Narrative:

I was taking my asel instrument rating practical test with mr X, FAA designated pilot examiner, at the lgb airport. There were 2 air traffic controllers on the same frequency that morning, one of whom was in training. With our IFR flight plan to ful filed, we were instructed to taxi into position (runway 25L) and hold. The controller came right back to cancel instructions and told us to now hold short of runway 25L. A few mins went by, and we were instructed, again, to taxi into position and hold runway 25L. While we were holding in position on runway 25L, the controller was giving commands to other aircraft. The controllers were very busy. About 20 seconds went by when mr X waved his hand forward and verbally told me to go, that we were cleared to go (not sure of exact words). I thought I had missed our takeoff clearance in all the radio chatter and mr X had heard it. Having faith in mr X and his experience as a pilot examiner, I advanced the throttle for takeoff. Somewhere near the intersection of runway 25L and runway 30 the controller instructed us to discontinue the takeoff roll. I immediately reduced the power and applied the brakes. We exited runway 25L at taxiway G. I looked over my right shoulder and saw a piper chieftain overflying runway 3O, then realizing he went around for us. The controller advised us we were not cleared for takeoff. Mr X apologized to the controllers and admitted he was at fault. He then asked for permission to conduct the flight and call the tower as soon as we got back. The controller approved. When we arrived back at lgb around XX00, mr X informed me that I had passed the flight test. Later that day, he called me at home and said he couldn't issue my instrument rating after all. He just then informed me that I was the PIC on that flight. Looking back on the incident, I can see many things that went wrong. I should have doublechked with the controller, instead of accepting mr X's word that we were cleared for takeoff. After reading the regulations, I now know that I was PIC on that flight. At no time during the practical test did mr X inform me that he was an observer, and I was PIC on that flight. I think all examiners should inform the applicants of this regulation early on. It would have helped me realize I was responsible for doublechking for a takeoff clearance. I also believe the controller added to the confusion by changing his commands. The fact that I was a little nervous on flight test day also had an impact on my judgement skills. Thank you for your patience in reading this report. (My instrument rating was reissued after a second flight with mr X.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT TAKING INST RATING PRACTICAL TEST WITH EXAMINER ON BOARD. LONG DELAYS OCCUR THEN THEY ARE GIVEN POS AND HOLD CLRNC BUT EXAMINER TELLS PLT TO TKOF. BUSY FREQ, SOME CONFUSION AND THEY START TKOF ROLL. INSTRUCTED TO CANCEL TKOF. FURTHER CONVERSATION AFTERWARD BRINGS APOLOGY FROM EXAMINER, BUT HE FAILS THE STUDENT SINCE HE WAS PIC.

Narrative: I WAS TAKING MY ASEL INST RATING PRACTICAL TEST WITH MR X, FAA DESIGNATED PLT EXAMINER, AT THE LGB ARPT. THERE WERE 2 AIR TFC CTLRS ON THE SAME FREQ THAT MORNING, ONE OF WHOM WAS IN TRAINING. WITH OUR IFR FLT PLAN TO FUL FILED, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI INTO POS (RWY 25L) AND HOLD. THE CTLR CAME RIGHT BACK TO CANCEL INSTRUCTIONS AND TOLD US TO NOW HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25L. A FEW MINS WENT BY, AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED, AGAIN, TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 25L. WHILE WE WERE HOLDING IN POS ON RWY 25L, THE CTLR WAS GIVING COMMANDS TO OTHER ACFT. THE CTLRS WERE VERY BUSY. ABOUT 20 SECONDS WENT BY WHEN MR X WAVED HIS HAND FORWARD AND VERBALLY TOLD ME TO GO, THAT WE WERE CLRED TO GO (NOT SURE OF EXACT WORDS). I THOUGHT I HAD MISSED OUR TKOF CLRNC IN ALL THE RADIO CHATTER AND MR X HAD HEARD IT. HAVING FAITH IN MR X AND HIS EXPERIENCE AS A PLT EXAMINER, I ADVANCED THE THROTTLE FOR TKOF. SOMEWHERE NEAR THE INTXN OF RWY 25L AND RWY 30 THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO DISCONTINUE THE TKOF ROLL. I IMMEDIATELY REDUCED THE PWR AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. WE EXITED RWY 25L AT TXWY G. I LOOKED OVER MY R SHOULDER AND SAW A PIPER CHIEFTAIN OVERFLYING RWY 3O, THEN REALIZING HE WENT AROUND FOR US. THE CTLR ADVISED US WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR TKOF. MR X APOLOGIZED TO THE CTLRS AND ADMITTED HE WAS AT FAULT. HE THEN ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO CONDUCT THE FLT AND CALL THE TWR AS SOON AS WE GOT BACK. THE CTLR APPROVED. WHEN WE ARRIVED BACK AT LGB AROUND XX00, MR X INFORMED ME THAT I HAD PASSED THE FLT TEST. LATER THAT DAY, HE CALLED ME AT HOME AND SAID HE COULDN'T ISSUE MY INST RATING AFTER ALL. HE JUST THEN INFORMED ME THAT I WAS THE PIC ON THAT FLT. LOOKING BACK ON THE INCIDENT, I CAN SEE MANY THINGS THAT WENT WRONG. I SHOULD HAVE DOUBLECHKED WITH THE CTLR, INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING MR X'S WORD THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. AFTER READING THE REGS, I NOW KNOW THAT I WAS PIC ON THAT FLT. AT NO TIME DURING THE PRACTICAL TEST DID MR X INFORM ME THAT HE WAS AN OBSERVER, AND I WAS PIC ON THAT FLT. I THINK ALL EXAMINERS SHOULD INFORM THE APPLICANTS OF THIS REG EARLY ON. IT WOULD HAVE HELPED ME REALIZE I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOUBLECHKING FOR A TKOF CLRNC. I ALSO BELIEVE THE CTLR ADDED TO THE CONFUSION BY CHANGING HIS COMMANDS. THE FACT THAT I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS ON FLT TEST DAY ALSO HAD AN IMPACT ON MY JUDGEMENT SKILLS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE IN READING THIS RPT. (MY INST RATING WAS REISSUED AFTER A SECOND FLT WITH MR X.)

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.