Narrative:

Received clearance from ground control to taxi from gate xx to runway 5 (which requires crossing runway 14/32 and no hold short restrs were given to us). On taxiway K, prior to crossing the hold short line for runway 14/32, we looked left and right and verbally called 'clear left, clear right.' our aircraft (X) was over the hold short line when we saw a single engine cessna (Y) directly in front of us, taking off on runway 32. By the time we got our aircraft stopped, we were past the hold short line. We confirmed with ground control that we were given no restr to hold short of runway 14/32. The cessna (Y) was not seen by us (X) before we started to cross, and since we were still monitoring ground frequency, we would not have heard any clearance given to the cessna by tower local control. The operating procedure at our airline requires the first officer to do a lot of heads down duties while taxiing (start other engine, look up performance data, calling in weights, etc). Elimination of some of these duties while taxiing, would allow another set of eyes looking outside.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR BA31 FLC OBTAINS TWR GND CTLR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WITH NO RESTR. AS ACFT BEGINS TO TAXI ACROSS RWY, FLC OBSERVES CESSNA TKOF IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THEM. FLC QUESTIONS GND CTLR AND VERIFIES THEY HAD UNRESTR CLRNC TO TAXI TO OTHER RWY. PIC INDICATES THAT IF THE FO HAD NOT HAD TO COMPLETE COMPANY REQUIRED OPERATING PROCS WHILE TAXIING, HE MIGHT HAVE HELPED IN VISUAL SCANNING.

Narrative: RECEIVED CLRNC FROM GND CTL TO TAXI FROM GATE XX TO RWY 5 (WHICH REQUIRES XING RWY 14/32 AND NO HOLD SHORT RESTRS WERE GIVEN TO US). ON TXWY K, PRIOR TO XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 14/32, WE LOOKED L AND R AND VERBALLY CALLED 'CLR L, CLR R.' OUR ACFT (X) WAS OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHEN WE SAW A SINGLE ENG CESSNA (Y) DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US, TAKING OFF ON RWY 32. BY THE TIME WE GOT OUR ACFT STOPPED, WE WERE PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE. WE CONFIRMED WITH GND CTL THAT WE WERE GIVEN NO RESTR TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 14/32. THE CESSNA (Y) WAS NOT SEEN BY US (X) BEFORE WE STARTED TO CROSS, AND SINCE WE WERE STILL MONITORING GND FREQ, WE WOULD NOT HAVE HEARD ANY CLRNC GIVEN TO THE CESSNA BY TWR LCL CTL. THE OPERATING PROC AT OUR AIRLINE REQUIRES THE FO TO DO A LOT OF HEADS DOWN DUTIES WHILE TAXIING (START OTHER ENG, LOOK UP PERFORMANCE DATA, CALLING IN WTS, ETC). ELIMINATION OF SOME OF THESE DUTIES WHILE TAXIING, WOULD ALLOW ANOTHER SET OF EYES LOOKING OUTSIDE.

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.