Narrative:

We had been operating all week in and out of liph (2 times a night) as a transient point along our work night schedule. It was day #4 (of our second work week) when our event happened. For the prior 3 days, the same controller would always say 'line up and cleared for takeoff.' we had commented how this was a slight variance of the ICAO standard 'line up and wait' statement. Why would he need to tell us to line up if we are cleared to take off? In germany, it had always been either 'line up and wait' or 'cleared for takeoff.' on this night, taxiing out the short distance, we encountered a mechanical distraction (that wasn't clear cut) that separated us from our normal flow. It turned out not to be a major problem, but the distraction it created was. When we were at the taxiway adjacent to the runway, the controller said 'line up and cleared for takeoff.' we said we weren't ready yet and would need another min (we were running the before takeoff flows and checklist, having been delayed by the mechanical distraction). The controller said to 'line up and wait' we believe, but he did say to 'line up.' what we did instead was what we had done the prior 6 times over the preceding 3 days -- we lined up and took off (this time, just finishing the checklist that had been delayed -- another distraction caused by the mechanical distraction). On climb out, the tower told us that we had taken off without takeoff clearance, but that it was ok, and that we were to contact departure. Our hearts sank to the ground, and instantly realized how we had made this mistake. We had never lined up and waited, it was always lined up and taken off. There was never any conflict, as we are the only plane usually in the entire airspace at that time of night. TCASII never showed anything. Fatigue compounded by distraction and complicated by the 'reflex' of always taking off when taxiing onto the runway at this normally very sleepy airport were factors. The slightly nonstandard phraseology used by the controller may have also contributed to the event. As a crew, we felt awful about what we had done and discussed methods we could both use in the future to prevent such an occurrence from ever happening again. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter returned callback request. He did not add any significant information to the report, only adding that the controller spoke with a very thick accent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 CREW OPERATING AT A FOREIGN ARPT EXPERIENCE CONFUSION WITH 'LINE UP' INSTRUCTION AND TAKE OFF WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN OPERATING ALL WK IN AND OUT OF LIPH (2 TIMES A NIGHT) AS A TRANSIENT POINT ALONG OUR WORK NIGHT SCHEDULE. IT WAS DAY #4 (OF OUR SECOND WORK WK) WHEN OUR EVENT HAPPENED. FOR THE PRIOR 3 DAYS, THE SAME CTLR WOULD ALWAYS SAY 'LINE UP AND CLRED FOR TKOF.' WE HAD COMMENTED HOW THIS WAS A SLIGHT VARIANCE OF THE ICAO STANDARD 'LINE UP AND WAIT' STATEMENT. WHY WOULD HE NEED TO TELL US TO LINE UP IF WE ARE CLRED TO TAKE OFF? IN GERMANY, IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN EITHER 'LINE UP AND WAIT' OR 'CLRED FOR TKOF.' ON THIS NIGHT, TAXIING OUT THE SHORT DISTANCE, WE ENCOUNTERED A MECHANICAL DISTR (THAT WASN'T CLR CUT) THAT SEPARATED US FROM OUR NORMAL FLOW. IT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE A MAJOR PROB, BUT THE DISTR IT CREATED WAS. WHEN WE WERE AT THE TXWY ADJACENT TO THE RWY, THE CTLR SAID 'LINE UP AND CLRED FOR TKOF.' WE SAID WE WEREN'T READY YET AND WOULD NEED ANOTHER MIN (WE WERE RUNNING THE BEFORE TKOF FLOWS AND CHKLIST, HAVING BEEN DELAYED BY THE MECHANICAL DISTR). THE CTLR SAID TO 'LINE UP AND WAIT' WE BELIEVE, BUT HE DID SAY TO 'LINE UP.' WHAT WE DID INSTEAD WAS WHAT WE HAD DONE THE PRIOR 6 TIMES OVER THE PRECEDING 3 DAYS -- WE LINED UP AND TOOK OFF (THIS TIME, JUST FINISHING THE CHKLIST THAT HAD BEEN DELAYED -- ANOTHER DISTR CAUSED BY THE MECHANICAL DISTR). ON CLBOUT, THE TWR TOLD US THAT WE HAD TAKEN OFF WITHOUT TKOF CLRNC, BUT THAT IT WAS OK, AND THAT WE WERE TO CONTACT DEP. OUR HEARTS SANK TO THE GND, AND INSTANTLY REALIZED HOW WE HAD MADE THIS MISTAKE. WE HAD NEVER LINED UP AND WAITED, IT WAS ALWAYS LINED UP AND TAKEN OFF. THERE WAS NEVER ANY CONFLICT, AS WE ARE THE ONLY PLANE USUALLY IN THE ENTIRE AIRSPACE AT THAT TIME OF NIGHT. TCASII NEVER SHOWED ANYTHING. FATIGUE COMPOUNDED BY DISTR AND COMPLICATED BY THE 'REFLEX' OF ALWAYS TAKING OFF WHEN TAXIING ONTO THE RWY AT THIS NORMALLY VERY SLEEPY ARPT WERE FACTORS. THE SLIGHTLY NONSTANDARD PHRASEOLOGY USED BY THE CTLR MAY HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENT. AS A CREW, WE FELT AWFUL ABOUT WHAT WE HAD DONE AND DISCUSSED METHODS WE COULD BOTH USE IN THE FUTURE TO PREVENT SUCH AN OCCURRENCE FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR RETURNED CALLBACK REQUEST. HE DID NOT ADD ANY SIGNIFICANT INFO TO THE RPT, ONLY ADDING THAT THE CTLR SPOKE WITH A VERY THICK ACCENT.

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.