Narrative:

Upon air carrier X's taxi out from our ramp at mem, we were told to follow a company DC10 on taxiway V to runway 9 for departure. Ground control changed the DC10's runway to runway 18L, and instructed him to cross runway 9/27 at taxiway B. We were then cleared to hold short of runway 9/27 at taxiway B, and expect runway 18L for departure. We held short of runway 9/27 for landing traffic, and after traffic landed were told to cross runway 9/27. (In the meantime, a company B727 was cleared into position on runway 9.) we were explicitly told that the B727 would hold in position while we cross runway 9/27. We observed him in position on runway 9, and we began to cross runway 9/27. As we reached a point approximately 1/3 to 1/2 way across the runway, we noticed the B727's landing lights on and that he appeared to be rolling for takeoff. Ground control then instructed us to clear the runway immediately, and we made a hard right turn to clear runway 9/27 at 'V2' taxiway. While we were doing this, the B727 rejected, turned off runway 9/27 at taxiway C, exited the runway to the south, and began taxiing back to runway 9 for another takeoff. After we were clear of runway 9/27 on taxiway 'V2,' we were then instructed to taxi via taxiway V to taxiway south and across runway 9/27 via taxiway south. We then made an uneventful takeoff on runway 18L. Obviously communications must have been botched/crossed between the tower/ground controller. We complied exactly with the clearance given us, and both my first officer and I explicitly remarked to each other that the 'company B727 would hold in position for us' after ground control told us so when we were given clearance to cross runway 9/27. Obviously the B727 must have been cleared for takeoff by the tower controller without confirming with the ground controller of our clearance or that we were clear of the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X RWY INCURSION. HAD LTSS FROM B727 ON TKOF. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: UPON ACR X'S TAXI OUT FROM OUR RAMP AT MEM, WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW A COMPANY DC10 ON TXWY V TO RWY 9 FOR DEP. GND CTL CHANGED THE DC10'S RWY TO RWY 18L, AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO CROSS RWY 9/27 AT TXWY B. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9/27 AT TXWY B, AND EXPECT RWY 18L FOR DEP. WE HELD SHORT OF RWY 9/27 FOR LNDG TFC, AND AFTER TFC LANDED WERE TOLD TO CROSS RWY 9/27. (IN THE MEANTIME, A COMPANY B727 WAS CLRED INTO POS ON RWY 9.) WE WERE EXPLICITLY TOLD THAT THE B727 WOULD HOLD IN POS WHILE WE CROSS RWY 9/27. WE OBSERVED HIM IN POS ON RWY 9, AND WE BEGAN TO CROSS RWY 9/27. AS WE REACHED A POINT APPROX 1/3 TO 1/2 WAY ACROSS THE RWY, WE NOTICED THE B727'S LNDG LIGHTS ON AND THAT HE APPEARED TO BE ROLLING FOR TKOF. GND CTL THEN INSTRUCTED US TO CLR THE RWY IMMEDIATELY, AND WE MADE A HARD R TURN TO CLR RWY 9/27 AT 'V2' TXWY. WHILE WE WERE DOING THIS, THE B727 REJECTED, TURNED OFF RWY 9/27 AT TXWY C, EXITED THE RWY TO THE S, AND BEGAN TAXIING BACK TO RWY 9 FOR ANOTHER TKOF. AFTER WE WERE CLR OF RWY 9/27 ON TXWY 'V2,' WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO TAXI VIA TXWY V TO TXWY S AND ACROSS RWY 9/27 VIA TXWY S. WE THEN MADE AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF ON RWY 18L. OBVIOUSLY COMS MUST HAVE BEEN BOTCHED/CROSSED BTWN THE TWR/GND CTLR. WE COMPLIED EXACTLY WITH THE CLRNC GIVEN US, AND BOTH MY FO AND I EXPLICITLY REMARKED TO EACH OTHER THAT THE 'COMPANY B727 WOULD HOLD IN POS FOR US' AFTER GND CTL TOLD US SO WHEN WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 9/27. OBVIOUSLY THE B727 MUST HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF BY THE TWR CTLR WITHOUT CONFIRMING WITH THE GND CTLR OF OUR CLRNC OR THAT WE WERE CLR OF 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.