Regional Jet CL65; Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Fatigue; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Procedure; Human Factors
It was just after midnight East Coast time and I'd already been awake for 19 hours. Flight departing GRR was departing over 6 hours late. We taxied out to depart Runway 26L which was the favored runway for wind direction. Both the FO and I left comm 1 to pick up the clearance as we approached the departure end of the runway. Chicago Center gave us our clearance and then asked an inbound aircraft how soon they would be at the field. ATC told them he had another aircraft on the ground in GRR and he couldn't release us until he landed. The inbound aircraft made a position report and their answer prompted ATC to ask us how soon we could be airborne. We responded 30 seconds. Chicago Center then cleared us for release. We continued our taxi; ran our checklists. The first officer made a position report and broadcasted our intentions to depart 26L. We both assumed the inbound aircraft was landing 26L since that was the favored runway for wind direction. I looked right and left before entering the runway and didn't see any traffic. After crossing the hold short line with the nose of the aircraft I saw the lights of an airplane on final for Runway 8R. I'm not sure if I didn't see him the first time I looked left or he had just turned base to final. We communicated with the other aircraft and he was more interested in rude comments than clearing up the situation. I explained to him we had crossed the hold short line and I was going to taxi the short distance to Lima and exit the runway. He decided to go around and we waited for him to do a quick traffic pattern and land before we departed. In my opinion the aircraft was far enough out from Runway 8R that the situation wasn't dangerous to either aircraft. I also feel the there was a miscommunication with all parties involved. ATC released us thinking the aircraft was far enough away for us to depart before his arrival. I'm not sure if ATC thought that other aircraft would be landing on 26L. Using better judgment and slowing down when it has already been a long day and fatigue has already started to set in.
We were taxiing out to Runway 26L. I was talking with Chicago Center picking up our clearance for our flight. It was my understanding that Center was on the same page as us thinking that the other aircraft arriving into GRR was landing on Runway 26L as well. Center asked us if we could accept a clearance void time of something like 3 minutes. We said yes and they told us another aircraft was 2 miles out. We assumed the other aircraft was landing Runway 26L. I made a call on CTAF stating we were about to take the runway; and we didn't hear anyone announce anything. We also checked final and did not see any aircraft so we started to take the runway. Just as we crossed the hold short line the pilot of the other plane stated he was on final for 8R. We then informed him we had already crossed the hold short line so we would exit the runway as quickly as possible. The other pilot stated he was going around.I believe this event happened just due to terrible timing. We must have just switched to Chicago Center when the other pilot announced he was landing Runway 8R. He must not have initially heard our call about taking off at first because he did not make a call stating he was landing Runway 8R. Once he did we had crossed the hold short line. We instantly told him we had crossed the hold short line but would exit the Runway as quickly as possible.
CRJ flight crew departing GRR on Runway 26L after Tower closure; experiences a conflict with an arriving aircraft. The departing crew and apparently ATC; assumed the arriving aircraft would land on Runway 26L. They choose Runway 8R resulting in a conflict and a go around.