowledge a radio transmission, don't assume they know what they're acknowledging! When flying with another instructor's student that I didn't personally train, never expect that they are at the same level of capability that I require my own pre-solo students to demonstrate. And lastly, listen more closely to xmissions when instructing, and if unsure of something ask tower to repeat rather than assume the student is acknowledging the proper transmission. In other words, rechk and verify. Never assume that once we get the magic words 'cleared for takeoff' that it's etched in stone. I find myself sometimes tuning out my hearing at this point and beginning to instruct. Takeoff clrncs can and will be amended or canceled when you least expect it!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT WITH INSTRUCTOR TOOK OFF AFTER TKOF CLRNC HAD BEEN CANCELED, RESULTING IN A NMAC WITH ANOTHER ACFT MAKING A GAR.

Narrative: OUR SCHOOL'S INSURANCE POLICY REQUIRES THAT PRIOR TO STUDENT SOLO, ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR (OTHER THAN THE ONE WHO TRAINED THE STUDENT), FLY WITH HIM/HER TO EVALUATE IF THEY ARE READY TO SOLO. I WAS FLYING WITH THIS STUDENT FOR THE PRE-SOLO CHKOUT EVALUATION. THIS STUDENT WAS NOT ONE OF MINE, AND THEREFORE, I HAD NOT FLOWN WITH THE STUDENT PREVIOUSLY AND WAS UNAWARE OF THE STUDENT'S CAPABILITIES. THE STUDENT COMPLETED PREFLT AND RUN-UP DUTIES, AND WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 15. AS WE WERE ON THE TKOF ROLL, TWR CALLED OUR NUMBER AND ALL I HEARD WAS 'DEPARTING ACFT RWY 10.' I ASSUMED WE WERE TO FOLLOW THE ACFT SINCE WE WERE ALREADY CLRED FOR TKOF. (WE DID NOT USE HEADSETS, SINCE THIS PARTICULAR STUDENT DIDN'T HAVE ANY.) TWR THEN CALLED 2 MORE TIMES AND SAID 'DO YOU UNDERSTAND.' THE STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGED BOTH TIMES. WHEN WE LIFTED OFF, WE SAW ANOTHER ACFT AHEAD OF US THAT HAD JUST TAKEN OFF RWY 10. I INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO WIDEN OUT AND FOLLOW BEHIND ACFT A WHO DEPARTED RWY 10. (THERE WAS PLENTY OF DISTANCE SEPARATION THROUGHOUT.) AS WE MADE A L TURN AND OVERFLEW THE FIELD TO THE NW, I HEARD TWR AGAIN CALL OUR NUMBER AND SAY, 'DID YOU HEAR YOUR TKOF CLRNC WAS CANCELED?' THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HEARD THAT IT HAD BEEN CANCELED, AND AS I LOOKED OVER AT THE STUDENT, HE PROCEEDED TO CALL THE TWR AND SAID 'YES, I DID'. THEN TWR SAID, 'SO WHAT HAPPENED?' AT THIS POINT MY MOUTH WAS OPEN IN SHOCK! I TOOK THE MIKE AWAY FROM THE STUDENT AND I TOLD TWR I WAS THE INSTRUCTOR ON BOARD, AND THAT I HAD NOT HEARD A CANCELLATION OF OUR TKOF, I THOUGHT WE WERE ONLY BEING INSTRUCTED TO PASS BEHIND THE DEPARTING ACFT OFF OF RWY 10. WE CAME BACK IN AND LANDED, AND AFTER I INFORMED THE STUDENT HE WOULD NOT BE AUTH TO SOLO AND SENT THE STUDENT HOME, I WENT AND TALKED TO THE CTLRS. WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS AN ACFT THAT WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 10 DID A GAR. SINCE WE WERE STILL ON THE GND ON RWY 15, THE CTLR CANCELED OUR CLRNC WHEN THEY SAW THE OTHER ACFT GOING AROUND. HOWEVER, ALL I HEARD OF THIS XMISSION WAS THE LAST HALF, 'FOR DEPARTING ACFT OFF RWY 10,' AND SINCE THE STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGED TWR, I ASSUMED THAT WE WERE ONLY TOLD TO PASS BEHIND THE OTHER ACFT. (NATURALLY, IF STUDENT HEARD A TKOF CANCELLATION, AND ACKNOWLEDGED, HE WOULD ABORT AND STOP?) WHEN I ASKED THE STUDENT WHY HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE DID HEAR THE TKOF CANCELLATION, HE TOLD ME HE THOUGHT THE CTLR WAS ASKING IF HE HAD RECEIVED THE TKOF CLRNC. WAYS TO PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE INCLUDE: ALWAYS WEARING HEADSETS. NEVER ASSUME THE STUDENT KNOWS ANYTHING, EVEN IF THEY ACKNOWLEDGE A RADIO XMISSION, DON'T ASSUME THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE ACKNOWLEDGING! WHEN FLYING WITH ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR'S STUDENT THAT I DIDN'T PERSONALLY TRAIN, NEVER EXPECT THAT THEY ARE AT THE SAME LEVEL OF CAPABILITY THAT I REQUIRE MY OWN PRE-SOLO STUDENTS TO DEMONSTRATE. AND LASTLY, LISTEN MORE CLOSELY TO XMISSIONS WHEN INSTRUCTING, AND IF UNSURE OF SOMETHING ASK TWR TO REPEAT RATHER THAN ASSUME THE STUDENT IS ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROPER XMISSION. IN OTHER WORDS, RECHK AND VERIFY. NEVER ASSUME THAT ONCE WE GET THE MAGIC WORDS 'CLRED FOR TKOF' THAT IT'S ETCHED IN STONE. I FIND MYSELF SOMETIMES TUNING OUT MY HEARING AT THIS POINT AND BEGINNING TO INSTRUCT. TKOF CLRNCS CAN AND WILL BE AMENDED OR CANCELED WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT!

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.