Air carrier cleared to cross active runway sights aircraft rolling for takeoff. Emergency stop.

Attributes
ACN	229227
Time
Date	199212
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sat
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	229227
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

After pushback from company ramp, ground control cleared us to runway 36R, via taxiways south and C, cross runway 27 and that an aircraft would be in position and holding. Approaching the hold short line of runway 27, I noticed that the widebody transport in position had its strobe lights on and was rolling for takeoff. I made an emergency stop after crossing the hold short line. After stopping, the ground controller ordered me to hold short of runway 27. I reconfirmed that we had in fact been cleared to cross runway 27. He answered that we were cleared to cross, but that he had also told us to hold short. I'm not sure how this situation developed, but it is certainly serious and had the potential for a disaster of major proportions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CLRED TO CROSS ACTIVE RWY SIGHTS ACFT ROLLING FOR TKOF. EMER STOP.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK FROM COMPANY RAMP, GND CTL CLRED US TO RWY 36R, VIA TAXIWAYS S AND C, CROSS RWY 27 AND THAT AN ACFT WOULD BE IN POS AND HOLDING. APCHING THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF RWY 27, I NOTICED THAT THE WDB IN POS HAD ITS STROBE LIGHTS ON AND WAS ROLLING FOR TKOF. I MADE AN EMER STOP AFTER XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE. AFTER STOPPING, THE GND CTLR ORDERED ME TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27. I RECONFIRMED THAT WE HAD IN FACT BEEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 27. HE ANSWERED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS, BUT THAT HE HAD ALSO TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT. I'M NOT SURE HOW THIS SITUATION DEVELOPED, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY SERIOUS AND HAD THE POTENTIAL FOR A DISASTER OF MAJOR PROPORTIONS.

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.