Narrative:

Ground control cleared us to runway 28L at the same timeas tower cleared an aircraft for tfof. We were holding short of runway 28L, n-txwy. Ground told us company aircraft is in position and hold, taxi across runway 28L and hold short of runway 28R. First officer read back instructions and we proceeded to move. The aircraft in position had their light on (as per SOP). Both the first officer and I noticed that the aircraft was moving forward very slowly. I stoped our aircraft. The other aircraft took off. The nose of our aircraft was over the hold line (not on the runway). The first officer told grd that our nose was over the hold line. The ground controller told us there was an aircraft in position and to cross 28L and runway 28R ( the tower supervisor listened to the tapes and said there was miscommunication between the tower controller and the ground controller. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised ground control that they were behind the hold short line on taxiway north, but short of the runway edge, after the departure passed their position. PIC called sfo after return flight and was advised that the incident was under review. The flight crew refused to cross the runway when seeing the departure aircraft's lights on-- knowing this was the company procedure after receiving takeoff clearance from the tower. The incidnet was reviewed with company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC INITIATE HOLD ON SFO TXWY - N, EVEN THOUGH CLRED TO CROSS RWY 28L, WHEN OBSERVING ANOTHER ACR, WITH LIGHTS ON, BEGIN TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: GROUND CONTROL CLEARED US TO RWY 28L AT THE SAME TIMEAS TOWER CLEARED AN ACFT FOR TFOF. WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 28L, N-TXWY. GND TOLD US COMPANY ACFT IS IN POSITION AND HOLD, TAXI ACROSS RWY 28L AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28R. FO READ BACK INSTRUCTIONS AND WE PROCEEDED TO MOVE. THE ACFT IN POSITION HAD THEIR LIGHT ON (AS PER SOP). BOTH THE FO AND I NOTICED THAT THE ACFT WAS MOVING FORWARD VERY SLOWLY. I STOPED OUR ACFT. THE OTHER ACFT TOOK OFF. THE NOSE OF OUR ACFT WAS OVER THE HOLD LINE (NOT ON THE RWY). THE FO TOLD GRD THAT OUR NOSE WAS OVER THE HOLD LINE. THE GND CONTROLLER TOLD US THERE WAS AN ACFT IN POSITION AND TO CROSS 28L AND RWY 28R ( THE TOWER SUPERVISOR LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND SAID THERE WAS MISCOMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TOWER CONTROLLER AND THE GND CONTROLLER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED GND CTL THAT THEY WERE BEHIND THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON TXWY N, BUT SHORT OF THE RWY EDGE, AFTER THE DEP PASSED THEIR POSITION. PIC CALLED SFO AFTER RETURN FLT AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE INCIDENT WAS UNDER REVIEW. THE FLT CREW REFUSED TO CROSS THE RWY WHEN SEEING THE DEP ACFT'S LIGHTS ON-- KNOWING THIS WAS THE COMPANY PROC AFTER RECEIVING TKOF CLRNC FROM THE TOWER. THE INCIDNET WAS REVIEWED WITH COMPANY.

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.