Narrative:

Flight from atlanta to philadelphia, our aircraft was cleared to position and hold runway 26L at hartsfield. A preceding aircraft had been cleared to takeoff on runway 26L as we were approaching the holding apron for runway 26L. During the remainder of the taxi, the 'before takeoff' and 'captain's takeoff briefing' were accomplished. The tower was transmitting with other aircraft being cleared to land on runway 26R and cross runway 26L. Evidently after taxiing into position, the captain handed aircraft control over to me since it was my leg. I advanced the throttles for an EPR check, released the brakes and began the takeoff roll. Immediately following the takeoff roll with engines spooled and airspeed below 80 KTS, the captain commanded 'abort' and resumed aircraft control. He had seen an aircraft still crossing the departure end of our departure runway. Because of the cockpit briefings being conducted, we did not hear of the clearance for that aircraft to cross runway 26L, and due to the unusual point at which we were given clearance onto runway 26L, we thought we had been cleared for takeoff. After the 'abort' and taxiing clear of the runway, we informed tower that we believed we had clearance to takeoff on runway 26L. Because of the point at which we were given clearance onto the runway, and extra long time we had to taxi into position, we believe we had clearance to takeoff on runway 26L, considering the preceding aircraft had done so. Evidently, our cockpit briefings prevented us from hearing tower's xmissions with crossing aircraft. We believe we had clearance to takeoff, however, tower informed us we had not. Upon reflection of the events, we agreed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ABORTED TKOF WHEN ANOTHER ACFT WAS OBSERVED XING THE DEP END OF THEIR RWY. TWR HAD NOT CLRED THEM FOR TKOF!

Narrative: FLT FROM ATLANTA TO PHILADELPHIA, OUR ACFT WAS CLRED TO POS AND HOLD RWY 26L AT HARTSFIELD. A PRECEDING ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED TO TKOF ON RWY 26L AS WE WERE APCHING THE HOLDING APRON FOR RWY 26L. DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE TAXI, THE 'BEFORE TKOF' AND 'CAPT'S TKOF BRIEFING' WERE ACCOMPLISHED. THE TWR WAS XMITTING WITH OTHER ACFT BEING CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 26R AND CROSS RWY 26L. EVIDENTLY AFTER TAXIING INTO POS, THE CAPT HANDED ACFT CTL OVER TO ME SINCE IT WAS MY LEG. I ADVANCED THE THROTTLES FOR AN EPR CHK, RELEASED THE BRAKES AND BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE TKOF ROLL WITH ENGS SPOOLED AND AIRSPD BELOW 80 KTS, THE CAPT COMMANDED 'ABORT' AND RESUMED ACFT CTL. HE HAD SEEN AN ACFT STILL XING THE DEP END OF OUR DEP RWY. BECAUSE OF THE COCKPIT BRIEFINGS BEING CONDUCTED, WE DID NOT HEAR OF THE CLRNC FOR THAT ACFT TO CROSS RWY 26L, AND DUE TO THE UNUSUAL POINT AT WHICH WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC ONTO RWY 26L, WE THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF. AFTER THE 'ABORT' AND TAXIING CLR OF THE RWY, WE INFORMED TWR THAT WE BELIEVED WE HAD CLRNC TO TKOF ON RWY 26L. BECAUSE OF THE POINT AT WHICH WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC ONTO THE RWY, AND EXTRA LONG TIME WE HAD TO TAXI INTO POS, WE BELIEVE WE HAD CLRNC TO TKOF ON RWY 26L, CONSIDERING THE PRECEDING ACFT HAD DONE SO. EVIDENTLY, OUR COCKPIT BRIEFINGS PREVENTED US FROM HEARING TWR'S XMISSIONS WITH XING ACFT. WE BELIEVE WE HAD CLRNC TO TKOF, HOWEVER, TWR INFORMED US WE HAD NOT. UPON REFLECTION OF THE EVENTS, WE AGREED.

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.