MD80 flight crew is concerned with multiple aircraft in position and hold on the same runway at ord.

Attributes
ACN	704378
Time
Date	200607
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold ground : preflight
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	704378
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

On this flight and another the previous night we were cleared into position at intersection M on runway 32L with aircraft in position for full length departure runway 32L. We were carefully monitoring tower communications to be sure full length traffic was not cleared for takeoff with us in position; but were not certain if full length traffic was on the same frequency. The practice is inherently hazardous; especially at night when it would be very difficult for the crew of an aircraft on takeoff full length to miss the few tail lights visible on an aircraft in position at intersection M or the T10 intersection.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW IS CONCERNED WITH MULTIPLE ACFT IN POS AND HOLD ON THE SAME RWY AT ORD.

Narrative: ON THIS FLT AND ANOTHER THE PREVIOUS NIGHT WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AT INTXN M ON RWY 32L WITH ACFT IN POS FOR FULL LENGTH DEP RWY 32L. WE WERE CAREFULLY MONITORING TWR COMS TO BE SURE FULL LENGTH TFC WAS NOT CLRED FOR TKOF WITH US IN POS; BUT WERE NOT CERTAIN IF FULL LENGTH TFC WAS ON THE SAME FREQ. THE PRACTICE IS INHERENTLY HAZARDOUS; ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT WHEN IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE CREW OF AN ACFT ON TKOF FULL LENGTH TO MISS THE FEW TAIL LIGHTS VISIBLE ON AN ACFT IN POS AT INTXN M OR THE T10 INTXN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.