Narrative:

After completing my run-up, I called the maui tower and was cleared to taxi to the runway and hold short -- which I did. After waiting a short while, and seeing no traffic landing or taking off in either direction, and hearing a long communication pause, I called the tower to inform them that I was in position and holding. I expected to receive either a clearance to take off or instructions to continue holding. Instead, in a rapid transmission, I understood something about wake turbulence and some numbers which at first I did not recognize. I requested clarification. I again understood something about wake turbulence and the numbers -- which I then determined was the departure frequency, however, again I did not fully understand the transmission. I was reluctant to request an additional clarification. I assumed that issuance of a departure frequency meant I had been cleared for departure, but that I had misunderstood. I again checked for landing and takeoff aircraft. In order to make sure that the tower understood my intentions, I told the tower that I was taking off, and then released my brakes. As I crossed the hold short line, the tower instructed me to do a 180 degrees -- which I did without entering the runway. After returning to the hold short line, and after some helpful suggestions from the tower, I was cleared for takeoff. My home airport is uncontrolled, and I occasionally use a class D airport, but this was my first class C experience as PIC. In summary, the tower xmissions were rapid and were not on a topic which I expected -- and therefore were incompletely understood. It is now apparent to me that a better solution would have been a very specific request for clarification, such as: 'do I understand that I am cleared for takeoff with departure frequency 120.2?'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT HAD RWY INCURSION AT OGG.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING MY RUN-UP, I CALLED THE MAUI TWR AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO THE RWY AND HOLD SHORT -- WHICH I DID. AFTER WAITING A SHORT WHILE, AND SEEING NO TFC LNDG OR TAKING OFF IN EITHER DIRECTION, AND HEARING A LONG COM PAUSE, I CALLED THE TWR TO INFORM THEM THAT I WAS IN POS AND HOLDING. I EXPECTED TO RECEIVE EITHER A CLRNC TO TAKE OFF OR INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE HOLDING. INSTEAD, IN A RAPID XMISSION, I UNDERSTOOD SOMETHING ABOUT WAKE TURB AND SOME NUMBERS WHICH AT FIRST I DID NOT RECOGNIZE. I REQUESTED CLARIFICATION. I AGAIN UNDERSTOOD SOMETHING ABOUT WAKE TURB AND THE NUMBERS -- WHICH I THEN DETERMINED WAS THE DEP FREQ, HOWEVER, AGAIN I DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE XMISSION. I WAS RELUCTANT TO REQUEST AN ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION. I ASSUMED THAT ISSUANCE OF A DEP FREQ MEANT I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR DEP, BUT THAT I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD. I AGAIN CHKED FOR LNDG AND TKOF ACFT. IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TWR UNDERSTOOD MY INTENTIONS, I TOLD THE TWR THAT I WAS TAKING OFF, AND THEN RELEASED MY BRAKES. AS I CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE, THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO DO A 180 DEGS -- WHICH I DID WITHOUT ENTERING THE RWY. AFTER RETURNING TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE, AND AFTER SOME HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FROM THE TWR, I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. MY HOME ARPT IS UNCTLED, AND I OCCASIONALLY USE A CLASS D ARPT, BUT THIS WAS MY FIRST CLASS C EXPERIENCE AS PIC. IN SUMMARY, THE TWR XMISSIONS WERE RAPID AND WERE NOT ON A TOPIC WHICH I EXPECTED -- AND THEREFORE WERE INCOMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD. IT IS NOW APPARENT TO ME THAT A BETTER SOLUTION WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SPECIFIC REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION, SUCH AS: 'DO I UNDERSTAND THAT I AM CLRED FOR TKOF WITH DEP FREQ 120.2?'

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.