Narrative:

Our aircraft was cleared for takeoff on runway 30L at hou. During acceleration we noticed a DC9 type aircraft taxiing wbound on taxiway H. As we continued our takeoff roll, it became evident that the DC9 was going to penetrate our takeoff path on the runway and an early rotation was made to avoid collision with the DC9. (Due to our speed, we would have been unable to stop and our only choice was to rotate.) we missed the DC9 (now center of runway 30L) by an estimated 100-150 ft vertically. Our understanding was that somehow tower cleared us for takeoff and ground control cleared the other aircraft to taxi across our runway! Supplemental information from acn 347081: I knew that we had to get airborne. I told the first officer that I'm rotating, and did at about 15-20 KTS below rotate speed and flew over DC9 at approximately 100-150 ft AGL. Control error appears to be the cause after talking to the supervisor investigating the incident. I'm also glad that we were using flaps 5 degrees for takeoff instead of flaps 1 degree. Another contributing factor I think was that the pilot or mechanic that was taxiing the airplane did not check for traffic on the runway prior to crossing it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737 ON TKOF ROLL ON RWY 30L SAW AN ACR DC9 TAXI ACROSS THE ACTIVE RWY. CAPT FLYING THE B737 ROTATED 15 KTS EARLY AND PASSED OVER THE TOP OF DC9 BY 100-150 FT. FLC ATC REVIEW INDICATES IT WAS A SYS ERROR.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 30L AT HOU. DURING ACCELERATION WE NOTICED A DC9 TYPE ACFT TAXIING WBOUND ON TXWY H. AS WE CONTINUED OUR TKOF ROLL, IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE DC9 WAS GOING TO PENETRATE OUR TKOF PATH ON THE RWY AND AN EARLY ROTATION WAS MADE TO AVOID COLLISION WITH THE DC9. (DUE TO OUR SPD, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO STOP AND OUR ONLY CHOICE WAS TO ROTATE.) WE MISSED THE DC9 (NOW CTR OF RWY 30L) BY AN ESTIMATED 100-150 FT VERTLY. OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT SOMEHOW TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF AND GND CTL CLRED THE OTHER ACFT TO TAXI ACROSS OUR RWY! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 347081: I KNEW THAT WE HAD TO GET AIRBORNE. I TOLD THE FO THAT I'M ROTATING, AND DID AT ABOUT 15-20 KTS BELOW ROTATE SPD AND FLEW OVER DC9 AT APPROX 100-150 FT AGL. CTL ERROR APPEARS TO BE THE CAUSE AFTER TALKING TO THE SUPVR INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT. I'M ALSO GLAD THAT WE WERE USING FLAPS 5 DEGS FOR TKOF INSTEAD OF FLAPS 1 DEG. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR I THINK WAS THAT THE PLT OR MECH THAT WAS TAXIING THE AIRPLANE DID NOT CHK FOR TFC ON THE RWY PRIOR TO XING IT.

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.