Air carrier light transport flight crew observe an MD80 in takeoff position when cleared to cross runway. Crossing, the flight crew hear tower abort takeoff clearance of MD80. When PIC calls tower, controller supervisor advises that local controller had mixed up the departure strips and inadvertently cleared the MD80 for takeoff. Light transport air carrier states that he did not observe the MD80 navigation lights on as the aircraft began takeoff roll, or he would have stopped at the runway edge.

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Attributes
ACN	411658
Time
Date	199808
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	411658
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : rejected takeoff other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

We (X) were cleared to cross runway 18L. We looked down the runway and saw an MD80 (Y) who appeared to be in position and hold, as we saw only a taxi light, and no smoke from the engines. As we (X) were crossing the runway, we heard tower call the MD80 (Y) to abort his takeoff on runway 18L. After we crossed runway 18L, the captain called tower, and the controller responded, 'I know...the strips were mixed up.' we might have been able to see engine smoke if not for the dark, cloudy background. We also might have know the MD80 was rolling if the landing/wing lights were on.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT FLC OBSERVE AN MD80 IN TKOF POS WHEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY. XING, THE FLC HEAR TWR ABORT TKOF CLRNC OF MD80. WHEN PIC CALLS TWR, CTLR SUPVR ADVISES THAT LCL CTLR HAD MIXED UP THE DEP STRIPS AND INADVERTENTLY CLRED THE MD80 FOR TKOF. LTT ACR STATES THAT HE DID NOT OBSERVE THE MD80 NAV LIGHTS ON AS THE ACFT BEGAN TKOF ROLL, OR HE WOULD HAVE STOPPED AT THE RWY EDGE.

Narrative: WE (X) WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 18L. WE LOOKED DOWN THE RWY AND SAW AN MD80 (Y) WHO APPEARED TO BE IN POS AND HOLD, AS WE SAW ONLY A TAXI LIGHT, AND NO SMOKE FROM THE ENGS. AS WE (X) WERE XING THE RWY, WE HEARD TWR CALL THE MD80 (Y) TO ABORT HIS TKOF ON RWY 18L. AFTER WE CROSSED RWY 18L, THE CAPT CALLED TWR, AND THE CTLR RESPONDED, 'I KNOW...THE STRIPS WERE MIXED UP.' WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE ENG SMOKE IF NOT FOR THE DARK, CLOUDY BACKGROUND. WE ALSO MIGHT HAVE KNOW THE MD80 WAS ROLLING IF THE LNDG/WING LIGHTS WERE ON.

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.