Air carrier was cleared for takeoff while a taxiing air carrier was crossing runway downfield.

Attributes
ACN	213988
Time
Date	199206
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : gdl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	213988
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

WX conditions at dfw were decreasing with thunderstorms approaching from the south. We were cleared into position and hold on runway 17R at dfw. Tower was looking and checking for a possible west turnout for us after departure. After approximately 5 min awaiting WX and takeoff clearance, we were cleared for takeoff with a 270 degree right turn heading for WX avoidance. Started advancing power. Releasing brakes, I looked down the runway and noticed an medium large transport Y starting to cross the runway. I immediately aborted our takeoff roll and notified the tower. Tower responded they had no traffic. Takeoff clearance was again given and we had an uneventful takeoff and departure. Due to WX conditions in the dfw area at the time, the controllers were attempting to help the crews out, but apparently were being overloaded on radio frequencys and somebody crossed the medium large transport Y on taxiway 23 or the medium large transport Y was just too slow in making the runway crossing. I'm glad WX visibility conditions were as good as they were versus the worst case.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WAS CLRED FOR TKOF WHILE A TAXIING ACR WAS XING RWY DOWNFIELD.

Narrative: WX CONDITIONS AT DFW WERE DECREASING WITH TSTMS APCHING FROM THE S. WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 17R AT DFW. TWR WAS LOOKING AND CHKING FOR A POSSIBLE W TURNOUT FOR US AFTER DEP. AFTER APPROX 5 MIN AWAITING WX AND TKOF CLRNC, WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF WITH A 270 DEG R TURN HDG FOR WX AVOIDANCE. STARTED ADVANCING PWR. RELEASING BRAKES, I LOOKED DOWN THE RWY AND NOTICED AN MLG Y STARTING TO CROSS THE RWY. I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED OUR TKOF ROLL AND NOTIFIED THE TWR. TWR RESPONDED THEY HAD NO TFC. TKOF CLRNC WAS AGAIN GIVEN AND WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF AND DEP. DUE TO WX CONDITIONS IN THE DFW AREA AT THE TIME, THE CTLRS WERE ATTEMPTING TO HELP THE CREWS OUT, BUT APPARENTLY WERE BEING OVERLOADED ON RADIO FREQS AND SOMEBODY CROSSED THE MLG Y ON TAXIWAY 23 OR THE MLG Y WAS JUST TOO SLOW IN MAKING THE RWY XING. I'M GLAD WX VISIBILITY CONDITIONS WERE AS GOOD AS THEY WERE VERSUS THE WORST CASE.

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.