Narrative:

When we checked on to ground control west on top of zulu bridge, controller asked if we had our closeout. We replied yes. We felt the controller then said taxi into position runway 18L. I believe the first officer repeated this. The first officer even commented to me that the controller must be canadian since he said into position instead of position and hold. With that information, we completed the before takeoff checklist and went into position on runway 18L. As we did so, the ground controller stated 'air carrier X you need to talk to tower.' we then realized that we were still on ground control frequency. I truly felt that we had been cleared into position on the runway. There is, however, no excuse for not realizing we were taking position on the runway without being on tower frequency and questioning the controller's not giving us a position and hold clearance. Supplemental information from acn 473330: location: dfw at taxiway Z and runway 18R. We were given the runway 18L bridge taxi clearance by ground on 121.85. Upon reaching the zulu bridge I switched to west ground on 121.85 and checked in. The west ground asked if we were ready for departure with all numbers and closeout. We acknowledged that we were and at that point ground issued a statement that I interpreted as cleared into position. We should have questioned the statement, but neither of us did. Also, the fact that we switched from one ground frequency to another reinforced the habit pattern of going from ground to tower. The questions asked by ground on the second frequency sounded like tower questions and I simply let myself go down the habit pattern path. I did acknowledge the instructions as I interpreted them and did not get any further response from ground. We cleared both ends of the runway and slowly taxied into position. It was then that ground said the tower wanted to talk with us and we then realized we were still on the ground frequency. We contacted tower and they cleared us for takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TAXIES ONTO RWY AT DFW, TX, WITHOUT CLRNC AND STILL ON GND CTL FREQ.

Narrative: WHEN WE CHKED ON TO GND CTL W ON TOP OF ZULU BRIDGE, CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD OUR CLOSEOUT. WE REPLIED YES. WE FELT THE CTLR THEN SAID TAXI INTO POS RWY 18L. I BELIEVE THE FO REPEATED THIS. THE FO EVEN COMMENTED TO ME THAT THE CTLR MUST BE CANADIAN SINCE HE SAID INTO POS INSTEAD OF POS AND HOLD. WITH THAT INFO, WE COMPLETED THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AND WENT INTO POS ON RWY 18L. AS WE DID SO, THE GND CTLR STATED 'ACR X YOU NEED TO TALK TO TWR.' WE THEN REALIZED THAT WE WERE STILL ON GND CTL FREQ. I TRULY FELT THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED INTO POS ON THE RWY. THERE IS, HOWEVER, NO EXCUSE FOR NOT REALIZING WE WERE TAKING POS ON THE RWY WITHOUT BEING ON TWR FREQ AND QUESTIONING THE CTLR'S NOT GIVING US A POS AND HOLD CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 473330: LOCATION: DFW AT TXWY Z AND RWY 18R. WE WERE GIVEN THE RWY 18L BRIDGE TAXI CLRNC BY GND ON 121.85. UPON REACHING THE ZULU BRIDGE I SWITCHED TO W GND ON 121.85 AND CHKED IN. THE W GND ASKED IF WE WERE READY FOR DEP WITH ALL NUMBERS AND CLOSEOUT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE WERE AND AT THAT POINT GND ISSUED A STATEMENT THAT I INTERPED AS CLRED INTO POS. WE SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE STATEMENT, BUT NEITHER OF US DID. ALSO, THE FACT THAT WE SWITCHED FROM ONE GND FREQ TO ANOTHER REINFORCED THE HABIT PATTERN OF GOING FROM GND TO TWR. THE QUESTIONS ASKED BY GND ON THE SECOND FREQ SOUNDED LIKE TWR QUESTIONS AND I SIMPLY LET MYSELF GO DOWN THE HABIT PATTERN PATH. I DID ACKNOWLEDGE THE INSTRUCTIONS AS I INTERPED THEM AND DID NOT GET ANY FURTHER RESPONSE FROM GND. WE CLRED BOTH ENDS OF THE RWY AND SLOWLY TAXIED INTO POS. IT WAS THEN THAT GND SAID THE TWR WANTED TO TALK WITH US AND WE THEN REALIZED WE WERE STILL ON THE GND FREQ. WE CONTACTED TWR AND THEY CLRED US FOR TKOF.

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.