Narrative:

Our aircraft, air carrier X, had just landed at hou on runway 22. Clearing the runway we were instructed to contact hou ground control. Ground control cleared us to cross runway 12R and hold short of runway 12L and runway 22 on taxiway C. After another medium large transport had taken off on runway 22, hou ground control cleared us to cross runways 12L and 22 and taxi to the ramp. Ground control advised us that air carrier Y, medium large transport taxiing into position for takeoff on runway 22 would hold for us. As we crossed runway 22, I noticed the landing lights of air carrier Y were illuminated and the jet appeared to be moving. We cleared the runway and the air carrier Y jet was taxiing behind us with his reversers deployed. I queried ground control as to whether or not the air carrier Y jet had just aborted a takeoff. Ground control answered affirmative. I then asked if we had been cleared to cross the runway. He again answered affirmative. After the flight terminated a phone call was placed to hou tower. The supervisor stated the ground controller was supposed to hold us short of runway 22 so the air carrier Y jet could depart, however he mistakenly cleared us to cross after the first medium large transport had departed. The tower controller, who had already cleared air carrier Y for takeoff, saw us crossing the runway 22 and ordered air carrier Y to abort. The abort was initiated I sufficient time and the 2 aircraft were in no immediate conflict with each other. Evidently there was a breakdown in communication between the ground and tower controller since we had been cleared to cross an active runway and another aircraft had been cleared for takeoff at the same time. Another point to mention is most pilots place landing lights on when clearance for takeoff has been received. When the captain and I saw the landing lights on the jet, we wondered aloud if he was holding in position. He was not. When in doubt, ask again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM ACR X. SYSTEM ERROR.

Narrative: OUR ACFT, ACR X, HAD JUST LANDED AT HOU ON RWY 22. CLRING THE RWY WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT HOU GND CTL. GND CTL CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 12R AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12L AND RWY 22 ON TXWY C. AFTER ANOTHER MLG HAD TAKEN OFF ON RWY 22, HOU GND CTL CLRED US TO CROSS RWYS 12L AND 22 AND TAXI TO THE RAMP. GND CTL ADVISED US THAT ACR Y, MLG TAXIING INTO POS FOR TKOF ON RWY 22 WOULD HOLD FOR US. AS WE CROSSED RWY 22, I NOTICED THE LNDG LIGHTS OF ACR Y WERE ILLUMINATED AND THE JET APPEARED TO BE MOVING. WE CLRED THE RWY AND THE ACR Y JET WAS TAXIING BEHIND US WITH HIS REVERSERS DEPLOYED. I QUERIED GND CTL AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE ACR Y JET HAD JUST ABORTED A TKOF. GND CTL ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE. I THEN ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS THE RWY. HE AGAIN ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE. AFTER THE FLT TERMINATED A PHONE CALL WAS PLACED TO HOU TWR. THE SUPVR STATED THE GND CTLR WAS SUPPOSED TO HOLD US SHORT OF RWY 22 SO THE ACR Y JET COULD DEPART, HOWEVER HE MISTAKENLY CLRED US TO CROSS AFTER THE FIRST MLG HAD DEPARTED. THE TWR CTLR, WHO HAD ALREADY CLRED ACR Y FOR TKOF, SAW US XING THE RWY 22 AND ORDERED ACR Y TO ABORT. THE ABORT WAS INITIATED I SUFFICIENT TIME AND THE 2 ACFT WERE IN NO IMMEDIATE CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER. EVIDENTLY THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN COM BTWN THE GND AND TWR CTLR SINCE WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY AND ANOTHER ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF AT THE SAME TIME. ANOTHER POINT TO MENTION IS MOST PLTS PLACE LNDG LIGHTS ON WHEN CLRNC FOR TKOF HAS BEEN RECEIVED. WHEN THE CAPT AND I SAW THE LNDG LIGHTS ON THE JET, WE WONDERED ALOUD IF HE WAS HOLDING IN POS. HE WAS NOT. WHEN IN DOUBT, ASK AGAIN.

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