2024-03 · NASA ASRS report 2094378
PA28 Flight Instructor reported on short final a C172 taxied onto the runway resulting in a critical ground conflict and go around.
My student and I were being visually guided to follow other aircraft for sequencing and I noted how busy the delta (and controller) was. Equally; I noted that touch and goes were being canceled due to workload. We were on about a one and a half mile to two mile final and my student was flying. We were cleared to land on [Runway] XXL; and at about this point (possibly one mile final) the Tower reported that the parallel traffic was next to us or slightly behind; and we reported that traffic in sight (we were flying Aircraft X). The Tower then gave more sets of instructions to multiple aircraft incoming and holding on the ground in sequence; as well as exiting the runway. My student had asked a question and also was calling out speeds and flap settings during that set of instructions. I noticed (due to strobe lights and beacons) a Cessna enter the runway and stop on the threshold markings (bars). Because I have seen this happen before; cleared to take off 'expedite' while an aircraft is on final; I continued. Then I noted after 2 seconds this plane was not moving. There was so much radio traffic that I could not verify their intentions or my instructions. I took the plane from my student and sidestepped to the left and started the go around procedure. The Tower then cleared that plane to take off and also contacted me asking my intentions (about the Taxiway 1 area) and I told them there was a plane on the runway. He (Tower) reported; 'no; that plane was holding short; continue runway heading and I will give you instructions ...'. I was sequenced around without incident and landed. When I got in the school several of my co-workers and I were talking about this incident; and a fellow CFI (Person A in Aircraft Z) reported he heard the 'go-around' and looked back and also saw the plane on the runway as well.
During a busy evening at ZZZ; I had entered Runway XXL; when given the instruction to 'hold short Runway XXL' which I had mistaken for a 'line-up and wait' instruction. I had done all my flight training at ZZZ1 airport; where it was very common to receive line-up and wait instructions and not so often hold short instructions. I was accustom to a different style of operation at ZZZ1; and now training and flying out of ZZZ there are differences. While I was holding short on the runway; as I thought I was supposed to do; there was an aircraft I saw on ADSB on final; behind my aircraft. I was expecting a cleared for takeoff call; but it never came. I watched the aircraft on final go around (begin climb and off-set)/ call go around. I stayed in position until cleared for takeoff. ATC noted to the go around pilot that my instructions were to hold; and subsequently to me too. I continued with my flight as planned... and returned to the airport without incident. This event is imprinted in my mind; and I will surely not forget. I believe this incident can be attributed to; my experience at the airport (in contrast to experience at ZZZ1) and feeling pressured to 'get moving' due to the heavy flow of traffic into the airport. In the future to prevent this; I think it will be important for students; especially PPL students; to get an all encompassing radio experience at different busy airports relevant in the area. I feel if I would have had a better understanding of ZZZ operations prior to working on my next rating this may have not happened.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
Loading the flight search…
Pick an aircraft model — Boeing 737, Airbus A320, A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and more — enter your origin airport, and FlightFinder shows every route that plane flies from there with live fares.
We support Boeing 737/747/757/767/777/787, the full Airbus A220/A319/A320/A321/A330/A340/A350/A380 family, Embraer E170/E175/E190/E195, Bombardier CRJ and Dash 8, and the ATR 42/72 turboprops.
Search and schedules are free. Pro ($4.99/month, $39/year, or $99 one-time lifetime) unlocks the enriched flight card — on-time stats, CO₂ per passenger, amenities, live gate & weather — plus My Trips with push alerts.
Live schedules come from Amadeus, AeroDataBox and Travelpayouts. Observed routes (which aircraft actually flew a given city pair) are crowdsourced from adsb.lol ADS-B data under the Open Database License.