Narrative:

Kona tower cleared us into position to hold for takeoff runway 17 waiting for takeoff clearance. Another air carrier jet canceled IFR inbound for landing. The first officer and I heard the kona controller clear a light aircraft (a cessna) for a touch-and-go. We got ready for our takeoff, expected a clearance to follow for us. After 1 min or so, a cessna was on a low base landing in front of us. The cessna did not overfly us. The cessna did a touch-and-go. I asked the controller if he had cleared the cessna to land, or do a touch-and-go on the runway we were holding on. He said 'yes, I told him to 'turn inside of you.' (we did not hear this transmission.) the first officer and I were stunned. Upon arrival at hnl, I called our representative who had been a tower controller. He called me back a few days later and said the supervisor in kona had taken 2 days to even answer the phone. After the supervisor talked to the controller who had been on duty he told us the cessna had been cleared for the touch-and-go before we were cleared into position. Even if this statement were true, it would be a runway incursion. Kona tower is a relatively new 'contract' tower. The overall controling had been poor. There seems to be a problem with the controllers understanding separation rules. They do not communicate to aircraft in the pattern what each plane is doing. It would be better if the field were uncontrolled so that we didn't expect anything from a controller. We would not rely on them for separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN ACR OBSERVED C172, CLRED BY TWR CTLR, MAKE A TOUCH-AND-GO LNDG IN FRONT OF HER ACFT HOLDING IN POS ON THE SAME RWY FOR TKOF.

Narrative: KONA TWR CLRED US INTO POS TO HOLD FOR TKOF RWY 17 WAITING FOR TKOF CLRNC. ANOTHER ACR JET CANCELED IFR INBOUND FOR LNDG. THE FO AND I HEARD THE KONA CTLR CLR A LIGHT ACFT (A CESSNA) FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO. WE GOT READY FOR OUR TKOF, EXPECTED A CLRNC TO FOLLOW FOR US. AFTER 1 MIN OR SO, A CESSNA WAS ON A LOW BASE LNDG IN FRONT OF US. THE CESSNA DID NOT OVERFLY US. THE CESSNA DID A TOUCH-AND-GO. I ASKED THE CTLR IF HE HAD CLRED THE CESSNA TO LAND, OR DO A TOUCH-AND-GO ON THE RWY WE WERE HOLDING ON. HE SAID 'YES, I TOLD HIM TO 'TURN INSIDE OF YOU.' (WE DID NOT HEAR THIS XMISSION.) THE FO AND I WERE STUNNED. UPON ARR AT HNL, I CALLED OUR REPRESENTATIVE WHO HAD BEEN A TWR CTLR. HE CALLED ME BACK A FEW DAYS LATER AND SAID THE SUPVR IN KONA HAD TAKEN 2 DAYS TO EVEN ANSWER THE PHONE. AFTER THE SUPVR TALKED TO THE CTLR WHO HAD BEEN ON DUTY HE TOLD US THE CESSNA HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE TOUCH-AND-GO BEFORE WE WERE CLRED INTO POS. EVEN IF THIS STATEMENT WERE TRUE, IT WOULD BE A RWY INCURSION. KONA TWR IS A RELATIVELY NEW 'CONTRACT' TWR. THE OVERALL CTLING HAD BEEN POOR. THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROB WITH THE CTLRS UNDERSTANDING SEPARATION RULES. THEY DO NOT COMMUNICATE TO ACFT IN THE PATTERN WHAT EACH PLANE IS DOING. IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THE FIELD WERE UNCTLED SO THAT WE DIDN'T EXPECT ANYTHING FROM A CTLR. WE WOULD NOT RELY ON THEM FOR SEPARATION.

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.