Narrative:

We were cleared by barcelona tower to 'line up runway 7, traffic (a commuter jet) on 3 mi final.' that is what all 3 of us in the cockpit heard, and that is what the first officer read back. No further comment by tower. We saw an aircraft on what looked like a 3 mi final, and also saw an aircraft on our TCASII in that position. Assuming that it would be a quick departure, we proceeded to taxi towards runway 7. Our angle on the approach corridor prevented us from now seeing the arrival traffic. We had crossed the ILS hold short line, but not yet crossed the actual runway hold short line, when suddenly tower instructed us to 'hold short of runway 7, arriving traffic.' we made a 180 degree turn and taxied away from the runway (never having entered it) and realigned, holding short. About that time we saw the commuter aircraft pass well overhead, landing a ways down the runway. Nothing further was said, and we then proceeded to depart normally. Afterwards, the only conclusion we could come up with was that tower had said (or thought she said) line up 'after' the traffic, not before. A contributing factor was that particular tower operator spoke with a fairly heavy spanish accent and spoke very rapidly, and never questioned our supposedly incorrect readback. None of us questioned that we didn't have enough time to make a safe takeoff with the traffic we saw, but there was possibly a closer aircraft that none of us had seen. At any rate, none of us will ever line up on an ICAO runway again, with traffic on 5 mi or less final, without a double confirmation -- especially when language is a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WITH A 'LINE UP AND WAIT' CLRNC AND LNDG TFC RPTED ON A 3 MI FINAL AT A FOREIGN ARPT, AN ACR'S CLRNC IS CHANGED TO 'HOLD SHORT ARRIVING TFC' AND AN ACFT PASSES OVERHEAD TO LAND LONG.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED BY BARCELONA TWR TO 'LINE UP RWY 7, TFC (A COMMUTER JET) ON 3 MI FINAL.' THAT IS WHAT ALL 3 OF US IN THE COCKPIT HEARD, AND THAT IS WHAT THE FO READ BACK. NO FURTHER COMMENT BY TWR. WE SAW AN ACFT ON WHAT LOOKED LIKE A 3 MI FINAL, AND ALSO SAW AN ACFT ON OUR TCASII IN THAT POS. ASSUMING THAT IT WOULD BE A QUICK DEP, WE PROCEEDED TO TAXI TOWARDS RWY 7. OUR ANGLE ON THE APCH CORRIDOR PREVENTED US FROM NOW SEEING THE ARR TFC. WE HAD CROSSED THE ILS HOLD SHORT LINE, BUT NOT YET CROSSED THE ACTUAL RWY HOLD SHORT LINE, WHEN SUDDENLY TWR INSTRUCTED US TO 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 7, ARRIVING TFC.' WE MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND TAXIED AWAY FROM THE RWY (NEVER HAVING ENTERED IT) AND REALIGNED, HOLDING SHORT. ABOUT THAT TIME WE SAW THE COMMUTER ACFT PASS WELL OVERHEAD, LNDG A WAYS DOWN THE RWY. NOTHING FURTHER WAS SAID, AND WE THEN PROCEEDED TO DEPART NORMALLY. AFTERWARDS, THE ONLY CONCLUSION WE COULD COME UP WITH WAS THAT TWR HAD SAID (OR THOUGHT SHE SAID) LINE UP 'AFTER' THE TFC, NOT BEFORE. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT PARTICULAR TWR OPERATOR SPOKE WITH A FAIRLY HVY SPANISH ACCENT AND SPOKE VERY RAPIDLY, AND NEVER QUESTIONED OUR SUPPOSEDLY INCORRECT READBACK. NONE OF US QUESTIONED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE A SAFE TKOF WITH THE TFC WE SAW, BUT THERE WAS POSSIBLY A CLOSER ACFT THAT NONE OF US HAD SEEN. AT ANY RATE, NONE OF US WILL EVER LINE UP ON AN ICAO RWY AGAIN, WITH TFC ON 5 MI OR LESS FINAL, WITHOUT A DOUBLE CONFIRMATION -- ESPECIALLY WHEN LANGUAGE IS A 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.