B737 departure from lax aborts takeoff after observing aircraft crossing downfield.

Attributes
ACN	625608
Time
Date	200407
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	625608
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	625609
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared for takeoff and a turn to a heading of 210 degrees from runway 24L. The first officer was flying. Accelerating through 60 KTS I, the captain, noticed an aircraft on a perpendicular taxiway approximately 5000 ft down the runway begin to taxi onto our runway. I took control of the aircraft and initiated an abort while announcing to tower we were aborting for an aircraft on our runway. We quickly slowed to taxi speed and turned off the runway prior to where the other aircraft was crossing our runway. Tower was quite apologetic about the situation and insisted they had instructed the other aircraft to hold short of our runway. We ran our checklists and the opc, spoke to the passenger and flight attendants, then departed uneventfully for las vegas. Lesson learned, always be vigilant, especially during critical phases of flight. Humans make mistakes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 DEP FROM LAX ABORTS TKOF AFTER OBSERVING ACFT XING DOWNFIELD.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND A TURN TO A HDG OF 210 DEGS FROM RWY 24L. THE FO WAS FLYING. ACCELERATING THROUGH 60 KTS I, THE CAPT, NOTICED AN ACFT ON A PERPENDICULAR TXWY APPROX 5000 FT DOWN THE RWY BEGIN TO TAXI ONTO OUR RWY. I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND INITIATED AN ABORT WHILE ANNOUNCING TO TWR WE WERE ABORTING FOR AN ACFT ON OUR RWY. WE QUICKLY SLOWED TO TAXI SPD AND TURNED OFF THE RWY PRIOR TO WHERE THE OTHER ACFT WAS XING OUR RWY. TWR WAS QUITE APOLOGETIC ABOUT THE SIT AND INSISTED THEY HAD INSTRUCTED THE OTHER ACFT TO HOLD SHORT OF OUR RWY. WE RAN OUR CHKLISTS AND THE OPC, SPOKE TO THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS, THEN DEPARTED UNEVENTFULLY FOR LAS VEGAS. LESSON LEARNED, ALWAYS BE VIGILANT, ESPECIALLY DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT. HUMANS MAKE MISTAKES.

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.