Narrative:

Taxiing out at phl we were the #3 aircraft for taxi at spot X. Phl was departing runway 9L. There were aircraft lined up on txwys K, J (opposite direction) and P (other side of the runway). There were 2 company B737's ahead of us at spot X awaiting taxi clearance. Each received clearance to cross the runway and join the line on taxiway P. Our clearance was 'taxi to runway 9L, follow the company 200 series.' there were no major distrs, but I fixated on the words 'follow your company B737' and, in fact, the first officer read back 'runway 9L follow the company.' I followed the B737-300 ahead across the runway, when I should have turned to follow the B737-200 in line on taxiway K. There was a B727 in takeoff position on runway 9L when all 3 of us crossed runway 9L. According to ATC, the B727 was cleared for takeoff as the aircraft ahead of us crossed. His takeoff clearance was canceled when we entered the runway. He had begun his takeoff roll. We had the pvd ATC supervisor on the jump seat. All 3 of us checked the position of the B727 as we entered the runway. He was still stationary as the nose of our aircraft neared the runway centerline. None of us saw him begin to move. All 3 of us believed that we were to follow the B737-300 across the runway. None of us recalled hearing '200 series.' this was a classic case of a somewhat vague clearance, but more importantly a crew hearing what they expected to, tuning out the rest. We were 1 aircraft length behind the aircraft crossing in front of us, therefore some part of one or both aircraft had to be on the runway when the B727 was issued takeoff clearance. Obviously neither tower nor B727 verified that the runway was clear prior to issuing and accepting takeoff clearance. Phl very much needs tower controled stop bars at all intxns due to the high number of runway xings required there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 ACFT TAXIING WAS CLRED TO FOLLOW ANOTHER B737, BUT THE CLRNC WAS TO FOLLOW A B737-200. RPTR CAPT ACFT WAS IN LINE BEHIND OTHER B737'S WHO WERE CLRED ACROSS THE RWY AND RPTR THOUGHT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW. TWR CTLR EXPECTED RPTR ACFT TO TURN ON TXWY TO FOLLOW A DIFFERENT ACFT. ACFT HOLDING FOR TKOF HAD TO ABORT THE ROLL DUE TO THE RWY TRANSGRESSION.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT AT PHL WE WERE THE #3 ACFT FOR TAXI AT SPOT X. PHL WAS DEPARTING RWY 9L. THERE WERE ACFT LINED UP ON TXWYS K, J (OPPOSITE DIRECTION) AND P (OTHER SIDE OF THE RWY). THERE WERE 2 COMPANY B737'S AHEAD OF US AT SPOT X AWAITING TAXI CLRNC. EACH RECEIVED CLRNC TO CROSS THE RWY AND JOIN THE LINE ON TXWY P. OUR CLRNC WAS 'TAXI TO RWY 9L, FOLLOW THE COMPANY 200 SERIES.' THERE WERE NO MAJOR DISTRS, BUT I FIXATED ON THE WORDS 'FOLLOW YOUR COMPANY B737' AND, IN FACT, THE FO READ BACK 'RWY 9L FOLLOW THE COMPANY.' I FOLLOWED THE B737-300 AHEAD ACROSS THE RWY, WHEN I SHOULD HAVE TURNED TO FOLLOW THE B737-200 IN LINE ON TXWY K. THERE WAS A B727 IN TKOF POS ON RWY 9L WHEN ALL 3 OF US CROSSED RWY 9L. ACCORDING TO ATC, THE B727 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AS THE ACFT AHEAD OF US CROSSED. HIS TKOF CLRNC WAS CANCELED WHEN WE ENTERED THE RWY. HE HAD BEGUN HIS TKOF ROLL. WE HAD THE PVD ATC SUPVR ON THE JUMP SEAT. ALL 3 OF US CHKED THE POS OF THE B727 AS WE ENTERED THE RWY. HE WAS STILL STATIONARY AS THE NOSE OF OUR ACFT NEARED THE RWY CTRLINE. NONE OF US SAW HIM BEGIN TO MOVE. ALL 3 OF US BELIEVED THAT WE WERE TO FOLLOW THE B737-300 ACROSS THE RWY. NONE OF US RECALLED HEARING '200 SERIES.' THIS WAS A CLASSIC CASE OF A SOMEWHAT VAGUE CLRNC, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY A CREW HEARING WHAT THEY EXPECTED TO, TUNING OUT THE REST. WE WERE 1 ACFT LENGTH BEHIND THE ACFT XING IN FRONT OF US, THEREFORE SOME PART OF ONE OR BOTH ACFT HAD TO BE ON THE RWY WHEN THE B727 WAS ISSUED TKOF CLRNC. OBVIOUSLY NEITHER TWR NOR B727 VERIFIED THAT THE RWY WAS CLR PRIOR TO ISSUING AND ACCEPTING TKOF CLRNC. PHL VERY MUCH NEEDS TWR CTLED STOP BARS AT ALL INTXNS DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF RWY XINGS REQUIRED THERE.

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.