Narrative:

I was captain on flight to phl. We called for taxi and given the following instructions: 'taxi to runway 36C via taxiway a and taxiway C, hold short of taxiway south.' we read back the clearance including the hold short. About 1 min later, we were called by ground who said 'taxi to runway 36C.' we acknowledged the clearance and continued taxiing past taxiway south toward runway 36C. As we passed taxiway south, I noticed lights come on an aircraft on runway 36C which I took to be an aircraft in takeoff position. A few seconds later I realized it was moving and on its takeoff run. I continued taxiing because my position put me right in line with runway 36C extension and the aircraft passed over ours at about 150 ft. Ground about this time called us and said we were supposed to hold at taxiway south, but we corrected him and reminded him we were cleared to taxi runway 36C, canceling our hold instructions. There was no further discussion on the radio about the incident. It is hard to think of what we could have done differently. When I first saw the aircraft I believed it was merely in position with lights on. Indeed, as we approached the end of taxiway C and switched to tower, I heard tower clear an aircraft in position and hold while traffic passed downfield, so this was a common situation. I believe ground either forgot its clearance to us, mistook us for another aircraft when they cleared us to 'taxi runway 36C,' or didn't coordinate with tower. Once I realized the aircraft was taking off, I couldn't stop as we were in line with the runway extension.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISCOM FLC GND CTLR. GND CTLR INITIALLY CLRED FLC TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY S ENRTE TO THE TKOF RWY, BUT THEN CALLED THEM AGAIN AND CLRED THEM TO THE RWY WHICH CANCELED THE PRECEDING HOLD SHORT CLRNC. AS RPTR TAXIED ACROSS A RWY EXTENSION, AN ACFT HAD MADE THE TKOF OVER THE TOP OF THEM.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT ON FLT TO PHL. WE CALLED FOR TAXI AND GIVEN THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS: 'TAXI TO RWY 36C VIA TXWY A AND TXWY C, HOLD SHORT OF TXWY S.' WE READ BACK THE CLRNC INCLUDING THE HOLD SHORT. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, WE WERE CALLED BY GND WHO SAID 'TAXI TO RWY 36C.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND CONTINUED TAXIING PAST TXWY S TOWARD RWY 36C. AS WE PASSED TXWY S, I NOTICED LIGHTS COME ON AN ACFT ON RWY 36C WHICH I TOOK TO BE AN ACFT IN TKOF POS. A FEW SECONDS LATER I REALIZED IT WAS MOVING AND ON ITS TKOF RUN. I CONTINUED TAXIING BECAUSE MY POS PUT ME RIGHT IN LINE WITH RWY 36C EXTENSION AND THE ACFT PASSED OVER OURS AT ABOUT 150 FT. GND ABOUT THIS TIME CALLED US AND SAID WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HOLD AT TXWY S, BUT WE CORRECTED HIM AND REMINDED HIM WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI RWY 36C, CANCELING OUR HOLD INSTRUCTIONS. THERE WAS NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE RADIO ABOUT THE INCIDENT. IT IS HARD TO THINK OF WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. WHEN I FIRST SAW THE ACFT I BELIEVED IT WAS MERELY IN POS WITH LIGHTS ON. INDEED, AS WE APCHED THE END OF TXWY C AND SWITCHED TO TWR, I HEARD TWR CLR AN ACFT IN POS AND HOLD WHILE TFC PASSED DOWNFIELD, SO THIS WAS A COMMON SIT. I BELIEVE GND EITHER FORGOT ITS CLRNC TO US, MISTOOK US FOR ANOTHER ACFT WHEN THEY CLRED US TO 'TAXI RWY 36C,' OR DIDN'T COORDINATE WITH TWR. ONCE I REALIZED THE ACFT WAS TAKING OFF, I COULDN'T STOP AS WE WERE IN LINE WITH THE RWY EXTENSION.

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.