B767-300 and 300 ER
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 60; Flight Crew Total 16000; Flight Crew Type 10000
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Runway
Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff
Human Factors; Procedure
It was a normal taxi out to the runway. We held short; number 2; behind another aircraft. The traffic in front of us was cleared for takeoff. We were cleared to 'lineup and wait behind departing aircraft behind.' We repeated the clearance to the controller. We taxied onto the runway into position. On rolling onto the runway we noticed lights of an aircraft on final. Being just after sunrise looking into the bright sun and haze it was difficult to get a distance estimate for the aircraft on final. While in position we were given 'fly runway heading; cleared for immediate takeoff'. We advanced the power levers; the aircraft started to move; and the controller called to us to 'cancel takeoff clearance; cancel takeoff clearance.' We responded and rejected at approximately 40 knots. He then told the aircraft on final to go around. We taxied clear of the runway.We called the tower by telephone later that morning. He explained that they had listened to the tapes of the event and we discovered that the controller had given us the clearance of 'lineup and wait behind landing aircraft behind'. But we had clearly responded 'lineup and wait behind departing aircraft behind'. He said that the controller had missed the incorrect read-back and was at fault for not catching it. He also said that we had crossed the illuminated red stop bars on the hold short line while taxiing onto the runway. He asked that we mind the stop bars in the future. We had pulled up close to the line so did not notice the stop bars low under the nose in the bright light and were looking for traffic on final as we rolled onto the runway. A few contributing factor was a late frequency change to tower so we did not hear the landing clearance to the traffic on final. That would have given us a cue to his distance out on final. Another is the slightly different phraseology and technique that allows a lineup and wait after landing aircraft. Also expectation bias that we were next for takeoff as we didn't hear the landing clearance of the aircraft on final.
The things that I think contributed to the misunderstanding are as follows. We switched to tower holding short of the runway; and missed the landing clearance for the other aircraft. The clearance to 'Line up behind' was clearly taken to mean behind the departing traffic; and if we had heard the landing clearance for another aircraft; it would have given us more awareness. It was the third leg of the night; the sun had just come up; and we never saw the traffic on final before lining up to take the runway. We both heard 'Line up behind departing aircraft' (expectation bias?) read it back; and took the runway.
B767-300 flight crew reported being cleared to line up and wait behind departing traffic and read back the clearance; but the Controller had actually said to line up and wait behind landing traffic and did not catch the error. The Controller issued an immediate takeoff clearance; then cancels the takeoff clearance and issues a go-around to traffic on final.