Narrative:

We had been delayed at the gate for approximately 1 hour waiting for fog to clear up at hou airport. The RVR had been at 1000' for quite sometime but we were waiting for it to get close to 1600' (our takeoff visibility requirement) before pushing off the gate. When the RVR (runway 4) came up to 1600' we pushed back, started engines, and were cleared to 'taxi to runway 4 via the ramp, taxiway C, hold short of runway 4, report established on taxiway 4.' as we pulled up behind an medium large transport holding short of runway 4 on taxiway charlie, the visibility had improved to 2000' RVR. The medium large transport was cleared to cross runway 4 so we pulled up closer to the runway. Shortly thereafter we were 'cleared to cross runway 4, traffic in position on runway 4 will hold,...' the captain advanced the thrust levers and we started moving. I looked to my right and saw a pair of landing lights through the fog on the runway. I said 'stop' to the captain. He pulled the power off, looked down the runway, realized the aircraft was moving, and stopped about 10' from the runway edge. The aircraft on the runway rotated about 100' from our intersection. I would estimate its wingtip missed us by 50'. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. When we landed at the destination the captain called hou tower. They apologized and admitted a mistake between coordination of ground and local controllers. They were apparently very regretful. If the visibility had been just a little worse or the crew workload was a little heavier, we would have had a catastrophic accident. Ground radar notwithstanding conditions. Until a better solution is found, I would like to see taxi clrncs that prevent aircraft from crossing active runways when visibility is less than 1 mi. This won't be feasible at many airports but can be readily employed now at many others.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG CLEARED TO CROSS RWY 4 WITH VISIBILITY RESTRICTED, SAW ACFT LIGHTS ON RWY AND STOPPED SHORT AS ACFT PASSED ON TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN DELAYED AT THE GATE FOR APPROX 1 HR WAITING FOR FOG TO CLR UP AT HOU ARPT. THE RVR HAD BEEN AT 1000' FOR QUITE SOMETIME BUT WE WERE WAITING FOR IT TO GET CLOSE TO 1600' (OUR TKOF VISIBILITY REQUIREMENT) BEFORE PUSHING OFF THE GATE. WHEN THE RVR (RWY 4) CAME UP TO 1600' WE PUSHED BACK, STARTED ENGS, AND WERE CLRED TO 'TAXI TO RWY 4 VIA THE RAMP, TXWY C, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4, RPT ESTABLISHED ON TXWY 4.' AS WE PULLED UP BEHIND AN MLG HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4 ON TXWY CHARLIE, THE VISIBILITY HAD IMPROVED TO 2000' RVR. THE MLG WAS CLRED TO CROSS RWY 4 SO WE PULLED UP CLOSER TO THE RWY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE 'CLRED TO CROSS RWY 4, TFC IN POS ON RWY 4 WILL HOLD,...' THE CAPT ADVANCED THE THRUST LEVERS AND WE STARTED MOVING. I LOOKED TO MY R AND SAW A PAIR OF LNDG LIGHTS THROUGH THE FOG ON THE RWY. I SAID 'STOP' TO THE CAPT. HE PULLED THE PWR OFF, LOOKED DOWN THE RWY, REALIZED THE ACFT WAS MOVING, AND STOPPED ABOUT 10' FROM THE RWY EDGE. THE ACFT ON THE RWY ROTATED ABOUT 100' FROM OUR INTXN. I WOULD ESTIMATE ITS WINGTIP MISSED US BY 50'. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHEN WE LANDED AT THE DEST THE CAPT CALLED HOU TWR. THEY APOLOGIZED AND ADMITTED A MISTAKE BTWN COORD OF GND AND LCL CTLRS. THEY WERE APPARENTLY VERY REGRETFUL. IF THE VISIBILITY HAD BEEN JUST A LITTLE WORSE OR THE CREW WORKLOAD WAS A LITTLE HEAVIER, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. GND RADAR NOTWITHSTANDING CONDITIONS. UNTIL A BETTER SOLUTION IS FOUND, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE TAXI CLRNCS THAT PREVENT ACFT FROM XING ACTIVE RWYS WHEN VISIBILITY IS LESS THAN 1 MI. THIS WON'T BE FEASIBLE AT MANY ARPTS BUT CAN BE READILY EMPLOYED NOW AT MANY OTHERS.

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.