Narrative:

Following a short layover after an all-night flight to boston my first officer and I joked about our fatigue as we prepared for a night flight back to lax. On taxi out the instructions were to hold short of runway 27 on taxiway 'C' while taxiing to takeoff runway 33L. Both runways were active. Not realizing my disorientation I held short of runway 33L on 'C' and started to move forward when cleared to cross runway 27 by tower. My alert first officer was also disoriented but stopped me from moving until we figured out exactly what was confusing us. We then realized that we had nearly taxied into the path of a departing aircraft on runway 33L. It was a dark but clear night at a confusing intersection with two tired pilots. I hate to contemplate the possibilities if there had been heavy fog that busy night. Supplemental information from acn 535319: we were given taxi instructions to taxi to runway 33L. We left the terminal 'X' and taxied via taxiway C to the intersection of (C) and (D) where we stopped because two other aircraft were holding short of runway 33L at taxi (D). The two aircraft in front of us were cleared to taxi across runway 33L at delta. We were supposed to continue taxi on (C) to cross runway 27 and hold short of 33L. The captain started to turn left on delta and follow the previous aircraft across 33L. I told the captain 'I think we need to go right here.' he responded by saying 'no I don't so.' I looked down at my airport diagram and confirmed we needed to turn right on (C) and looked up to see the runway 33L in front of us. I told the captain to stop and he did. Maybe 10 seconds later an aircraft passed in front of us on takeoff on runways 33L. After we stopped the boston tower told us to hold our position at least two times on the radio frequently, after the aircraft on runway 33L took off, we were cleared to make a right on runway 33L a left on (C) and hold short of runway 33L. We never crossed the boundaries or incurred onto runway 33L, but we were very close to doing so. Callback conversation with reporter acn 535319 revealed the following information: reporter said, just as they stopped, the other aircraft's wingtip passed approximately 40 ft in front of them. He believes the other aircraft was a B777.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW ALMOST TAXIED IN FRONT OF AN ACFT ON TKOF ROLL, AT NIGHT, ON RWY 33L AT BOS.

Narrative: FOLLOWING A SHORT LAYOVER AFTER AN ALL-NIGHT FLT TO BOSTON MY FO AND I JOKED ABOUT OUR FATIGUE AS WE PREPARED FOR A NIGHT FLT BACK TO LAX. ON TAXI OUT THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27 ON TXWY 'C' WHILE TAXIING TO TKOF RWY 33L. BOTH RWYS WERE ACTIVE. NOT REALIZING MY DISORIENTATION I HELD SHORT OF RWY 33L ON 'C' AND STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 27 BY TWR. MY ALERT FO WAS ALSO DISORIENTED BUT STOPPED ME FROM MOVING UNTIL WE FIGURED OUT EXACTLY WHAT WAS CONFUSING US. WE THEN REALIZED THAT WE HAD NEARLY TAXIED INTO THE PATH OF A DEPARTING ACFT ON RWY 33L. IT WAS A DARK BUT CLR NIGHT AT A CONFUSING INTXN WITH TWO TIRED PLTS. I HATE TO CONTEMPLATE THE POSSIBILITIES IF THERE HAD BEEN HEAVY FOG THAT BUSY NIGHT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 535319: WE WERE GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO RWY 33L. WE LEFT THE TERMINAL 'X' AND TAXIED VIA TXWY C TO THE INTXN OF (C) AND (D) WHERE WE STOPPED BECAUSE TWO OTHER ACFT WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 33L AT TAXI (D). THE TWO ACFT IN FRONT OF US WERE CLRED TO TAXI ACROSS RWY 33L AT DELTA. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE TAXI ON (C) TO CROSS RWY 27 AND HOLD SHORT OF 33L. THE CAPT STARTED TO TURN LEFT ON DELTA AND FOLLOW THE PREVIOUS ACFT ACROSS 33L. I TOLD THE CAPT 'I THINK WE NEED TO GO RIGHT HERE.' HE RESPONDED BY SAYING 'NO I DON'T SO.' I LOOKED DOWN AT MY ARPT DIAGRAM AND CONFIRMED WE NEEDED TO TURN RIGHT ON (C) AND LOOKED UP TO SEE THE RWY 33L IN FRONT OF US. I TOLD THE CAPT TO STOP AND HE DID. MAYBE 10 SECS LATER AN ACFT PASSED IN FRONT OF US ON TKOF ON RWYS 33L. AFTER WE STOPPED THE BOSTON TWR TOLD US TO HOLD OUR POSITION AT LEAST TWO TIMES ON THE RADIO FREQUENTLY, AFTER THE ACFT ON RWY 33L TOOK OFF, WE WERE CLRED TO MAKE A RIGHT ON RWY 33L A LEFT ON (C) AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 33L. WE NEVER CROSSED THE BOUNDARIES OR INCURRED ONTO RWY 33L, BUT WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO DOING SO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 535319 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID, JUST AS THEY STOPPED, THE OTHER ACFT'S WINGTIP PASSED APPROX 40 FT IN FRONT OF THEM. HE BELIEVES THE OTHER ACFT WAS A B777.

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.