Narrative:

Flying into bos on jun/fri/92, call sign 'air carrier X.' landed out of visual/ILS approach on runway 27, cleared runway on taxiway x- ray and held behind an air carrier large transport (both of us waiting to cross runway 22R) which was boston's departure runway at this time. Bos is the only united states airport which required ATC readback of hold short instructions. It is always mentioned on the ATIS and in our company flight operations manual. After sitting about 3 mins, the tower cleared 'air carrier large transport to cross 22R and in the same sentence cleared air carrier X to cross 22R contact ground point 9 on the other side.' both aircraft read back the ATC instructions. Air carrier large transport moved and we followed. After I crossed the 22R hold line with the nosewheel, aircraft moving slowly, I reached up and turned on the white wingtip strobes which has been my personal safety habit when crossing an active runway. I then heard the tower say 'aircraft Y cleared for takeoff 22R.' I immediately asked the first officer 'did you just hear them clear somebody to go on 22R?' I looked to the right and saw an small transport commuter Y with landing lights on, on takeoff roll on 22R. I immediately stopped the airplane with the nose maybe 10 ft onto the 150 ft wide runway. At the same time the first officer asked the tower 'confirm air carrier X clear to cross 22R?' the tower said 'negative -- hold your position.' the small transport Y rotated about 5 seconds later, approximately 6000 ft away and the tower immediately cleared us again to cross 22R. I knew that we had clearance to cross, and that the first officer had read it back to the tower. I was shocked that bos tower had cleared the commuter to takeoff before we were across the active. I think it was an 'error' on their part as I can't believe that it's legal to have airplanes crossing the departure end of the runway while others are on takeoff. Nothing else was said on radio. After parking at bos, I went down to operations and called the tower to clear any misunderstandings. I talked to a supervisor who told me another supervisor was working the tower position and that as he hadn't heard anything about it, it was probably no big deal. I thanked him and decided to file a NASA report just in case somebody else thinks it is a big deal. I'm a 10 month captain of this aircraft (large transport), very careful and cautious and am surprised by the bos tower's casual attitude about this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND ROLLING WHILE AN ACR WAS XING RWY.

Narrative: FLYING INTO BOS ON JUN/FRI/92, CALL SIGN 'ACR X.' LANDED OUT OF VISUAL/ILS APCH ON RWY 27, CLRED RWY ON TAXIWAY X- RAY AND HELD BEHIND AN ACR LGT (BOTH OF US WAITING TO CROSS RWY 22R) WHICH WAS BOSTON'S DEP RWY AT THIS TIME. BOS IS THE ONLY UNITED STATES ARPT WHICH REQUIRED ATC READBACK OF HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. IT IS ALWAYS MENTIONED ON THE ATIS AND IN OUR COMPANY FLT OPS MANUAL. AFTER SITTING ABOUT 3 MINS, THE TWR CLRED 'ACR LGT TO CROSS 22R AND IN THE SAME SENTENCE CLRED ACR X TO CROSS 22R CONTACT GND POINT 9 ON THE OTHER SIDE.' BOTH ACFT READ BACK THE ATC INSTRUCTIONS. ACR LGT MOVED AND WE FOLLOWED. AFTER I CROSSED THE 22R HOLD LINE WITH THE NOSEWHEEL, ACFT MOVING SLOWLY, I REACHED UP AND TURNED ON THE WHITE WINGTIP STROBES WHICH HAS BEEN MY PERSONAL SAFETY HABIT WHEN XING AN ACTIVE RWY. I THEN HEARD THE TWR SAY 'ACFT Y CLRED FOR TKOF 22R.' I IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE FO 'DID YOU JUST HEAR THEM CLR SOMEBODY TO GO ON 22R?' I LOOKED TO THE R AND SAW AN SMT COMMUTER Y WITH LNDG LIGHTS ON, ON TKOF ROLL ON 22R. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE AIRPLANE WITH THE NOSE MAYBE 10 FT ONTO THE 150 FT WIDE RWY. AT THE SAME TIME THE FO ASKED THE TWR 'CONFIRM ACR X CLR TO CROSS 22R?' THE TWR SAID 'NEGATIVE -- HOLD YOUR POS.' THE SMT Y ROTATED ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER, APPROX 6000 FT AWAY AND THE TWR IMMEDIATELY CLRED US AGAIN TO CROSS 22R. I KNEW THAT WE HAD CLRNC TO CROSS, AND THAT THE FO HAD READ IT BACK TO THE TWR. I WAS SHOCKED THAT BOS TWR HAD CLRED THE COMMUTER TO TKOF BEFORE WE WERE ACROSS THE ACTIVE. I THINK IT WAS AN 'ERROR' ON THEIR PART AS I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S LEGAL TO HAVE AIRPLANES XING THE DEP END OF THE RWY WHILE OTHERS ARE ON TKOF. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID ON RADIO. AFTER PARKING AT BOS, I WENT DOWN TO OPS AND CALLED THE TWR TO CLR ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS. I TALKED TO A SUPVR WHO TOLD ME ANOTHER SUPVR WAS WORKING THE TWR POS AND THAT AS HE HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT, IT WAS PROBABLY NO BIG DEAL. I THANKED HIM AND DECIDED TO FILE A NASA RPT JUST IN CASE SOMEBODY ELSE THINKS IT IS A BIG DEAL. I'M A 10 MONTH CAPT OF THIS ACFT (LGT), VERY CAREFUL AND CAUTIOUS AND AM SURPRISED BY THE BOS TWR'S CASUAL ATTITUDE ABOUT THIS INCIDENT.

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.