Narrative:

It was a short taxi from gate to runway 9. Tower issued to us an 'into position and hold for crossing traffic east of field.' I interpreted that to being due to crossing takeoff traffic departing runway 19L, which was east of us on the field. I read back the clearance and the captain took a few moments to cross the hold line whilst he completed his PA. Before completing the maneuver, tower control issued a takeoff clearance, which I believe was for us, with heading of 210 degrees. I reached up to the glare shield with my left hand and rotated my course selector on the MCP to 210 degrees and simultaneously with my right hand, pushed the glare shield push-to-talk button and read back our takeoff clearance with the heading and our call sign. When I had finished transmitting, the frequency was silent -- all seemed normal. I was flying and began the takeoff roll, 80 KTS was called. A few more seconds had passed when in full view of us an aircraft taking off on runway 19L was crossing and rotating just before the intersection. It seemed closer than a regular intersecting runway takeoff. The captain was aware of this and both of us deemed a normal takeoff could be accomplished. During the acceleration, I heard a voice that I assumed was tower saying 'hold in position.' I did not hear a call sign or runway associated with this. Since we were on a high speed takeoff roll, I assumed it was for the next departing aircraft for either runway. Something didn't seem right. I was sure the tower was about to tell us -- he never did. He issued a heading of 180 degrees and then 200 degrees -- all seemingly agreeing with the takeoff clearance I read back. We complied with the instructions. No TA's or RA's in the takeoff. Tower switched us to departure who then, handing us off, gave us ATC telephone number.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CREW, ON TKOF ROLL AT MCI, OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT TAKING OFF ON AN INTERSECTING RWY.

Narrative: IT WAS A SHORT TAXI FROM GATE TO RWY 9. TWR ISSUED TO US AN 'INTO POS AND HOLD FOR XING TFC E OF FIELD.' I INTERPED THAT TO BEING DUE TO XING TKOF TFC DEPARTING RWY 19L, WHICH WAS E OF US ON THE FIELD. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND THE CAPT TOOK A FEW MOMENTS TO CROSS THE HOLD LINE WHILST HE COMPLETED HIS PA. BEFORE COMPLETING THE MANEUVER, TWR CTL ISSUED A TKOF CLRNC, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS FOR US, WITH HDG OF 210 DEGS. I REACHED UP TO THE GLARE SHIELD WITH MY L HAND AND ROTATED MY COURSE SELECTOR ON THE MCP TO 210 DEGS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH MY R HAND, PUSHED THE GLARE SHIELD PUSH-TO-TALK BUTTON AND READ BACK OUR TKOF CLRNC WITH THE HDG AND OUR CALL SIGN. WHEN I HAD FINISHED XMITTING, THE FREQ WAS SILENT -- ALL SEEMED NORMAL. I WAS FLYING AND BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL, 80 KTS WAS CALLED. A FEW MORE SECONDS HAD PASSED WHEN IN FULL VIEW OF US AN ACFT TAKING OFF ON RWY 19L WAS XING AND ROTATING JUST BEFORE THE INTXN. IT SEEMED CLOSER THAN A REGULAR INTERSECTING RWY TKOF. THE CAPT WAS AWARE OF THIS AND BOTH OF US DEEMED A NORMAL TKOF COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED. DURING THE ACCELERATION, I HEARD A VOICE THAT I ASSUMED WAS TWR SAYING 'HOLD IN POS.' I DID NOT HEAR A CALL SIGN OR RWY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS. SINCE WE WERE ON A HIGH SPD TKOF ROLL, I ASSUMED IT WAS FOR THE NEXT DEPARTING ACFT FOR EITHER RWY. SOMETHING DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT. I WAS SURE THE TWR WAS ABOUT TO TELL US -- HE NEVER DID. HE ISSUED A HDG OF 180 DEGS AND THEN 200 DEGS -- ALL SEEMINGLY AGREEING WITH THE TKOF CLRNC I READ BACK. WE COMPLIED WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS. NO TA'S OR RA'S IN THE TKOF. TWR SWITCHED US TO DEP WHO THEN, HANDING US OFF, GAVE US ATC TELEPHONE NUMBER.

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.