Narrative:

A night with good visual conditions, a company B727 taxied by maintenance personnel crossed in front of our B737 at high speed just as we were about to make a 90 degree turn to approach the hold short line for runway 8R, the departure runway. Clearance between the B727's right wingtip and the nose of our aircraft was less than 10 ft. Sequence of events: it was not a busy time at the airport. Atl ground control issued our takeoff sequence and switched us to tower frequency. Later, unbeknownst to us, ground control gave the B727 taxi clearance to hold short of runway 8R and expected the B727 to follow us, but did not issue specific instructions to do so. The sight of the B727 taxiing across our path startled both the first officer and myself, and I brought the aircraft to a stop, unsure as to whether the B727's wing would clear our nose. Tower gave our aircraft clearance to taxi into position and hold, unaware of the location of the B727. We advised tower that we had just been cut off by the B727, who was not on tower frequency. Possible corrective actions: 1) aircraft taxied by maintenance personnel should be made as visible as possible at night. Neither the taxi light nor the position lights of the B727 were illuminated. 2) all aircraft approaching or crossing an active runway should be on tower frequency. It is the practice in atl for aircraft taxied by maintenance to remain on ground control frequency while crossing runways. There would have been no way to communicate directly with the B727, if a collision had been imminent. 3) it is unknown at this time whether the right seat of the B727 was occupied during taxi. If it was not, there would have been no way the mechanic in the left seat could have seen how close he came to striking our aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TAXIING B737-300 IS NEARLY HIT BY A RAPIDLY TAXIING UNLIT B727 DURING A MAINT TAXI OP AT THE APCH END OF RWY 8R AT ATL, GA.

Narrative: A NIGHT WITH GOOD VISUAL CONDITIONS, A COMPANY B727 TAXIED BY MAINT PERSONNEL CROSSED IN FRONT OF OUR B737 AT HIGH SPD JUST AS WE WERE ABOUT TO MAKE A 90 DEG TURN TO APCH THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 8R, THE DEP RWY. CLRNC BTWN THE B727'S R WINGTIP AND THE NOSE OF OUR ACFT WAS LESS THAN 10 FT. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS: IT WAS NOT A BUSY TIME AT THE ARPT. ATL GND CTL ISSUED OUR TKOF SEQUENCE AND SWITCHED US TO TWR FREQ. LATER, UNBEKNOWNST TO US, GND CTL GAVE THE B727 TAXI CLRNC TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 8R AND EXPECTED THE B727 TO FOLLOW US, BUT DID NOT ISSUE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO DO SO. THE SIGHT OF THE B727 TAXIING ACROSS OUR PATH STARTLED BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF, AND I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP, UNSURE AS TO WHETHER THE B727'S WING WOULD CLR OUR NOSE. TWR GAVE OUR ACFT CLRNC TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, UNAWARE OF THE LOCATION OF THE B727. WE ADVISED TWR THAT WE HAD JUST BEEN CUT OFF BY THE B727, WHO WAS NOT ON TWR FREQ. POSSIBLE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) ACFT TAXIED BY MAINT PERSONNEL SHOULD BE MADE AS VISIBLE AS POSSIBLE AT NIGHT. NEITHER THE TAXI LIGHT NOR THE POS LIGHTS OF THE B727 WERE ILLUMINATED. 2) ALL ACFT APCHING OR XING AN ACTIVE RWY SHOULD BE ON TWR FREQ. IT IS THE PRACTICE IN ATL FOR ACFT TAXIED BY MAINT TO REMAIN ON GND CTL FREQ WHILE XING RWYS. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH THE B727, IF A COLLISION HAD BEEN IMMINENT. 3) IT IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME WHETHER THE R SEAT OF THE B727 WAS OCCUPIED DURING TAXI. IF IT WAS NOT, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY THE MECH IN THE L SEAT COULD HAVE SEEN HOW CLOSE HE CAME TO STRIKING OUR ACFT.

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.