Narrative:

This is a taxi/runway incursion. It started just after taxi our from gate at rome airport. We were taxiing west on taxiway V. Our initial clearance was 'taxi to runway 16R via taxiway V, taxiway a, hold short runway 25, runway 25 was used for takeoff that day. We were too heavy for runway 25 so we were going to runway 16R. Rounding the corner at taxiway V to taxiway a, we were 'cleared to cross runway 25, contact tower.' I checked runway 25 for departures and saw 1 aircraft Y in position for takeoff on runway 25. We started crossing runway 25 and just as our nosewheel was crossing the centerline, we heard 'aircraft X hold position.' we could not believe they wanted us to hold in the middle of the takeoff runway. We all looked right and saw a jet lift off on runway 25 to our right. By the time we had crossed the runway, he was passing overhead. At XA30, the tower contacted us and asked why we crossed. We told them we had been 'cleared to cross' and had read back our 'cleared to cross' clearance. We had also not stopped in position on the runway because we were already crossing and wanted to get out of the way of approaching takeoff aircraft Y. I don't know what else we could have done. We were cleared, looked both ways, agreed it was safe to cross and crossed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC CONFUSION ENDS WITH ACFT ON RWY WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON TKOF ROLL AT FOREIGN ARPT.

Narrative: THIS IS A TAXI/RWY INCURSION. IT STARTED JUST AFTER TAXI OUR FROM GATE AT ROME ARPT. WE WERE TAXIING W ON TXWY V. OUR INITIAL CLRNC WAS 'TAXI TO RWY 16R VIA TXWY V, TXWY A, HOLD SHORT RWY 25, RWY 25 WAS USED FOR TKOF THAT DAY. WE WERE TOO HVY FOR RWY 25 SO WE WERE GOING TO RWY 16R. ROUNDING THE CORNER AT TXWY V TO TXWY A, WE WERE 'CLRED TO CROSS RWY 25, CONTACT TWR.' I CHKED RWY 25 FOR DEPS AND SAW 1 ACFT Y IN POS FOR TKOF ON RWY 25. WE STARTED XING RWY 25 AND JUST AS OUR NOSEWHEEL WAS XING THE CTRLINE, WE HEARD 'ACFT X HOLD POS.' WE COULD NOT BELIEVE THEY WANTED US TO HOLD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TKOF RWY. WE ALL LOOKED R AND SAW A JET LIFT OFF ON RWY 25 TO OUR R. BY THE TIME WE HAD CROSSED THE RWY, HE WAS PASSING OVERHEAD. AT XA30, THE TWR CONTACTED US AND ASKED WHY WE CROSSED. WE TOLD THEM WE HAD BEEN 'CLRED TO CROSS' AND HAD READ BACK OUR 'CLRED TO CROSS' CLRNC. WE HAD ALSO NOT STOPPED IN POS ON THE RWY BECAUSE WE WERE ALREADY XING AND WANTED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF APCHING TKOF ACFT Y. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE COULD HAVE DONE. WE WERE CLRED, LOOKED BOTH WAYS, AGREED IT WAS SAFE TO CROSS AND CROSSED.

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.