Narrative:

Departed gate at phl and cleared by ground control to runway 27L. After crossing runway 27R (which was closed), the copilot contacted local control and was told we would follow an mdt which was already close to the runway. I parked my aircraft off to the right to allow passage to the runway and waited. Runway 27L was being used for takeoff and landing and 1 or 2 aircraft landed before the medium large transport took off. Then 1 or 2 more lndgs on 27L (runway 17 was being used for smaller aircraft). Then local cleared a widebody transport into position on runway 27L. It had been waiting on the taxiway parallel to and east of the approach end of runway 27L after the widebody transport departed there was another landing, and I instructed the copilot to inquire what our departure sequence now was. Local control replied, 'taxi into position 27L and hold.' the copilot acknowledged 'position and hold, 27L.' I moved into position and set the parking brake. After an unusually long time, approximately 1 min, the local controller called using only our identify. I responded. Local said, 'I cleared you into position on runway 17, you are in position on runway 27L.' I said, 'negative! You cleared me into position on 27L and that is what was read back to you.' he responded, 'hold your position.' another aircraft then said, 'I'm going around.' subsequently, an aircraft passed several hundred ft overhead, wbound. I then called local control, 'tower, this is , I was cleared to 27L by ground control. I was in position to take the runway when we inquired of our sequence. You cleared me into position, 27L.' his reply was, ' cleared for takeoff.' we departed. Due to the geographical layout of the airport, after taxiing to runway 27L it would have been impossible to taxi into position on runway 17 as the approach end of 17 is over 1 SM to the northwest of 27L. The wind was 220 degrees/9 KTS and temperature 65 degrees F on the XA03Z phl WX sequence. The maximum takeoff gross weight for runway 17 was 84000 pounds. We had a takeoff gross weight of over 90000 pounds, so I would have refused a taxi clearance for 17. In over 18 yrs of flying this aircraft, out of and into phl, I have never used runway 17 for takeoff. Supplemental information from acn 84691: at the time of this conflict, phl airport was down to a 2 runway operation, runways 17L and 27L. NOTAMS said runway 27R was closed, but ground control informed another aircraft that it could be used for departures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT CLEARED INTO POSITION AND HOLD RWY 27L. LNDG ACFT FORCED TO GO AROUND ACCOUNT DELAYED DEP.

Narrative: DEPARTED GATE AT PHL AND CLRED BY GND CTL TO RWY 27L. AFTER XING RWY 27R (WHICH WAS CLOSED), THE COPLT CONTACTED LCL CTL AND WAS TOLD WE WOULD FOLLOW AN MDT WHICH WAS ALREADY CLOSE TO THE RWY. I PARKED MY ACFT OFF TO THE RIGHT TO ALLOW PASSAGE TO THE RWY AND WAITED. RWY 27L WAS BEING USED FOR TKOF AND LNDG AND 1 OR 2 ACFT LANDED BEFORE THE MLG TOOK OFF. THEN 1 OR 2 MORE LNDGS ON 27L (RWY 17 WAS BEING USED FOR SMALLER ACFT). THEN LCL CLRED A WDB INTO POS ON RWY 27L. IT HAD BEEN WAITING ON THE TXWY PARALLEL TO AND E OF THE APCH END OF RWY 27L AFTER THE WDB DEPARTED THERE WAS ANOTHER LNDG, AND I INSTRUCTED THE COPLT TO INQUIRE WHAT OUR DEP SEQUENCE NOW WAS. LCL CTL REPLIED, 'TAXI INTO POS 27L AND HOLD.' THE COPLT ACKNOWLEDGED 'POS AND HOLD, 27L.' I MOVED INTO POS AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. AFTER AN UNUSUALLY LONG TIME, APPROX 1 MIN, THE LCL CTLR CALLED USING ONLY OUR IDENT. I RESPONDED. LCL SAID, 'I CLRED YOU INTO POS ON RWY 17, YOU ARE IN POS ON RWY 27L.' I SAID, 'NEGATIVE! YOU CLRED ME INTO POS ON 27L AND THAT IS WHAT WAS READ BACK TO YOU.' HE RESPONDED, 'HOLD YOUR POS.' ANOTHER ACFT THEN SAID, 'I'M GOING AROUND.' SUBSEQUENTLY, AN ACFT PASSED SEVERAL HUNDRED FT OVERHEAD, WBOUND. I THEN CALLED LCL CTL, 'TWR, THIS IS , I WAS CLRED TO 27L BY GND CTL. I WAS IN POS TO TAKE THE RWY WHEN WE INQUIRED OF OUR SEQUENCE. YOU CLRED ME INTO POS, 27L.' HIS REPLY WAS, ' CLRED FOR TKOF.' WE DEPARTED. DUE TO THE GEOGRAPHICAL LAYOUT OF THE ARPT, AFTER TAXIING TO RWY 27L IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO TAXI INTO POS ON RWY 17 AS THE APCH END OF 17 IS OVER 1 SM TO THE NW OF 27L. THE WIND WAS 220 DEGS/9 KTS AND TEMP 65 DEGS F ON THE XA03Z PHL WX SEQUENCE. THE MAX TKOF GROSS WT FOR RWY 17 WAS 84000 LBS. WE HAD A TKOF GROSS WT OF OVER 90000 LBS, SO I WOULD HAVE REFUSED A TAXI CLRNC FOR 17. IN OVER 18 YRS OF FLYING THIS ACFT, OUT OF AND INTO PHL, I HAVE NEVER USED RWY 17 FOR TKOF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 84691: AT THE TIME OF THIS CONFLICT, PHL ARPT WAS DOWN TO A 2 RWY OPERATION, RWYS 17L AND 27L. NOTAMS SAID RWY 27R WAS CLOSED, BUT GND CTL INFORMED ANOTHER ACFT THAT IT COULD BE USED FOR DEPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.