Narrative:

After landing on runway 27L in marginal WX and moderate rain, I turned off the runway at the 2ND high speed. The windshield wipers were on and making considerable noise. We were given instructions to cross runway 27R at taxiway T, but with all the noise in the cockpit we asked the instructions to be repeated after turning off the wipers. Given cross runway 27R at taxiway T we read it back and proceeded to cross. While crossing we noticed an aircraft on takeoff roll, I expedited across. There was no other evasive action taken. After talking to the tower supervisor who had reviewed the tape said we were not at fault. Supplemental information from acn 535784: the captain then began to cross the runway and it was at that moment we both noticed an aircraft on the runway with his lights on. The aircraft was rotating just as we were crossing the hold short. The DC9 passed overhead approximately 1000-1500 ft and had rotated approximately 4000 ft down the runway from us as we crossed the hold short. The captain accelerated the aircraft across the runway as soon as we realized there was a conflict. We later talked to ATC via phone line and were told that we had acted correctly and that the tapes confirmed we had read back the crossing instruction after confirming it. Callback conversation with reporter on acn 535803 revealed the following information: captain reporter said as he started to cross the runway he noticed the other aircraft with his landing lights on and realized while crossing that the aircraft, a DC9, was on takeoff roll. He said he added power to expedite and was able to cross the runway before the DC9 passed overhead. He said both aircraft were on the same tower frequency but because of the very noisy windshield wipers, he did not hear the tower clear the DC9 for takeoff. After discussions with the tower supervisor, the crew was told they had inadvertently been instructed to cross the runway. The reporter also commented that the controller may not have been able to see both aircraft because of poor visibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER LNDG ATL ON RWY 27L, AN MD88 CREW IS INSTRUCTED TO CROSS RWY 27R AND NOTICE A DC9 ROTATING ON RWY 27R AS THEY CROSS.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 27L IN MARGINAL WX AND MODERATE RAIN, I TURNED OFF THE RWY AT THE 2ND HIGH SPD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE ON AND MAKING CONSIDERABLE NOISE. WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS RWY 27R AT TXWY T, BUT WITH ALL THE NOISE IN THE COCKPIT WE ASKED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO BE REPEATED AFTER TURNING OFF THE WIPERS. GIVEN CROSS RWY 27R AT TXWY T WE READ IT BACK AND PROCEEDED TO CROSS. WHILE XING WE NOTICED AN ACFT ON TKOF ROLL, I EXPEDITED ACROSS. THERE WAS NO OTHER EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN. AFTER TALKING TO THE TWR SUPVR WHO HAD REVIEWED THE TAPE SAID WE WERE NOT AT FAULT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 535784: THE CAPT THEN BEGAN TO CROSS THE RWY AND IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT WE BOTH NOTICED AN ACFT ON THE RWY WITH HIS LIGHTS ON. THE ACFT WAS ROTATING JUST AS WE WERE XING THE HOLD SHORT. THE DC9 PASSED OVERHEAD APPROX 1000-1500 FT AND HAD ROTATED APPROX 4000 FT DOWN THE RWY FROM US AS WE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT. THE CAPT ACCELERATED THE ACFT ACROSS THE RWY AS SOON AS WE REALIZED THERE WAS A CONFLICT. WE LATER TALKED TO ATC VIA PHONE LINE AND WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD ACTED CORRECTLY AND THAT THE TAPES CONFIRMED WE HAD READ BACK THE XING INSTRUCTION AFTER CONFIRMING IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ON ACN 535803 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT RPTR SAID AS HE STARTED TO CROSS THE RWY HE NOTICED THE OTHER ACFT WITH HIS LNDG LIGHTS ON AND REALIZED WHILE XING THAT THE ACFT, A DC9, WAS ON TKOF ROLL. HE SAID HE ADDED PWR TO EXPEDITE AND WAS ABLE TO CROSS THE RWY BEFORE THE DC9 PASSED OVERHEAD. HE SAID BOTH ACFT WERE ON THE SAME TWR FREQ BUT BECAUSE OF THE VERY NOISY WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HE DID NOT HEAR THE TWR CLR THE DC9 FOR TKOF. AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE TWR SUPVR, THE CREW WAS TOLD THEY HAD INADVERTENTLY BEEN INSTRUCTED TO CROSS THE RWY. THE RPTR ALSO COMMENTED THAT THE CTLR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE BOTH ACFT BECAUSE OF POOR VISIBILITY.

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.