Narrative:

After landing on runway 12R at hou, we exit the runway by taxiway left. Tower controller instructed us to make left turn on taxiway M and hold short of runway 22, and informed us, him working ground on tower frequency (at the time he was working runways 12R, 12L, and 22). After departure of an airplane, we were given a clearance to cross runway 22 via taxiway M, taxiway H to the gate. Due to the congestion of frequency, first officer could not read back the second set of instructions and answered with a roger and started running his after landing flows. We crossed runway 22 on taxiway M and right after making a right turn on taxiway H, I looked left to clear runway 12L. What I saw was a twin engine commuter taking off in dark. All he had on was his position lights and rotating beacon on at our 10 O'clock position, airborne 4-5 ft AGL. I made panic stop the airplane, by this time 2-3 ft beyond the hold short line. We were still clear of the runway after departing airplane cleared. We called the tower/ground and asked him why we were cleared to the gate. He informed us that our clearance was to hold short of runway 12L. After getting another clearance to cross the runway we taxied to the gate. Later I talked to the tower supervisor, and he informed me that he listened to the tapes and assured me that the controller was right and issued hold short instructions. If he did, then it had to be blocked by another airplane, because we never heard hold short instruction. It would be great help if departing commuter had his landing lights on and be seen by others. It would be great if controllers would not take too much work on themselves. It would be very smart if we would question our clearance at least twice, or more.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 ACFT AFTER LNDG WITH TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION FLC WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM CLRNC TO THE GATE, BUT PROCEEDED ASSUMING THAT. JUST AS THEY STARTED TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY AN ACFT TOOK OFF JUST OVER AND IN FRONT OF THEM WITHIN 50 FT. WHEN QUESTIONING TWR THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE CLRNC WAS TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 12R AT HOU, WE EXIT THE RWY BY TXWY L. TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO MAKE L TURN ON TXWY M AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 22, AND INFORMED US, HIM WORKING GND ON TWR FREQ (AT THE TIME HE WAS WORKING RWYS 12R, 12L, AND 22). AFTER DEP OF AN AIRPLANE, WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 22 VIA TXWY M, TXWY H TO THE GATE. DUE TO THE CONGESTION OF FREQ, FO COULD NOT READ BACK THE SECOND SET OF INSTRUCTIONS AND ANSWERED WITH A ROGER AND STARTED RUNNING HIS AFTER LNDG FLOWS. WE CROSSED RWY 22 ON TXWY M AND RIGHT AFTER MAKING A R TURN ON TXWY H, I LOOKED L TO CLR RWY 12L. WHAT I SAW WAS A TWIN ENG COMMUTER TAKING OFF IN DARK. ALL HE HAD ON WAS HIS POS LIGHTS AND ROTATING BEACON ON AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS, AIRBORNE 4-5 FT AGL. I MADE PANIC STOP THE AIRPLANE, BY THIS TIME 2-3 FT BEYOND THE HOLD SHORT LINE. WE WERE STILL CLR OF THE RWY AFTER DEPARTING AIRPLANE CLRED. WE CALLED THE TWR/GND AND ASKED HIM WHY WE WERE CLRED TO THE GATE. HE INFORMED US THAT OUR CLRNC WAS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12L. AFTER GETTING ANOTHER CLRNC TO CROSS THE RWY WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. LATER I TALKED TO THE TWR SUPVR, AND HE INFORMED ME THAT HE LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND ASSURED ME THAT THE CTLR WAS RIGHT AND ISSUED HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. IF HE DID, THEN IT HAD TO BE BLOCKED BY ANOTHER AIRPLANE, BECAUSE WE NEVER HEARD HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION. IT WOULD BE GREAT HELP IF DEPARTING COMMUTER HAD HIS LNDG LIGHTS ON AND BE SEEN BY OTHERS. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF CTLRS WOULD NOT TAKE TOO MUCH WORK ON THEMSELVES. IT WOULD BE VERY SMART IF WE WOULD QUESTION OUR CLRNC AT LEAST TWICE, OR MORE.

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.