Narrative:

Sarasota ground cleared us to push at our discretion and call for taxi. When I called for taxi, the controller cleared us to 'taxi to runway 14.' I read it back as given and no further instruction or clarification was received. After clearing the ramp area, we completed the taxi checklist and I started our #2 engine. We approached the intersection with runway 4/22 and I cleared to my right and said 'clear on the right' and the captain called 'clear on the left.' we were just short of the runway when ground said 'air carrier X, stop.' we complied and saw a small cessna type single engine aircraft taxiing left to right. We stopped and the cessna passed with 40-50 ft clearance off the nose. We queried ground control and the controller claimed we had been cleared to taxi to runway 14 hold short runway 4. When we said that we had not received a hold short clearance, the ground controller said he wasn't really sure since they'd had a switchover at the position and he hadn't been the one to clear us to taxi. The rest of the taxi, takeoff, and flight were uneventful. I believe the ground controller did not clarify our instructions to each other when they switched over, resulting in one controller clearing us all the way, while the other thought we were holding short.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT SRQ, CAME WITHIN 50 FT OF COLLIDING WITH A SINGLE ENG ACFT.

Narrative: SARASOTA GND CLRED US TO PUSH AT OUR DISCRETION AND CALL FOR TAXI. WHEN I CALLED FOR TAXI, THE CTLR CLRED US TO 'TAXI TO RWY 14.' I READ IT BACK AS GIVEN AND NO FURTHER INSTRUCTION OR CLARIFICATION WAS RECEIVED. AFTER CLRING THE RAMP AREA, WE COMPLETED THE TAXI CHKLIST AND I STARTED OUR #2 ENG. WE APCHED THE INTXN WITH RWY 4/22 AND I CLRED TO MY R AND SAID 'CLR ON THE R' AND THE CAPT CALLED 'CLR ON THE L.' WE WERE JUST SHORT OF THE RWY WHEN GND SAID 'ACR X, STOP.' WE COMPLIED AND SAW A SMALL CESSNA TYPE SINGLE ENG ACFT TAXIING L TO R. WE STOPPED AND THE CESSNA PASSED WITH 40-50 FT CLRNC OFF THE NOSE. WE QUERIED GND CTL AND THE CTLR CLAIMED WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 14 HOLD SHORT RWY 4. WHEN WE SAID THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED A HOLD SHORT CLRNC, THE GND CTLR SAID HE WASN'T REALLY SURE SINCE THEY'D HAD A SWITCHOVER AT THE POS AND HE HADN'T BEEN THE ONE TO CLR US TO TAXI. THE REST OF THE TAXI, TKOF, AND FLT WERE UNEVENTFUL. I BELIEVE THE GND CTLR DID NOT CLARIFY OUR INSTRUCTIONS TO EACH OTHER WHEN THEY SWITCHED OVER, RESULTING IN ONE CTLR CLRING US ALL THE WAY, WHILE THE OTHER THOUGHT WE WERE HOLDING SHORT.

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.