Narrative:

Atl tower stated that if we could expedite, we were cleared across runway 26L, contact ground when clear. Normally, we are told to contact the international ramp directly, bypassing ground. When I heard the tower tell us to contact ground instead, I knew that the first officer would be contacting ground, so I deselected ground on my audio panel and began coordinating with ramp on the second radio. As we crossed runway 26L, I noticed an air carrier Y DC9 taxiing on taxiway F for takeoff. I mentally noted how the new air carrier Y paint job made the plane difficult to see against the dark grass colors. I assumed that the captain and first officer saw the DC9. As I was contacting ramp I heard the first officer say something to the captain as he switched to ground. Again, I assumed the first officer was pointing the DC9 out to the captain. The first officer then attempted to call ground, but was blocked out by frequency congestion. At this point, I began to get apprehensive about a possible collision with the DC9 and was about to say something when the first officer pointed it out to the captain. The captain, nor the first officer had seen the DC9 until now! Instead of trying to slam the brakes on, the captain accelerated and crossed in front of the DC9. At that time the first officer finally contacted ground. This could have been avoided by; tower coordinating with ground to hold DC9 short while we expedited across runway 26L, or tower telling us to give way after crossing -- never assume!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B767ER EXPEDITED XING APCHING TXWY INTXN AFTER SUDDENLY NOTICING A DC9 APCHING THE INTXN ON AN INTERSECTING TXWY.

Narrative: ATL TWR STATED THAT IF WE COULD EXPEDITE, WE WERE CLRED ACROSS RWY 26L, CONTACT GND WHEN CLR. NORMALLY, WE ARE TOLD TO CONTACT THE INTL RAMP DIRECTLY, BYPASSING GND. WHEN I HEARD THE TWR TELL US TO CONTACT GND INSTEAD, I KNEW THAT THE FO WOULD BE CONTACTING GND, SO I DESELECTED GND ON MY AUDIO PANEL AND BEGAN COORDINATING WITH RAMP ON THE SECOND RADIO. AS WE CROSSED RWY 26L, I NOTICED AN ACR Y DC9 TAXIING ON TXWY F FOR TKOF. I MENTALLY NOTED HOW THE NEW ACR Y PAINT JOB MADE THE PLANE DIFFICULT TO SEE AGAINST THE DARK GRASS COLORS. I ASSUMED THAT THE CAPT AND FO SAW THE DC9. AS I WAS CONTACTING RAMP I HEARD THE FO SAY SOMETHING TO THE CAPT AS HE SWITCHED TO GND. AGAIN, I ASSUMED THE FO WAS POINTING THE DC9 OUT TO THE CAPT. THE FO THEN ATTEMPTED TO CALL GND, BUT WAS BLOCKED OUT BY FREQ CONGESTION. AT THIS POINT, I BEGAN TO GET APPREHENSIVE ABOUT A POSSIBLE COLLISION WITH THE DC9 AND WAS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING WHEN THE FO POINTED IT OUT TO THE CAPT. THE CAPT, NOR THE FO HAD SEEN THE DC9 UNTIL NOW! INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SLAM THE BRAKES ON, THE CAPT ACCELERATED AND CROSSED IN FRONT OF THE DC9. AT THAT TIME THE FO FINALLY CONTACTED GND. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY; TWR COORDINATING WITH GND TO HOLD DC9 SHORT WHILE WE EXPEDITED ACROSS RWY 26L, OR TWR TELLING US TO GIVE WAY AFTER XING -- NEVER ASSUME!

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.