Narrative:

Pushed back from gate at dtw and given taxi clearance to runway 22L (short taxi). Flight attendant's report ready, checklists about done when tower calls and asks if we're ready to go as we approach runway 22L. First officer answers yes, and tower says, dc-10 on 3 mile final, taxi into position and hold. All checklists done, and as were hurrying onto runway (the controller's tone was hurrying the controller says, 'air carrier X are you holding short?' I had seen the other aircraft's landing light in the distance before I took the runway, and heard the first officer acknowledge 'position and hold,' so I was astonished but continued across the runway to taxiway Z to clear. First officer and I were sure we were cleared into position, and hold, but controller said he told us to hold short. Aircraft on final landed normal. I have not heard the tower tape. Supplemental information from acn 522408: sometimes the dtw controllers talk fast and use non standard phraseology. Therefore it was not unusual to hear the controller say 'position and hold.' it may also have led us down the path by asking if we were ready as we approached the runway, leading us to believe we were going right out. The thing that bothers me most is 2 pilots were certain they heard the clearance and we were obviously wrong. If both pilots can mis-hear a communication then we have a real problem with our communication system. I spent a number of yrs as an ATC and always request verification of a clearance, this time though, we were sure of what we heard. Perhaps, in retrospect, it was our expectation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC MISINTERP CLRNC OF 'HOLD SHORT' AS 'POSITION AND HOLD.

Narrative: PUSHED BACK FROM GATE AT DTW AND GIVEN TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 22L (SHORT TAXI). FA'S RPT READY, CHKLISTS ABOUT DONE WHEN TWR CALLS AND ASKS IF WE'RE READY TO GO AS WE APCH RWY 22L. FO ANSWERS YES, AND TWR SAYS, DC-10 ON 3 MILE FINAL, TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. ALL CHKLISTS DONE, AND AS WERE HURRYING ONTO RWY (THE CTLR'S TONE WAS HURRYING THE CTLR SAYS, 'ACR X ARE YOU HOLDING SHORT?' I HAD SEEN THE OTHER ACFT'S LNDG LIGHT IN THE DISTANCE BEFORE I TOOK THE RWY, AND HEARD THE FO ACKNOWLEDGE 'POSITION AND HOLD,' SO I WAS ASTONISHED BUT CONTINUED ACROSS THE RWY TO TXWY Z TO CLR. FO AND I WERE SURE WE WERE CLRED INTO POSITION, AND HOLD, BUT CTLR SAID HE TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT. ACFT ON FINAL LANDED NORMAL. I HAVE NOT HEARD THE TWR TAPE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 522408: SOMETIMES THE DTW CTLRS TALK FAST AND USE NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY. THEREFORE IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL TO HEAR THE CTLR SAY 'POSITION AND HOLD.' IT MAY ALSO HAVE LED US DOWN THE PATH BY ASKING IF WE WERE READY AS WE APCHED THE RWY, LEADING US TO BELIEVE WE WERE GOING RIGHT OUT. THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME MOST IS 2 PLTS WERE CERTAIN THEY HEARD THE CLRNC AND WE WERE OBVIOUSLY WRONG. IF BOTH PLTS CAN MIS-HEAR A COM THEN WE HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH OUR COM SYSTEM. I SPENT A NUMBER OF YRS AS AN ATC AND ALWAYS REQUEST VERIFICATION OF A CLRNC, THIS TIME THOUGH, WE WERE SURE OF WHAT WE HEARD. PERHAPS, IN RETROSPECT, IT WAS OUR EXPECTATION.

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.