Narrative:

After landing on runway 9R, we were told by ATC tower to taxi via south, hold short 9L at east and remain on 9R tower frequency. Departing aircraft on 9L were using a different frequency to 9R arrivals. First officer read back the hold short clearance. After holding short of 9L at east for several mins ATC tower cleared us to cross 9L at east and to contact ATC ground on the other side. First officer read back crossing clearance. Captain illuminated strobes, ice inspection lights and taxi light. Both pilots cleared their respective sides and between them verbally confirmed clearance to cross 9L at east. Captain released the park brake and proceeded across the hold short lines. The first officer shouted 'stop.' captain abruptly stopped aircraft. An aircraft departed 9L passing in front of us, we did not cross the white painted runway edge line. Despite being 100% certain that we were cleared to cross 9L at east, the first officer requested confirmation from ATC tower that we were cleared to cross 9L at east, ATC tower responded that yes, we were cleared to cross. First officer informed ATC tower that they had cleared us to cross 9L right in the path of departing traffic. We contacted ATC ground on the other side of 9L and taxied to the gate without incident. Notes: 9L at east intersection is 3/4 the distance down the runway from the beginning of a 9L takeoff roll. 9L is 9500 ft long, therefore departing traffic at the beginning of its takeoff roll is more than 1 mi from an aircraft holding short of 9L at east. When holding at the 9L at east intersection, it is difficult to distinguish takeoff aircraft lights more than a mi away, due to the abundance of flood lights in addition to other on and off airport lighting, this is true even in fair WX. It is impossible for pilots of the aircraft holding short 9L at east to have situational awareness with respect to 9L departing traffic if they are monitoring a different frequency. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said they stopped the aircraft approximately 10 ft from the edge of the runway after a B737 was spotted on takeoff roll about half way down runway 9L. The captain said the tail of the E145 is approximately 27 ft in the air. The B737 was about 50 ft high when it went by the intersection. The reporter/captain said after parking they reported the incident to company. The first officer talked to the tower supervisor and was told he would look into it. Additional callback information from acn 574635 regarding the reported miss distance. The reporter said the departing aircraft was no more than 100 ft, probably lower, and that its gear had not yet been retracted. The reporter also said that their aircraft nose was on the runway edge line. To estimate the horizontal distance: the reporter suggested using the runway width and the B737 wingspan to calculate an approximately distance. The reporter relayed that the situation was very close and that both crew members were shaken by the incident. Supplemental information from acn 575041: after landing on runway 9R in phl, we were told by runway 9R tower to taxi via south, hold short of runway 9L at east and remain on runway 9R tower frequency. Departing aircraft were using different frequency from runway 9R arrivals. Sic read back the hold short clearance. After holding short of runway 9L at east for several departures, runway 9R tower cleared us to cross runway 9L at east and contact ground on the other side. Sic read back clearance and we began to cross 9L. Sic shouted 'stop.' PIC stopped aircraft as a departing B737 passed by in front of us departing on the runway we had just been cleared to cross. We never crossed the runway edge line and were about 20 ft from it. We contacted tower to confirm crossing instruction, runway 9R tower reply was that we were clear to cross. Sic informed tower that we had been cleared to cross in front of departing traffic. Tower did not respond. It is unclear if the departing B737 was supposed to go into position and hold or if tower inadvertently cleared us into departing traffic. Callback conversation with reporter acn 575041 revealed the following information: the reporter said they may have stopped 20 ft from the edge line when the B737 passed in front of them. He said the B737 had lifted off approximately 500 ft prior to their position and was only airborne at 10 to 20 ft as he passed. The reporter said 3 or 4 passenger on the aircraft asked questions regarding the incident as theydeplaned. The reporter called the tower within 10 mins after landing and spoke to a supervisor. The supervisor indicated he was not aware of any problem, but would look into the matter, and call back if he needed additional information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING TO THE GATE AFTER LNDG, AN E145 CREW ON TXWY E IS CLRED TO CROSS RWY 9L, BUT COME TO AN ABRUPT STOP JUST SHORT OF THE RWY AFTER NOTICING A DEPARTING B737 PASSING THE INTXN.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 9R, WE WERE TOLD BY ATC TWR TO TAXI VIA S, HOLD SHORT 9L AT E AND REMAIN ON 9R TWR FREQ. DEPARTING ACFT ON 9L WERE USING A DIFFERENT FREQ TO 9R ARRIVALS. FO READ BACK THE HOLD SHORT CLRNC. AFTER HOLDING SHORT OF 9L AT E FOR SEVERAL MINS ATC TWR CLRED US TO CROSS 9L AT E AND TO CONTACT ATC GND ON THE OTHER SIDE. FO READ BACK XING CLRNC. CAPT ILLUMINATED STROBES, ICE INSPECTION LIGHTS AND TAXI LIGHT. BOTH PLTS CLRED THEIR RESPECTIVE SIDES AND BTWN THEM VERBALLY CONFIRMED CLRNC TO CROSS 9L AT E. CAPT RELEASED THE PARK BRAKE AND PROCEEDED ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINES. THE FO SHOUTED 'STOP.' CAPT ABRUPTLY STOPPED ACFT. AN ACFT DEPARTED 9L PASSING IN FRONT OF US, WE DID NOT CROSS THE WHITE PAINTED RWY EDGE LINE. DESPITE BEING 100% CERTAIN THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS 9L AT E, THE FO REQUESTED CONFIRMATION FROM ATC TWR THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS 9L AT E, ATC TWR RESPONDED THAT YES, WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS. FO INFORMED ATC TWR THAT THEY HAD CLRED US TO CROSS 9L RIGHT IN THE PATH OF DEPARTING TFC. WE CONTACTED ATC GND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 9L AND TAXIED TO THE GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. NOTES: 9L AT E INTXN IS 3/4 THE DISTANCE DOWN THE RWY FROM THE BEGINNING OF A 9L TKOF ROLL. 9L IS 9500 FT LONG, THEREFORE DEPARTING TFC AT THE BEGINNING OF ITS TKOF ROLL IS MORE THAN 1 MI FROM AN ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF 9L AT E. WHEN HOLDING AT THE 9L AT E INTXN, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH TKOF ACFT LIGHTS MORE THAN A MI AWAY, DUE TO THE ABUNDANCE OF FLOOD LIGHTS IN ADDITION TO OTHER ON AND OFF ARPT LIGHTING, THIS IS TRUE EVEN IN FAIR WX. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR PLTS OF THE ACFT HOLDING SHORT 9L AT E TO HAVE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WITH RESPECT TO 9L DEPARTING TFC IF THEY ARE MONITORING A DIFFERENT FREQ. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THEY STOPPED THE ACFT APPROX 10 FT FROM THE EDGE OF THE RWY AFTER A B737 WAS SPOTTED ON TKOF ROLL ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN RWY 9L. THE CAPT SAID THE TAIL OF THE E145 IS APPROX 27 FT IN THE AIR. THE B737 WAS ABOUT 50 FT HIGH WHEN IT WENT BY THE INTXN. THE RPTR/CAPT SAID AFTER PARKING THEY RPTED THE INCIDENT TO COMPANY. THE FO TALKED TO THE TWR SUPVR AND WAS TOLD HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT. ADDITIONAL CALLBACK INFO FROM ACN 574635 REGARDING THE RPTED MISS DISTANCE. THE RPTR SAID THE DEPARTING ACFT WAS NO MORE THAN 100 FT, PROBABLY LOWER, AND THAT ITS GEAR HAD NOT YET BEEN RETRACTED. THE RPTR ALSO SAID THAT THEIR ACFT NOSE WAS ON THE RWY EDGE LINE. TO ESTIMATE THE HORIZONTAL DISTANCE: THE RPTR SUGGESTED USING THE RWY WIDTH AND THE B737 WINGSPAN TO CALCULATE AN APPROX DISTANCE. THE RPTR RELAYED THAT THE SIT WAS VERY CLOSE AND THAT BOTH CREW MEMBERS WERE SHAKEN BY THE INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 575041: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 9R IN PHL, WE WERE TOLD BY RWY 9R TWR TO TAXI VIA S, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9L AT E AND REMAIN ON RWY 9R TWR FREQ. DEPARTING ACFT WERE USING DIFFERENT FREQ FROM RWY 9R ARRIVALS. SIC READ BACK THE HOLD SHORT CLRNC. AFTER HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 9L AT E FOR SEVERAL DEPARTURES, RWY 9R TWR CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 9L AT E AND CONTACT GND ON THE OTHER SIDE. SIC READ BACK CLRNC AND WE BEGAN TO CROSS 9L. SIC SHOUTED 'STOP.' PIC STOPPED ACFT AS A DEPARTING B737 PASSED BY IN FRONT OF US DEPARTING ON THE RWY WE HAD JUST BEEN CLRED TO CROSS. WE NEVER CROSSED THE RWY EDGE LINE AND WERE ABOUT 20 FT FROM IT. WE CONTACTED TWR TO CONFIRM XING INSTRUCTION, RWY 9R TWR REPLY WAS THAT WE WERE CLR TO CROSS. SIC INFORMED TWR THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS IN FRONT OF DEPARTING TFC. TWR DID NOT RESPOND. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE DEPARTING B737 WAS SUPPOSED TO GO INTO POSITION AND HOLD OR IF TWR INADVERTENTLY CLRED US INTO DEPARTING TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 575041 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THEY MAY HAVE STOPPED 20 FT FROM THE EDGE LINE WHEN THE B737 PASSED IN FRONT OF THEM. HE SAID THE B737 HAD LIFTED OFF APPROX 500 FT PRIOR TO THEIR POS AND WAS ONLY AIRBORNE AT 10 TO 20 FT AS HE PASSED. THE RPTR SAID 3 OR 4 PAX ON THE ACFT ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE INCIDENT AS THEYDEPLANED. THE RPTR CALLED THE TWR WITHIN 10 MINS AFTER LNDG AND SPOKE TO A SUPVR. THE SUPVR INDICATED HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY PROB, BUT WOULD LOOK INTO THE MATTER, AND CALL BACK IF HE NEEDED ADDITIONAL INFO.

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.