Narrative:

We were on an IFR flight plan from dfw to mci. I was the copilot. We had been cleared by dfw tower to position and hold on runway 17R. As we crossed the hold short line and as the captain began his right 90 degree turn to align with the runway, the tower cleared us for takeoff. I acknowledged and then the captain passed control of the aircraft to me as the aircraft was nearly aligned with the runway. I advanced the throttles to 1.4 EPR and released the brakes fully. I was looking outside at that time to maintain alignment on the runway centerline. I looked back in to check the EPR at 1.4 and called for autothrottles, which the captain selected. When I looked up, I noticed a saab crossing the runway from right to left just ahead of us at taxiway 'yankee.' I estimate our airspeed at that moment to be 50-60 KIAS. I started to pull the throttles back and the captain, who had also seen the saab, quickly slammed the throttles back, selected reverse thrust, and applied heavy braking. We came to a complete stop on the centerline of runway 17R as the saab continued past our front right to left approximately 100-200 ft ahead. I told the tower we aborted and the captain asked why the tower crossed the saab in front of us. The tower seemed unaware of the conflict and told us we were cleared to resume our takeoff from that position. The captain declined and I asked for clearance to taxi clear of the runway at taxiway 'yankee.' this serious takeoff conflict came only a week after a similar fatal incident in st louis. All our lights were on full bright in accordance with our takeoff procedure. We don't know why the tower cleared (or even if they cleared) the saab to cross in front of an aircraft cleared for takeoff. We also don't know why the saab continued across while staring at an aircraft with all of its lights on bright on its takeoff roll.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERROR.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM DFW TO MCI. I WAS THE COPLT. WE HAD BEEN CLRED BY DFW TWR TO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 17R. AS WE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND AS THE CAPT BEGAN HIS R 90 DEG TURN TO ALIGN WITH THE RWY, THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND THEN THE CAPT PASSED CTL OF THE ACFT TO ME AS THE ACFT WAS NEARLY ALIGNED WITH THE RWY. I ADVANCED THE THROTTLES TO 1.4 EPR AND RELEASED THE BRAKES FULLY. I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE AT THAT TIME TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT ON THE RWY CTRLINE. I LOOKED BACK IN TO CHK THE EPR AT 1.4 AND CALLED FOR AUTOTHROTTLES, WHICH THE CAPT SELECTED. WHEN I LOOKED UP, I NOTICED A SAAB XING THE RWY FROM R TO L JUST AHEAD OF US AT TXWY 'YANKEE.' I ESTIMATE OUR AIRSPD AT THAT MOMENT TO BE 50-60 KIAS. I STARTED TO PULL THE THROTTLES BACK AND THE CAPT, WHO HAD ALSO SEEN THE SAAB, QUICKLY SLAMMED THE THROTTLES BACK, SELECTED REVERSE THRUST, AND APPLIED HVY BRAKING. WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE CTRLINE OF RWY 17R AS THE SAAB CONTINUED PAST OUR FRONT R TO L APPROX 100-200 FT AHEAD. I TOLD THE TWR WE ABORTED AND THE CAPT ASKED WHY THE TWR CROSSED THE SAAB IN FRONT OF US. THE TWR SEEMED UNAWARE OF THE CONFLICT AND TOLD US WE WERE CLRED TO RESUME OUR TKOF FROM THAT POS. THE CAPT DECLINED AND I ASKED FOR CLRNC TO TAXI CLR OF THE RWY AT TXWY 'YANKEE.' THIS SERIOUS TKOF CONFLICT CAME ONLY A WK AFTER A SIMILAR FATAL INCIDENT IN ST LOUIS. ALL OUR LIGHTS WERE ON FULL BRIGHT IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR TKOF PROC. WE DON'T KNOW WHY THE TWR CLRED (OR EVEN IF THEY CLRED) THE SAAB TO CROSS IN FRONT OF AN ACFT CLRED FOR TKOF. WE ALSO DON'T KNOW WHY THE SAAB CONTINUED ACROSS WHILE STARING AT AN ACFT WITH ALL OF ITS LIGHTS ON BRIGHT ON ITS TKOF ROLL.

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.