Narrative:

Flight from las was weight restr on aircraft equipped with A-1 engines at a ptow of 166.3 with a mtow of 166.4/south. With a taxi burn of .396 a weight of 165.9 was computed for takeoff, utilizing a maximum performance takeoff required with a bump. 138 passenger (7 were 2-12 yrs), wind reported variable 5 KTS. #1 fuel pump in r-hand inner tank was on when switched off resulting in approximately 25 mins maintenance delay at gate, WX poor at destination. Monitoring brake temperature on #1 and #2 brakes on previous san turn also flown by this same flight crew. Arriving at runway 25R, pilots noted a tailwind and tower reported winds at 090 degrees at 8 KTS. Pilots then requested runway 7L as they would be unable to take off under present conditions without a severe weight penalty. Tower informed flight crew it would be at least 45 mins delay for the other runway and asked what the crew wanted to do. No pressure here! The flight crew informed tower they needed runway 7L for operational purposes, as they were unable runway 25R for departure. Tower then cleared a B737 aircraft position and hold runway 25R at taxiway A2, then clearing B737 for takeoff. Advised us to taxi onto runway 25R and to taxi to taxiway A7. As this was being done, tower advised us to vacate runway 25R at taxiway A3 and to continue west on taxiway a to hold short of runway 7L at taxiway D. Acknowledgement was given and the crew continued on taxiway a. During this taxi, many instructions were given by the tower to us and to many other aircraft on the tower frequency. We were told to speed up the taxi as other aircraft would need to cross at taxiway A7, also informed us only a 15 min delay would occur before departure. Then the captain ordered the first officer to call dispatch to inform them of our situation, call las operations to inform them of runway change and why, and to make an announcement to the passenger to why the necessity to use a safer runway due to wind direction and weight. Captain was only one on #1 frequency while this was happening and other instructions were given to multiple aircraft on the field. First officer returned to #1 frequency and tower told us to fly runway heading and maintain 4000 ft after their departure. This was acknowledged and we approached taxiway D and made a r-hand turn. For some reason the captain thought he heard taxi into position and hold which is what he started to do on runway 7L. As he was going into position, the tower said 'air carrier X, what are your intentions?' the captain responded position and hold runway 7L,' then the tower said 'no, air carrier X, you were to hold short of runway 7L on taxiway D, not position and hold on runway 7L at taxiway D.' there was some confusion of the clearance as we were moving along. We were told to taxi clear of runway 7L and hold in present position. When we were on runway 7L, they noticed a B757 crossing runway 25R at taxiway A7, and a B737 in position and holding on runway 25R. After we were holding north of runway 7L, we were instructed to do a 180 degree turn and hold short of runway 7L. Tower then cleared B737 for takeoff on runway 25R. Tower cleared our flight into position and hold runway 7L, then a few moments later cleared us for takeoff. Nothing else was said during normal takeoff and climb out. Probably 40 mins into a 5 hour 20 min flight, company informed captain to call the las tower upon arrival in ewr. Yes, the captain was concerned of all that transpired in las, but to torture the flight crew as they were flying into an area of severe WX with low visibility, LLWS and an alternate of windsor locks was unsafe and rather foolish to say the least. Supplemental information from acn 614343: while I was off radio #1, I observed a B757 holding short of taxiway a at taxiway A7 for us to pass. After I called the company, the captain instructed me to make a passenger announcement. I quickly finished my announcement as we were making the right turn from taxiway a onto taxiway D. I looked right and saw the B757 crossing runway 25R at taxiway A7. We never stopped after turning onto taxiway D and I returned to the #1 radio just as our aircraft was crossing the hold short line. I informed the captain I was back on radio #1. I then heard the tower say 'air carrier X, say your intentions.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION WHEN AN A320 PIC IS MANNING THE RADIO AND FO OFF FREQ ON THE PA AT RWY 7 AT LAS, NV.

Narrative: FLT FROM LAS WAS WT RESTR ON ACFT EQUIPPED WITH A-1 ENGS AT A PTOW OF 166.3 WITH A MTOW OF 166.4/S. WITH A TAXI BURN OF .396 A WT OF 165.9 WAS COMPUTED FOR TKOF, UTILIZING A MAX PERFORMANCE TKOF REQUIRED WITH A BUMP. 138 PAX (7 WERE 2-12 YRS), WIND RPTED VARIABLE 5 KTS. #1 FUEL PUMP IN R-HAND INNER TANK WAS ON WHEN SWITCHED OFF RESULTING IN APPROX 25 MINS MAINT DELAY AT GATE, WX POOR AT DEST. MONITORING BRAKE TEMP ON #1 AND #2 BRAKES ON PREVIOUS SAN TURN ALSO FLOWN BY THIS SAME FLT CREW. ARRIVING AT RWY 25R, PLTS NOTED A TAILWIND AND TWR RPTED WINDS AT 090 DEGS AT 8 KTS. PLTS THEN REQUESTED RWY 7L AS THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO TAKE OFF UNDER PRESENT CONDITIONS WITHOUT A SEVERE WT PENALTY. TWR INFORMED FLT CREW IT WOULD BE AT LEAST 45 MINS DELAY FOR THE OTHER RWY AND ASKED WHAT THE CREW WANTED TO DO. NO PRESSURE HERE! THE FLT CREW INFORMED TWR THEY NEEDED RWY 7L FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES, AS THEY WERE UNABLE RWY 25R FOR DEP. TWR THEN CLRED A B737 ACFT POS AND HOLD RWY 25R AT TXWY A2, THEN CLRING B737 FOR TKOF. ADVISED US TO TAXI ONTO RWY 25R AND TO TAXI TO TXWY A7. AS THIS WAS BEING DONE, TWR ADVISED US TO VACATE RWY 25R AT TXWY A3 AND TO CONTINUE W ON TXWY A TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 7L AT TXWY D. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WAS GIVEN AND THE CREW CONTINUED ON TXWY A. DURING THIS TAXI, MANY INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN BY THE TWR TO US AND TO MANY OTHER ACFT ON THE TWR FREQ. WE WERE TOLD TO SPD UP THE TAXI AS OTHER ACFT WOULD NEED TO CROSS AT TXWY A7, ALSO INFORMED US ONLY A 15 MIN DELAY WOULD OCCUR BEFORE DEP. THEN THE CAPT ORDERED THE FO TO CALL DISPATCH TO INFORM THEM OF OUR SIT, CALL LAS OPS TO INFORM THEM OF RWY CHANGE AND WHY, AND TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX TO WHY THE NECESSITY TO USE A SAFER RWY DUE TO WIND DIRECTION AND WT. CAPT WAS ONLY ONE ON #1 FREQ WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN TO MULTIPLE ACFT ON THE FIELD. FO RETURNED TO #1 FREQ AND TWR TOLD US TO FLY RWY HDG AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT AFTER THEIR DEP. THIS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND WE APCHED TXWY D AND MADE A R-HAND TURN. FOR SOME REASON THE CAPT THOUGHT HE HEARD TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD WHICH IS WHAT HE STARTED TO DO ON RWY 7L. AS HE WAS GOING INTO POS, THE TWR SAID 'ACR X, WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS?' THE CAPT RESPONDED POS AND HOLD RWY 7L,' THEN THE TWR SAID 'NO, ACR X, YOU WERE TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 7L ON TXWY D, NOT POS AND HOLD ON RWY 7L AT TXWY D.' THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION OF THE CLRNC AS WE WERE MOVING ALONG. WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI CLR OF RWY 7L AND HOLD IN PRESENT POS. WHEN WE WERE ON RWY 7L, THEY NOTICED A B757 XING RWY 25R AT TXWY A7, AND A B737 IN POS AND HOLDING ON RWY 25R. AFTER WE WERE HOLDING N OF RWY 7L, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO DO A 180 DEG TURN AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 7L. TWR THEN CLRED B737 FOR TKOF ON RWY 25R. TWR CLRED OUR FLT INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 7L, THEN A FEW MOMENTS LATER CLRED US FOR TKOF. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID DURING NORMAL TKOF AND CLBOUT. PROBABLY 40 MINS INTO A 5 HR 20 MIN FLT, COMPANY INFORMED CAPT TO CALL THE LAS TWR UPON ARR IN EWR. YES, THE CAPT WAS CONCERNED OF ALL THAT TRANSPIRED IN LAS, BUT TO TORTURE THE FLT CREW AS THEY WERE FLYING INTO AN AREA OF SEVERE WX WITH LOW VISIBILITY, LLWS AND AN ALTERNATE OF WINDSOR LOCKS WAS UNSAFE AND RATHER FOOLISH TO SAY THE LEAST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 614343: WHILE I WAS OFF RADIO #1, I OBSERVED A B757 HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY A AT TXWY A7 FOR US TO PASS. AFTER I CALLED THE COMPANY, THE CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE A PAX ANNOUNCEMENT. I QUICKLY FINISHED MY ANNOUNCEMENT AS WE WERE MAKING THE R TURN FROM TXWY A ONTO TXWY D. I LOOKED R AND SAW THE B757 XING RWY 25R AT TXWY A7. WE NEVER STOPPED AFTER TURNING ONTO TXWY D AND I RETURNED TO THE #1 RADIO JUST AS OUR ACFT WAS XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I INFORMED THE CAPT I WAS BACK ON RADIO #1. I THEN HEARD THE TWR SAY 'ACR X, SAY YOUR INTENTIONS.'

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.