Narrative:

Air carrier X, dfw-ord, departed the gate about 3 1/2 hours late due to WX in the dfw area. As we taxied to the active runway there still was some occasional light rain. We were cleared into position and hold on runway 35L at the 34E intersection. After about a min the tower cleared us for takeoff with a departure heading of 360 degree. At about the '80 KT' call out I saw another aircraft on the runway holding in position. I immediately aborted the takeoff using maximum brakes, reversers and spoilers. We came to a stop abeam air carrier Y, turbo propeller. Small transport still in position on the centerline of the runway just north of the 32/31 intersection. After the tower tapes were reviewed, air carrier Y had originally been cleared to runway 35L for an intersection departure. But during taxi out had been reclred to runway 35R for departure from the intersection. Air carrier X was cleared for takeoff on runway 35L. Unfortunately air carrier Y went into position on runway 35L at the 32/31 intersection. As we began our takeoff roll air carrier Y's navigation and tail lights blended into the runway lights and the centerline lights. It was only when the navigation lights appeared to move inwards towards the center of the runway, did I realize there was another aircraft on the runway in front of us. Compounding the problem was some distortion caused by some raindrops on the windshield. When we came to a stop, air carrier Y's right wing tip was just forward and to the left of our cockpit by no more than 7-10'. I think some of the contributing factors to this incident were the local WX, the early morning hour, almost X:am local, and the change in instructions to air carrier Y's runway. Supplemental information from acn 142613. Air carrier Y had thought that he heard runway 35L but the tower tapes confirmed that the controller had issued runway 35R. This is a lesson for all of us to readback runway number along with your clearance (either position and hold or takeoff). If you are mistakenly going to the wrong runway and you do readback the runway number, then the controller or another aircraft has a chance to pick up on the fact. Supplemental information from acn 141924. Air carrier X was in position and holding runway 35L. Air carrier Y was instructed to taxi into position and hold runway 35R. Air carrier X was then cleared for takeoff runway 35L. Air carrier Y's navigation lights were not visible and I questioned his position. He replied runway 35L. I immediately cancelled air carrier X's takeoff clearance. The crew did not acknowledge but were observed aborting takeoff roll. Air carrier X did stop short of air carrier Y. Exact footage unknown but close!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y TAXIED INTO POSITION ON WRONG RWY AT DFW. ACR X AND Y HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION. ACR X ABORTED TKOF.

Narrative: ACR X, DFW-ORD, DEPARTED THE GATE ABOUT 3 1/2 HRS LATE DUE TO WX IN THE DFW AREA. AS WE TAXIED TO THE ACTIVE RWY THERE STILL WAS SOME OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN. WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 35L AT THE 34E INTXN. AFTER ABOUT A MIN THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF WITH A DEP HDG OF 360 DEG. AT ABOUT THE '80 KT' CALL OUT I SAW ANOTHER ACFT ON THE RWY HOLDING IN POS. I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE TKOF USING MAX BRAKES, REVERSERS AND SPOILERS. WE CAME TO A STOP ABEAM ACR Y, TURBO PROP. SMT STILL IN POS ON THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY JUST N OF THE 32/31 INTXN. AFTER THE TWR TAPES WERE REVIEWED, ACR Y HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN CLRED TO RWY 35L FOR AN INTXN DEP. BUT DURING TAXI OUT HAD BEEN RECLRED TO RWY 35R FOR DEP FROM THE INTXN. ACR X WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 35L. UNFORTUNATELY ACR Y WENT INTO POS ON RWY 35L AT THE 32/31 INTXN. AS WE BEGAN OUR TKOF ROLL ACR Y'S NAV AND TAIL LIGHTS BLENDED INTO THE RWY LIGHTS AND THE CTRLINE LIGHTS. IT WAS ONLY WHEN THE NAV LIGHTS APPEARED TO MOVE INWARDS TOWARDS THE CTR OF THE RWY, DID I REALIZE THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT ON THE RWY IN FRONT OF US. COMPOUNDING THE PROB WAS SOME DISTORTION CAUSED BY SOME RAINDROPS ON THE WINDSHIELD. WHEN WE CAME TO A STOP, ACR Y'S R WING TIP WAS JUST FORWARD AND TO THE L OF OUR COCKPIT BY NO MORE THAN 7-10'. I THINK SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT WERE THE LCL WX, THE EARLY MORNING HR, ALMOST X:AM LCL, AND THE CHANGE IN INSTRUCTIONS TO ACR Y'S RWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 142613. ACR Y HAD THOUGHT THAT HE HEARD RWY 35L BUT THE TWR TAPES CONFIRMED THAT THE CTLR HAD ISSUED RWY 35R. THIS IS A LESSON FOR ALL OF US TO READBACK RWY NUMBER ALONG WITH YOUR CLRNC (EITHER POS AND HOLD OR TKOF). IF YOU ARE MISTAKENLY GOING TO THE WRONG RWY AND YOU DO READBACK THE RWY NUMBER, THEN THE CTLR OR ANOTHER ACFT HAS A CHANCE TO PICK UP ON THE FACT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 141924. ACR X WAS IN POS AND HOLDING RWY 35L. ACR Y WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 35R. ACR X WAS THEN CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 35L. ACR Y'S NAV LIGHTS WERE NOT VISIBLE AND I QUESTIONED HIS POS. HE REPLIED RWY 35L. I IMMEDIATELY CANCELLED ACR X'S TKOF CLRNC. THE CREW DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE BUT WERE OBSERVED ABORTING TKOF ROLL. ACR X DID STOP SHORT OF ACR Y. EXACT FOOTAGE UNKNOWN BUT CLOSE!

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.