Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100; Flight Crew Total 10350; Flight Crew Type 2300
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Time Pressure
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Runway
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
[Report narrative contained no additional information.]
The crew and plane had arrived 4 hours earlier (XA:46) on an empty reposition leg. The passengers were originally scheduled to arrive at XC:00. The flight plan was delayed through handler 4 times due to uncertainty of passenger arrival time; with the most recent scheduled target takeoff time of XE:30.After engine start; the crew was instructed to taxi to Runway 05 holding point 'Hotel'. The aircraft initially stopped at H1 as a smaller business jet was taking Runway 05. We reported 'holding point H1' and the Controller responded 'holding point Hotel hold short Runway 05'. We moved forward the short distance from holding point Hotel 1 to Hotel. The Controller stated; 'Aircraft X; be prepared for an immediate takeoff. Do you have traffic 4 mile final in sight?' I responded 'affirmative; traffic in sight.' The Tower issued another instruction and I read back 'Line up and wait Runway 5; be ready for immediate takeoff.' We taxied ahead briefly then the Tower instructed us to 'hold position.' The Tower Controller stated that we were instructed 'Behind landing traffic; line up and wait Runway 5; be ready for immediate takeoff.' I replied that I heard 'Line up and wait Runway 5; be ready for immediate takeoff.'The Tower Controller was speaking with 2 inbound aircraft on the ILS (Instrument landing System) for Runway 5. There was another aircraft intercepting the ILS approximately 12 miles out. The inbound aircraft had been on a 4 mile final when we crossed the hold short point by approx. 100 ft. It was instructed to go around at approximately 2 miles out. After the inbound aircraft started its go-around; we were instructed to 'line up and wait; Runway 5.' We were cleared for takeoff and the Tower Controller stated that he would be submitting a report.A rough estimate indicates that the distance between holding point H and the actual runway is approximately 650 ft. We taxied about one 100 ft. across the hold short line but stopped approximately 500 ft. short of entering the runway. The term 'selective attention bias' seems appropriate here. I heard part of a message that included the phrase 'be ready for immediate takeoff' and was ready to act quickly. This situation was complicated by a language barrier and I missed or didn't understand the first part of the Controller's message of 'after landing traffic'. Operating frequently at busy Class B airports in the US where it's not unusual to be expected to expedite takeoff with closely spaced traffic; this situation was not out of the ordinary. In hindsight; it was the intention of the Controller to put us between the landing traffic and the next aircraft that was 12 miles out; not in front of the first aircraft that was landing.What both crew members could agree on is that we heard a transmission with an instruction to 'Line up and wait Runway 05. Be prepared for an immediate takeoff'.Contributing factors included language as LIEO is a popular international destination. There are many non-native English speakers on frequency. Phraseology can be different than what is used in the US and when accents and cultures are mixed; message transmission and reception aren't always in alignment.Time pressure [was a factor]. There had been numerous delays in the schedule. There was a sense of wanting to 'get things moving' since we were running 3 hours late. The weather at subsequent airports were forecast to have low ceilings and possible fog; so we didn't want to endure any unnecessary delays. The scheduled takeoff time of XE:30 was close to expiring.Also we were expecting to be sequenced into landing traffic and the pace was rapid. The instruction 'Be prepared for an immediate takeoff' had us ready to respond quickly. Recent landing experience [corroborated this]. Upon arrival 4 hours earlier; we were given landing clearance a few miles out. Instructions had a bit of a 'at the last minute' feel.PNF (Pilot Not Flying) had a Bose noise cancelling headset and PF(Pilot Flying) had a Telex over-the-ear headset. Neither pilot understood the first part of the ATC transmission. PF thought PNF might have understood the message better since he had a higher performance headset. What we did correctly [includes the following]. We read back what we thought we heard; assuming we would be corrected if wrong. We proceeded slowly across the hold short line. We stopped immediately when instructed and did not enter runway. We kept the incoming aircraft in sight and watched it go-around.What we did incorrectly [includes the following]. PNF missed or didn't understand the first part of an ATC transmission and didn't ask for clarification from the Controller or confirmation from the other pilot. With the 'Be prepared for immediate takeoff' instruction; we were spring-loaded to react versus stopping to ask for the message to be repeated or have a discussion between 2 pilots. [Also] since there was ambiguity in what we heard; we should have asked for clarification. After operating at busy class B airports in the US; there's a bit of hesitation in stopping to ask for an instruction to be repeated. Doing this at such an airport can result in getting lectured by ground and tower controllers.
Flight Crew reported a runway incursion due to human factors.