B767-300 crew crossed runway hold short area ahead of landing A320 aircraft at vabb.

Attributes
ACN	509398
Time
Date	200104
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vabb.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : vabb.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	509398
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe ground encounters other incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared to the hold point for runway 27 in bombay (vabb). Clearance was received for SID and FL280. We were then cleared for takeoff with a garbled message from tower. I repeated what I thought I heard (320 degree heading) and cleared for takeoff. The captain taxied from the hold point to the runway when we realized an airbus 320 was on final. We stopped even with the runway edge and they landed uneventfully. The other aircraft told tower that we had penetrated the runway edge. We felt we were still short although past the hold point. The language barrier is extreme with bombay controllers. They are difficult to understand if out of the normal phrase, ie, 'cleared for takeoff.' the captain and I both heard cleared for takeoff and luckily cleared final in time to stop short of the actual runway. Clearance for takeoff should not be conditional in such an environment. The aircraft still has to land, slow, and taxi clear of the runway before you can take off. Clearance conditional of an aircraft landing is not warranted since time saved is minimal. With time zone changes, crew fatigue and language barriers all part of the equation, safety is suspect. In the united states that kind of clearance is acceptable, but I feel if there is any way to influence ICAO procedures at foreign airports, this would be a good place to start. No clearance for takeoff until the other aircraft has landed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 CREW CROSSED RWY HOLD SHORT AREA AHEAD OF LNDG A320 ACFT AT VABB.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO THE HOLD POINT FOR RWY 27 IN BOMBAY (VABB). CLRNC WAS RECEIVED FOR SID AND FL280. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF WITH A GARBLED MESSAGE FROM TWR. I REPEATED WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD (320 DEG HDG) AND CLRED FOR TKOF. THE CAPT TAXIED FROM THE HOLD POINT TO THE RWY WHEN WE REALIZED AN AIRBUS 320 WAS ON FINAL. WE STOPPED EVEN WITH THE RWY EDGE AND THEY LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE OTHER ACFT TOLD TWR THAT WE HAD PENETRATED THE RWY EDGE. WE FELT WE WERE STILL SHORT ALTHOUGH PAST THE HOLD POINT. THE LANGUAGE BARRIER IS EXTREME WITH BOMBAY CTLRS. THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND IF OUT OF THE NORMAL PHRASE, IE, 'CLRED FOR TKOF.' THE CAPT AND I BOTH HEARD CLRED FOR TKOF AND LUCKILY CLRED FINAL IN TIME TO STOP SHORT OF THE ACTUAL RWY. CLRNC FOR TKOF SHOULD NOT BE CONDITIONAL IN SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT. THE ACFT STILL HAS TO LAND, SLOW, AND TAXI CLR OF THE RWY BEFORE YOU CAN TAKE OFF. CLRNC CONDITIONAL OF AN ACFT LNDG IS NOT WARRANTED SINCE TIME SAVED IS MINIMAL. WITH TIME ZONE CHANGES, CREW FATIGUE AND LANGUAGE BARRIERS ALL PART OF THE EQUATION, SAFETY IS SUSPECT. IN THE UNITED STATES THAT KIND OF CLRNC IS ACCEPTABLE, BUT I FEEL IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO INFLUENCE ICAO PROCS AT FOREIGN ARPTS, THIS WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO START. NO CLRNC FOR TKOF UNTIL THE OTHER ACFT HAS LANDED.

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.