Narrative:

We were parked at the austin terminal gate. We were cleared to and pushed back from the gate to the ramp area adjacent to gate. The first officer requested taxi clearance from austin ground control at approximately XA22 local time. We were cleared by ground control to 'taxi all the way to runway 13R.' we left the ramp area adjacent to gate, taxied on the terminal ramp to taxiway D and followed taxiway D to taxiway left. We joined taxiway left and followed it to taxiway H. We then joined taxiway H (which parallels runway 13R) and taxied towards the approach end of runway 13R. We completed the taxi checklist and I reconfirmed with the first officer that we were cleared all the way to runway 13R (with no crossing restrs). We both agreed that we were cleared without restrs to taxi to runway 13R. We continued taxiing on taxiway H and as we approached runway 17 (which we needed to cross to get to the approach end of runway 13R) I looked both directions on runway 17 for possible traffic (even though we were cleared to cross this runway because of our unrestr taxi clearance). I did not see any traffic in either direction. At approximately XA28 local time, as we started to cross runway 17, a cessna type aircraft flew slightly in front of us, approximately 25-30 ft above us as it was taking off on runway 17. We continued across runway 17 (the cessna aircraft was quickly past us and climbing). Once we were clear of runway 17, I stopped our aircraft on taxiway H and I asked ground control to confirm that we were cleared to taxi all the way to runway 13R. He confirmed that we were. Ground control also told us (when we inquired) that the cessna aircraft had taken off on an unauthorized runway. We later were informed (by austin tower management) that the cessna had departed on runway 17 when it was actually cleared to take off on runway 13L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TAKING OFF WRONG RWY AT AUS NEARLY COLLIDES WITH RPTR ACFT XING THAT RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE PARKED AT THE AUSTIN TERMINAL GATE. WE WERE CLRED TO AND PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE TO THE RAMP AREA ADJACENT TO GATE. THE FO REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC FROM AUSTIN GND CTL AT APPROX XA22 LCL TIME. WE WERE CLRED BY GND CTL TO 'TAXI ALL THE WAY TO RWY 13R.' WE LEFT THE RAMP AREA ADJACENT TO GATE, TAXIED ON THE TERMINAL RAMP TO TXWY D AND FOLLOWED TXWY D TO TXWY L. WE JOINED TXWY L AND FOLLOWED IT TO TXWY H. WE THEN JOINED TXWY H (WHICH PARALLELS RWY 13R) AND TAXIED TOWARDS THE APCH END OF RWY 13R. WE COMPLETED THE TAXI CHKLIST AND I RECONFIRMED WITH THE FO THAT WE WERE CLRED ALL THE WAY TO RWY 13R (WITH NO XING RESTRS). WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE WERE CLRED WITHOUT RESTRS TO TAXI TO RWY 13R. WE CONTINUED TAXIING ON TXWY H AND AS WE APCHED RWY 17 (WHICH WE NEEDED TO CROSS TO GET TO THE APCH END OF RWY 13R) I LOOKED BOTH DIRECTIONS ON RWY 17 FOR POSSIBLE TFC (EVEN THOUGH WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS THIS RWY BECAUSE OF OUR UNRESTR TAXI CLRNC). I DID NOT SEE ANY TFC IN EITHER DIRECTION. AT APPROX XA28 LCL TIME, AS WE STARTED TO CROSS RWY 17, A CESSNA TYPE ACFT FLEW SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF US, APPROX 25-30 FT ABOVE US AS IT WAS TAKING OFF ON RWY 17. WE CONTINUED ACROSS RWY 17 (THE CESSNA ACFT WAS QUICKLY PAST US AND CLBING). ONCE WE WERE CLR OF RWY 17, I STOPPED OUR ACFT ON TXWY H AND I ASKED GND CTL TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI ALL THE WAY TO RWY 13R. HE CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE. GND CTL ALSO TOLD US (WHEN WE INQUIRED) THAT THE CESSNA ACFT HAD TAKEN OFF ON AN UNAUTH RWY. WE LATER WERE INFORMED (BY AUSTIN TWR MGMNT) THAT THE CESSNA HAD DEPARTED ON RWY 17 WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY CLRED TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 13L.

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.