Narrative:

I was the first officer on air carrier flight abc on jan/thu/00 (ord-sgru). Upon arrival to sao paulo, brazil, at approximately XA55Z on jan/fri/00 and after passing turn NDB, we were cleared to land on runway 9R. During our approach there were several xmissions from the tower in portuguese. Landing and rollout were uneventful. Rolling onto taxiway cc from runway 9R, sao paulo tower radioed 'abc on the ground at runway 1, cross runway 9L.' I responded to this clearance with 'abc cleared to cross runway 9L.' there were no other xmissions from the tower, and we started to cross runway 9L to taxiway north. When we were approximately 1/2 way across the runway, we noticed an MD11 coming at us on runway 9L, without any lights on. At first I thought that he was taxiing down the runway, but soon realized that he had aborted his takeoff roll and was coming to a stop prior to taxiway north. We were still on tower frequency and heard the MD11 pilot talking to the tower in portuguese. It did not appear that the tower responded to the MD11, and when I called the tower, in english, there was no response. I then switched to the ground control frequency and informed them that 'air carrier abc was clear of runway 9L.' the controller then asked us 'what did tower tell you?' we responded with 'abc on the ground at runway 1, cross runway 9L.' the ground controller then cleared us to the gate. Had the MD11 had his taxi lights or other lights on we would have known he was preparing for takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 CREW CROSSED RWY THAT AN MD11 WAS USING FOR TKOF.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON ACR FLT ABC ON JAN/THU/00 (ORD-SGRU). UPON ARR TO SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, AT APPROX XA55Z ON JAN/FRI/00 AND AFTER PASSING TURN NDB, WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 9R. DURING OUR APCH THERE WERE SEVERAL XMISSIONS FROM THE TWR IN PORTUGUESE. LNDG AND ROLLOUT WERE UNEVENTFUL. ROLLING ONTO TXWY CC FROM RWY 9R, SAO PAULO TWR RADIOED 'ABC ON THE GND AT RWY 1, CROSS RWY 9L.' I RESPONDED TO THIS CLRNC WITH 'ABC CLRED TO CROSS RWY 9L.' THERE WERE NO OTHER XMISSIONS FROM THE TWR, AND WE STARTED TO CROSS RWY 9L TO TXWY N. WHEN WE WERE APPROX 1/2 WAY ACROSS THE RWY, WE NOTICED AN MD11 COMING AT US ON RWY 9L, WITHOUT ANY LIGHTS ON. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT HE WAS TAXIING DOWN THE RWY, BUT SOON REALIZED THAT HE HAD ABORTED HIS TKOF ROLL AND WAS COMING TO A STOP PRIOR TO TXWY N. WE WERE STILL ON TWR FREQ AND HEARD THE MD11 PLT TALKING TO THE TWR IN PORTUGUESE. IT DID NOT APPEAR THAT THE TWR RESPONDED TO THE MD11, AND WHEN I CALLED THE TWR, IN ENGLISH, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I THEN SWITCHED TO THE GND CTL FREQ AND INFORMED THEM THAT 'ACR ABC WAS CLR OF RWY 9L.' THE CTLR THEN ASKED US 'WHAT DID TWR TELL YOU?' WE RESPONDED WITH 'ABC ON THE GND AT RWY 1, CROSS RWY 9L.' THE GND CTLR THEN CLRED US TO THE GATE. HAD THE MD11 HAD HIS TAXI LIGHTS OR OTHER LIGHTS ON WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN HE WAS PREPARING FOR TKOF.

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.