Narrative:

We departed the gate approximately 45 mins late with the ACARS deferred. Due to my inexperience, I was more absorbed than normal in my taxi out procedures and I was communicating with load planning and getting a verbal manifest check. I had xferred responsibility for monitoring VHF #1 to the captain. I was still very much 'heads down' with the weights and checklist as we approached and entered the runway. It was not until after we had taken position and hold did I reconfigure my communication panel back to VHF #1. As a result, I had not actually monitored the ATC clearance for position and hold. The final items were just complete and the captain asked 'are you ready?' I said I was. We began the takeoff roll, and at 40 KTS the tower called and said 'hold your position.' the captain immediately aborted the takeoff. It became clear that we did not have a clearance for takeoff. We exited the runway, and taxied back for a north uneventful takeoff. I can say that a question about our clearance flashed through my mind when asked if I was ready, however, I suppressed it as it seemed the captain was clear about our clearance. Supplemental information from acn 520502: started takeoff before tower cleared us. Tower gave command to taxi into position and hold. We said we weren't ready, tower said onto hold you can go when ready. Started takeoff and tower said we were not cleared. We aborted at 35-40 KTS. Exited runway at taxiway G on runway 1L, taxied back and had normal flight. I felt that I (captain) missed that the first officer was overloaded and fell into trap of taking runway before we were ready. Also I had 38 hours of deadhead and flying in the last 6 days causing a fatigue problem. Other factors are: no ACARS, new first officer, and tower trainee who used new terminology. Trainee in tower did see us immediately. To his credit. This prevented a later abort for us. When we did abort, we were very slow, but very concerned about what could have happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW STARTS TKOF WITHOUT CLRNC. NONSTANDARD ATC TERMINOLOGY AND CREW EXPERIENCE ARE ISSUES.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED THE GATE APPROX 45 MINS LATE WITH THE ACARS DEFERRED. DUE TO MY INEXPERIENCE, I WAS MORE ABSORBED THAN NORMAL IN MY TAXI OUT PROCS AND I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH LOAD PLANNING AND GETTING A VERBAL MANIFEST CHK. I HAD XFERRED RESPONSIBILITY FOR MONITORING VHF #1 TO THE CAPT. I WAS STILL VERY MUCH 'HEADS DOWN' WITH THE WTS AND CHKLIST AS WE APCHED AND ENTERED THE RWY. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER WE HAD TAKEN POS AND HOLD DID I RECONFIGURE MY COM PANEL BACK TO VHF #1. AS A RESULT, I HAD NOT ACTUALLY MONITORED THE ATC CLRNC FOR POS AND HOLD. THE FINAL ITEMS WERE JUST COMPLETE AND THE CAPT ASKED 'ARE YOU READY?' I SAID I WAS. WE BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL, AND AT 40 KTS THE TWR CALLED AND SAID 'HOLD YOUR POS.' THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE TKOF. IT BECAME CLR THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A CLRNC FOR TKOF. WE EXITED THE RWY, AND TAXIED BACK FOR A N UNEVENTFUL TKOF. I CAN SAY THAT A QUESTION ABOUT OUR CLRNC FLASHED THROUGH MY MIND WHEN ASKED IF I WAS READY, HOWEVER, I SUPPRESSED IT AS IT SEEMED THE CAPT WAS CLR ABOUT OUR CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 520502: STARTED TKOF BEFORE TWR CLRED US. TWR GAVE COMMAND TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. WE SAID WE WEREN'T READY, TWR SAID ONTO HOLD YOU CAN GO WHEN READY. STARTED TKOF AND TWR SAID WE WERE NOT CLRED. WE ABORTED AT 35-40 KTS. EXITED RWY AT TXWY G ON RWY 1L, TAXIED BACK AND HAD NORMAL FLT. I FELT THAT I (CAPT) MISSED THAT THE FO WAS OVERLOADED AND FELL INTO TRAP OF TAKING RWY BEFORE WE WERE READY. ALSO I HAD 38 HRS OF DEADHEAD AND FLYING IN THE LAST 6 DAYS CAUSING A FATIGUE PROB. OTHER FACTORS ARE: NO ACARS, NEW FO, AND TWR TRAINEE WHO USED NEW TERMINOLOGY. TRAINEE IN TWR DID SEE US IMMEDIATELY. TO HIS CREDIT. THIS PREVENTED A LATER ABORT FOR US. WHEN WE DID ABORT, WE WERE VERY SLOW, BUT VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED.

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.