Near miss during taxi out for takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	289447
Time
Date	199411
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aus
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	289447
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical incursion : runway other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 15 vertical : 25
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We pushed back from the gate and received a taxi clearance from ground. Ground told us to 'taxi all the way to runway 13R.' so I read back the clearance, 'taxi all the way to runway 13R.' as we taxied out to the runway the checklist was completed, and the captain confirmed with me that we were cleared to taxi all the way and to cross runway 17. I confirmed what we had received and we both agreed we would not need to verify our clearance and we were confident that we were cleared to cross runway 17. As we taxied out towards our departure runway, I noticed a flock of birds flying low from west to east, and across our departure runway. A few seconds later another flock of birds came across also. So I made the statement that, 'there are a lot of birds out today, I'm going to turn on the radar' (I thought to myself), and proceeded to turn on the radar and adjust the tilt. Just as I had finished with the radar, the captain jumped towards the left in a ducking fashion and I looked and saw a caravan type aircraft approximately 25-30 ft above us and slightly ahead of us climbing. The aircraft had just taken off on runway 17. The aircraft on runway 17 was taking off on an unassigned runway. The ground and tower controller had not seen the cessna get on the wrong runway. We were on ground and did not hear the tower xmissions. I had my head down turning on the radar and had not noticed we were approaching runway 17, otherwise I would have looked to clear the area. The captain did look, and could not see any traffic on the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEAR MISS DURING TAXI OUT FOR TKOF.

Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE AND RECEIVED A TAXI CLRNC FROM GND. GND TOLD US TO 'TAXI ALL THE WAY TO RWY 13R.' SO I READ BACK THE CLRNC, 'TAXI ALL THE WAY TO RWY 13R.' AS WE TAXIED OUT TO THE RWY THE CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED, AND THE CAPT CONFIRMED WITH ME THAT WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI ALL THE WAY AND TO CROSS RWY 17. I CONFIRMED WHAT WE HAD RECEIVED AND WE BOTH AGREED WE WOULD NOT NEED TO VERIFY OUR CLRNC AND WE WERE CONFIDENT THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 17. AS WE TAXIED OUT TOWARDS OUR DEP RWY, I NOTICED A FLOCK OF BIRDS FLYING LOW FROM W TO E, AND ACROSS OUR DEP RWY. A FEW SECONDS LATER ANOTHER FLOCK OF BIRDS CAME ACROSS ALSO. SO I MADE THE STATEMENT THAT, 'THERE ARE A LOT OF BIRDS OUT TODAY, I'M GOING TO TURN ON THE RADAR' (I THOUGHT TO MYSELF), AND PROCEEDED TO TURN ON THE RADAR AND ADJUST THE TILT. JUST AS I HAD FINISHED WITH THE RADAR, THE CAPT JUMPED TOWARDS THE L IN A DUCKING FASHION AND I LOOKED AND SAW A CARAVAN TYPE ACFT APPROX 25-30 FT ABOVE US AND SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF US CLBING. THE ACFT HAD JUST TAKEN OFF ON RWY 17. THE ACFT ON RWY 17 WAS TAKING OFF ON AN UNASSIGNED RWY. THE GND AND TWR CTLR HAD NOT SEEN THE CESSNA GET ON THE WRONG RWY. WE WERE ON GND AND DID NOT HEAR THE TWR XMISSIONS. I HAD MY HEAD DOWN TURNING ON THE RADAR AND HAD NOT NOTICED WE WERE APCHING RWY 17, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE LOOKED TO CLR THE AREA. THE CAPT DID LOOK, AND COULD NOT SEE ANY TFC ON THE RWY.

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.