Narrative:

Taxi into position on runway 27L from Y11. The clearance we understood was to line up runway 27L. I read back 'aircraft X line up runway 27L.' I looked to the right (I was acting as PNF in right seat for captain on operational experience) to clear the final for the runway. No aircraft or landing lights were observed. As we were in the first stages of adding power to line up, we observed a small commuter aircraft landing/rollout on runway 27R. An air carrier B747-400 had rolled for takeoff [on our runway], so we thought it was clear to line up. As we were lining up, we began to do our before takeoff checklist. We heard, but did not understand, due to radio quality/heavy accent from the controller, but we thought he used our call sign and the word 'power.' I did not understand his question or clearance or whatever he said, so I asked him when I was able to, 'aircraft X, I didn't understand.' he replied, 'ok, I call you back shortly' or something like that. By this time we were well past CAT I hold line. No mention up to this point that we had lined up incorrectly. We heard more xmissions from tower. None we thought were for us, maybe some were in french. I heard tower either give a wind or heading direction. The captain I was flying with (giving IOE to) heard an altitude assignment, after which he made a comment about feeling uncomfortable about being on the runway (we were close to being on centerline, by now 20-30 seconds approximately, maybe longer since we got our clearance). I don't recall my exact words for the next transmission, but I did ask if he wanted us to exit the runway, which we could have done. Since we were lined up by now, the controller said no, shortly after which we were cleared for takeoff. Once airborne safely, I asked if there was a problem. Again tower said no problems and switched to departure control without any indication of possible runway incursion. Contributing factors: 1) language barriers, accents, broken english caused by speaking much too fast. 2) if a behind clearance to line up is given and you read back only 'cleared to line up runway 27L,' controller should correct it now vice ask you about 'power.' aircraft on final need to use exterior landing lights even in day operations. 3) controllers communicating in their native language and in english, you can't tell who he is talking to. It is difficult to hear call sign differences. They don't warn you that air carrier is on frequency like he was that day taxiing behind us. Observations about our crew: 1) operational experience was not a factor. The other captain was doing well. We communicated well with each other. Using good CRM procedures. 2) I communicated with ground/tower in a slow, clear voice, reading back the clearance I believed was given to me. Supplemental information from acn 517168: at this point, we had to get onto the runway to clear the runway. PNF could not talk to tower because the frequency was tied up by tower's xmissions. I should not have taken the runway without a clear verbal understanding of who we were to follow. This was my first trip to europe (operational experience trip) and I was unaware that ATC in europe clears aircraft to line up after approaching aircraft. The idea that we could taxi into position and hold after an approaching aircraft never entered my mind. To me, the only aircraft that I could have possibly followed was the departing B747. I didn't think anything was amiss until I heard something from the tower that sounded like the tower might want us to stop. The language barrier was definitely a contributing factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10-30 FLC DISCUSSES THE CLRNC CONTENT OF THE POS AND HOLD CLRNC AFTER XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 27L, HOLDING A POST CLRNC CONVERSATION WITH A PROBLEMATIC TWR CTLR AT LFPG, FO.

Narrative: TAXI INTO POS ON RWY 27L FROM Y11. THE CLRNC WE UNDERSTOOD WAS TO LINE UP RWY 27L. I READ BACK 'ACFT X LINE UP RWY 27L.' I LOOKED TO THE R (I WAS ACTING AS PNF IN R SEAT FOR CAPT ON OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE) TO CLR THE FINAL FOR THE RWY. NO ACFT OR LNDG LIGHTS WERE OBSERVED. AS WE WERE IN THE FIRST STAGES OF ADDING PWR TO LINE UP, WE OBSERVED A SMALL COMMUTER ACFT LNDG/ROLLOUT ON RWY 27R. AN ACR B747-400 HAD ROLLED FOR TKOF [ON OUR RWY], SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS CLR TO LINE UP. AS WE WERE LINING UP, WE BEGAN TO DO OUR BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. WE HEARD, BUT DID NOT UNDERSTAND, DUE TO RADIO QUALITY/HVY ACCENT FROM THE CTLR, BUT WE THOUGHT HE USED OUR CALL SIGN AND THE WORD 'PWR.' I DID NOT UNDERSTAND HIS QUESTION OR CLRNC OR WHATEVER HE SAID, SO I ASKED HIM WHEN I WAS ABLE TO, 'ACFT X, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.' HE REPLIED, 'OK, I CALL YOU BACK SHORTLY' OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BY THIS TIME WE WERE WELL PAST CAT I HOLD LINE. NO MENTION UP TO THIS POINT THAT WE HAD LINED UP INCORRECTLY. WE HEARD MORE XMISSIONS FROM TWR. NONE WE THOUGHT WERE FOR US, MAYBE SOME WERE IN FRENCH. I HEARD TWR EITHER GIVE A WIND OR HDG DIRECTION. THE CAPT I WAS FLYING WITH (GIVING IOE TO) HEARD AN ALT ASSIGNMENT, AFTER WHICH HE MADE A COMMENT ABOUT FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT BEING ON THE RWY (WE WERE CLOSE TO BEING ON CTRLINE, BY NOW 20-30 SECONDS APPROX, MAYBE LONGER SINCE WE GOT OUR CLRNC). I DON'T RECALL MY EXACT WORDS FOR THE NEXT XMISSION, BUT I DID ASK IF HE WANTED US TO EXIT THE RWY, WHICH WE COULD HAVE DONE. SINCE WE WERE LINED UP BY NOW, THE CTLR SAID NO, SHORTLY AFTER WHICH WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. ONCE AIRBORNE SAFELY, I ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB. AGAIN TWR SAID NO PROBS AND SWITCHED TO DEP CTL WITHOUT ANY INDICATION OF POSSIBLE RWY INCURSION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) LANGUAGE BARRIERS, ACCENTS, BROKEN ENGLISH CAUSED BY SPEAKING MUCH TOO FAST. 2) IF A BEHIND CLRNC TO LINE UP IS GIVEN AND YOU READ BACK ONLY 'CLRED TO LINE UP RWY 27L,' CTLR SHOULD CORRECT IT NOW VICE ASK YOU ABOUT 'PWR.' ACFT ON FINAL NEED TO USE EXTERIOR LNDG LIGHTS EVEN IN DAY OPS. 3) CTLRS COMMUNICATING IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE AND IN ENGLISH, YOU CAN'T TELL WHO HE IS TALKING TO. IT IS DIFFICULT TO HEAR CALL SIGN DIFFERENCES. THEY DON'T WARN YOU THAT ACR IS ON FREQ LIKE HE WAS THAT DAY TAXIING BEHIND US. OBSERVATIONS ABOUT OUR CREW: 1) OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE WAS NOT A FACTOR. THE OTHER CAPT WAS DOING WELL. WE COMMUNICATED WELL WITH EACH OTHER. USING GOOD CRM PROCS. 2) I COMMUNICATED WITH GND/TWR IN A SLOW, CLR VOICE, READING BACK THE CLRNC I BELIEVED WAS GIVEN TO ME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 517168: AT THIS POINT, WE HAD TO GET ONTO THE RWY TO CLR THE RWY. PNF COULD NOT TALK TO TWR BECAUSE THE FREQ WAS TIED UP BY TWR'S XMISSIONS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THE RWY WITHOUT A CLR VERBAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHO WE WERE TO FOLLOW. THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO EUROPE (OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE TRIP) AND I WAS UNAWARE THAT ATC IN EUROPE CLRS ACFT TO LINE UP AFTER APCHING ACFT. THE IDEA THAT WE COULD TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD AFTER AN APCHING ACFT NEVER ENTERED MY MIND. TO ME, THE ONLY ACFT THAT I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY FOLLOWED WAS THE DEPARTING B747. I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING WAS AMISS UNTIL I HEARD SOMETHING FROM THE TWR THAT SOUNDED LIKE THE TWR MIGHT WANT US TO STOP. THE LANGUAGE BARRIER WAS DEFINITELY A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

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.