Narrative:

After landing on runway 9R at phl, tower directed that we proceed on the parallel, turn left on taxiway north, and hold short of runway 9L. First officer acknowledged and we proceeded. Just before making the left turn onto taxiway north, tower advised us to cross runway 9L without delay and contact ground. After making the left turn onto taxiway north, I added power to keep my taxi speed up. Just passing taxiway P, we heard tower clear an aircraft for takeoff on runway 9L and another one onto hold. I evaluated our position, saw an aircraft in the takeoff position on runway 9L with all its lights on. We were not sure we could stop short of runway 9L and so I added power to ensure a safe crossing while the first officer called tower to confirm our clearance across the runway. Tower replied that they thought we had already crossed the runway, confirmed we were cleared to do so and said nothing more. If we had not added power to cross that runway in an expeditious manner, our presence on the runway may have caused the aircraft on takeoff roll to initiate an abort or other maneuver. My first officer and I agreed this was a very dangerous situation. At night and even though we were off the runway well before the other aircraft passed our position, we were not even to the runway (but were committed) when tower cleared the other aircraft for takeoff. WX was clear but it was a dark night. My only other option would have been a maximum effort stop that may have resulted in runway incursion with a very serious potential threat to the aircraft taking off. This was a rock and a hard place that was caused by tower not keeping track of planes on the ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER LNDG PHL, A B737 CREW RECEIVE CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 9L AND EXPEDITE. WHEN PRIOR TO XING, THEY HEAR CTLR CLR TFC FOR TKOF.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 9R AT PHL, TWR DIRECTED THAT WE PROCEED ON THE PARALLEL, TURN L ON TXWY N, AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9L. FO ACKNOWLEDGED AND WE PROCEEDED. JUST BEFORE MAKING THE L TURN ONTO TXWY N, TWR ADVISED US TO CROSS RWY 9L WITHOUT DELAY AND CONTACT GND. AFTER MAKING THE L TURN ONTO TXWY N, I ADDED PWR TO KEEP MY TAXI SPD UP. JUST PASSING TXWY P, WE HEARD TWR CLR AN ACFT FOR TKOF ON RWY 9L AND ANOTHER ONE ONTO HOLD. I EVALUATED OUR POS, SAW AN ACFT IN THE TKOF POS ON RWY 9L WITH ALL ITS LIGHTS ON. WE WERE NOT SURE WE COULD STOP SHORT OF RWY 9L AND SO I ADDED PWR TO ENSURE A SAFE XING WHILE THE FO CALLED TWR TO CONFIRM OUR CLRNC ACROSS THE RWY. TWR REPLIED THAT THEY THOUGHT WE HAD ALREADY CROSSED THE RWY, CONFIRMED WE WERE CLRED TO DO SO AND SAID NOTHING MORE. IF WE HAD NOT ADDED PWR TO CROSS THAT RWY IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER, OUR PRESENCE ON THE RWY MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ACFT ON TKOF ROLL TO INITIATE AN ABORT OR OTHER MANEUVER. MY FO AND I AGREED THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SIT. AT NIGHT AND EVEN THOUGH WE WERE OFF THE RWY WELL BEFORE THE OTHER ACFT PASSED OUR POS, WE WERE NOT EVEN TO THE RWY (BUT WERE COMMITTED) WHEN TWR CLRED THE OTHER ACFT FOR TKOF. WX WAS CLR BUT IT WAS A DARK NIGHT. MY ONLY OTHER OPTION WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAX EFFORT STOP THAT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN RWY INCURSION WITH A VERY SERIOUS POTENTIAL THREAT TO THE ACFT TAKING OFF. THIS WAS A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE THAT WAS CAUSED BY TWR NOT KEEPING TRACK OF PLANES ON THE GND.

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.