A flight crew may have taken another aircraft taxi into position and hold clearance prior to receivi...

Attributes
ACN	585069
Time
Date	200306
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	585069
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	585068
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

From the gate we received clearance to taxi full length and then clearance for position and hold. We acknowledged, but as we crossed the hold short line, we again received clearance for position and hold, which made us question the previous clearance for position and hold. An air carrier Y aircraft took the runway (from an upwind taxiway in front of us) while we were in position, and departed without event. Potential causation/solution: if the position and hold clearance (first one) was for a different aircraft, it occurred at a logical time for us to be receiving it, since we were #1 for takeoff and nearing the end of the runway. If the same or similar set of circumstances occurs again for tower personnel, it would be good to emphasize carrier and flight number boldly upon giving instructions, particularly if an aircraft is in a logical place to be receiving the instructions and they are not intended for them. Also important would be to ensure the correct aircraft answers/acknowledges the instructions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT CREW MAY HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER ACFT TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD CLRNC PRIOR TO RECEIVING THEIRS.

Narrative: FROM THE GATE WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAXI FULL LENGTH AND THEN CLRNC FOR POS AND HOLD. WE ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT AS WE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE, WE AGAIN RECEIVED CLRNC FOR POS AND HOLD, WHICH MADE US QUESTION THE PREVIOUS CLRNC FOR POS AND HOLD. AN ACR Y ACFT TOOK THE RWY (FROM AN UPWIND TXWY IN FRONT OF US) WHILE WE WERE IN POS, AND DEPARTED WITHOUT EVENT. POTENTIAL CAUSATION/SOLUTION: IF THE POS AND HOLD CLRNC (FIRST ONE) WAS FOR A DIFFERENT ACFT, IT OCCURRED AT A LOGICAL TIME FOR US TO BE RECEIVING IT, SINCE WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF AND NEARING THE END OF THE RWY. IF THE SAME OR SIMILAR SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES OCCURS AGAIN FOR TWR PERSONNEL, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO EMPHASIZE CARRIER AND FLT NUMBER BOLDLY UPON GIVING INSTRUCTIONS, PARTICULARLY IF AN ACFT IS IN A LOGICAL PLACE TO BE RECEIVING THE INSTRUCTIONS AND THEY ARE NOT INTENDED FOR THEM. ALSO IMPORTANT WOULD BE TO ENSURE THE CORRECT ACFT ANSWERS/ACKNOWLEDGES THE INSTRUCTIONS.

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.

A flight crew may have taken another aircraft taxi into position and hold clearance prior to receiving theirs.