Narrative:

Holding short for takeoff, we were given instructions to taxi into position and hold by tower. At the same time, communications on VHF #2 blocked my ability to hear those instructions, but I did hear my first officer respond, 'company #, taxi into position and hold.' I was monitoring VHF #2 as required by our fom. An aircraft was stated to be on an 8 mi final. 2 aircraft took off prior to us. We were in position and hold approximately 45 seconds when the aircraft on final was sent around. Tower then said, 'company #, I told you to hold short.' my first officer responded that we were told to taxi into position and hold and read that back. There was a long silence, then we were cleared for takeoff. I asked tower if there was a problem and he said, 'no, I won't be filing a report. A misunderstanding just caused a go around.' takeoff was made with no further comments. After departure out of 10000 ft, I called back to tower and asked if our situation had been resolved and tower said, 'I'm done with it, if you're done with it.' of course I said I was done with it. I'm confident this situation was over after tower's statement and that it was his mistake not ours. In the future, I will turn off VHF #2 when approaching the runway to preclude missing important radio calls. Supplemental information from acn 573867: I heard and repeated back 'company #, taxi into position and hold' and the controller also stated rj traffic on an 8 mi final. We accomplished the checklist and waited approximately 1 min in position. The captain later told me he actually didn't hear the tower completely because communication #2 partially blocked it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELP MISCOMS INCIDENT CAUSED GAR WITH A B737-700 HOLDING IN POS FOR TKOF. APPARENT ERRONEOUS CLRNC READBACK MISSED BY ELP LCL CTLR.

Narrative: HOLDING SHORT FOR TKOF, WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD BY TWR. AT THE SAME TIME, COMS ON VHF #2 BLOCKED MY ABILITY TO HEAR THOSE INSTRUCTIONS, BUT I DID HEAR MY FO RESPOND, 'COMPANY #, TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' I WAS MONITORING VHF #2 AS REQUIRED BY OUR FOM. AN ACFT WAS STATED TO BE ON AN 8 MI FINAL. 2 ACFT TOOK OFF PRIOR TO US. WE WERE IN POS AND HOLD APPROX 45 SECONDS WHEN THE ACFT ON FINAL WAS SENT AROUND. TWR THEN SAID, 'COMPANY #, I TOLD YOU TO HOLD SHORT.' MY FO RESPONDED THAT WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD AND READ THAT BACK. THERE WAS A LONG SILENCE, THEN WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. I ASKED TWR IF THERE WAS A PROB AND HE SAID, 'NO, I WON'T BE FILING A RPT. A MISUNDERSTANDING JUST CAUSED A GAR.' TKOF WAS MADE WITH NO FURTHER COMMENTS. AFTER DEP OUT OF 10000 FT, I CALLED BACK TO TWR AND ASKED IF OUR SIT HAD BEEN RESOLVED AND TWR SAID, 'I'M DONE WITH IT, IF YOU'RE DONE WITH IT.' OF COURSE I SAID I WAS DONE WITH IT. I'M CONFIDENT THIS SIT WAS OVER AFTER TWR'S STATEMENT AND THAT IT WAS HIS MISTAKE NOT OURS. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL TURN OFF VHF #2 WHEN APCHING THE RWY TO PRECLUDE MISSING IMPORTANT RADIO CALLS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 573867: I HEARD AND REPEATED BACK 'COMPANY #, TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD' AND THE CTLR ALSO STATED RJ TFC ON AN 8 MI FINAL. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE CHKLIST AND WAITED APPROX 1 MIN IN POS. THE CAPT LATER TOLD ME HE ACTUALLY DIDN'T HEAR THE TWR COMPLETELY BECAUSE COM #2 PARTIALLY BLOCKED IT.

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.