Narrative:

Taxiing out on taxiway left within 1000 ft of taxiway P on the way to runway 6R; we changed to tower frequency and I heard tower state amongst many other radio calls (note: fair amount of traffic; our release stated: extra fuel for heavy traffic in cle); 'you're 1/2 mi south of course.' no aircraft response that we heard; likely due to runway 6L having a separate frequency. Tower cleared us for takeoff on runway 6R. As per our procedure; we cleared final approach visually and observed no aircraft and turned on all exterior lights except the retractable landing lights and the strobe. As I aligned the aircraft with the centerline; turned on the outboard landing lights and gave control to first officer; I saw an aircraft pass directly over us (his wing span straddled the runway centerline) and called out to the first officer; 'what is that aircraft doing there?' we held our position while I verified takeoff clearance with tower. Tower confirmed the takeoff and following my query about the aircraft; stated 'he was cleared to land runway 6L.' tower gave directions to the other pilot about contacting them. When I first saw the aircraft it appeared to be moving quickly away; a straight wing aircraft. I thought of a citation moving that quickly; but then when it turned toward the north; it tracked to the left rather slowly. Subsequent telecon with cle supervisor revealed it was a mooney. Given what I saw and the size of the aircraft; my previous estimate of 200 ft vertical miss distance may be off. Could it have been less? It happened quickly; might have been more; but I don't think so. Supervisor said that the tower didn't see the aircraft; it was not using landing lights. By the time 'the horns went off' the aircraft had started its own go around. He apologized for the incident; very cordial conversation. Questions: 1) what could we have done differently? Visual pick-up -- when I told supervisor that we looked on final but saw no one; he said we wouldn't have seen him because he was behind us. Don't know if he meant while we were holding short or on the runway. Regardless; maybe I was looking for landing lights versus position lights. Holding short; should I have looked back at 7 O'clock position versus 9 O'clock-ish position? 2) don't know if he was a) straight-in; B) left base with an overshoot of runway 6L; or C) right base to runway 6L. But if tower told him he was X mi south of course (according to supervisor pilot said he thought he was north of course; was dialing the localizer frequency heads down) they either had a visual and then lost it; or had a skin paint -- 'the horns went off' -- why were we cleared for takeoff with an aircraft so close? I can only assume they were thinking; 'he's cleared to runway 6L;' it was dark and no visual; who knows. I can think of one thing: after much thought; he didn't go around until he saw our exterior lights flood the runway. Were we late on the lights?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW CORED FOR TKOF ON RWY 6R AT CLE OBSERVED ACFT PASSING OVERHEAD WHILE TAXIING ONTO RWY; LNDG ACFT INITIATED GAR.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT ON TXWY L WITHIN 1000 FT OF TXWY P ON THE WAY TO RWY 6R; WE CHANGED TO TWR FREQ AND I HEARD TWR STATE AMONGST MANY OTHER RADIO CALLS (NOTE: FAIR AMOUNT OF TFC; OUR RELEASE STATED: EXTRA FUEL FOR HVY TFC IN CLE); 'YOU'RE 1/2 MI S OF COURSE.' NO ACFT RESPONSE THAT WE HEARD; LIKELY DUE TO RWY 6L HAVING A SEPARATE FREQ. TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 6R. AS PER OUR PROC; WE CLRED FINAL APCH VISUALLY AND OBSERVED NO ACFT AND TURNED ON ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS EXCEPT THE RETRACTABLE LNDG LIGHTS AND THE STROBE. AS I ALIGNED THE ACFT WITH THE CTRLINE; TURNED ON THE OUTBOARD LNDG LIGHTS AND GAVE CTL TO FO; I SAW AN ACFT PASS DIRECTLY OVER US (HIS WING SPAN STRADDLED THE RWY CTRLINE) AND CALLED OUT TO THE FO; 'WHAT IS THAT ACFT DOING THERE?' WE HELD OUR POS WHILE I VERIFIED TKOF CLRNC WITH TWR. TWR CONFIRMED THE TKOF AND FOLLOWING MY QUERY ABOUT THE ACFT; STATED 'HE WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 6L.' TWR GAVE DIRECTIONS TO THE OTHER PLT ABOUT CONTACTING THEM. WHEN I FIRST SAW THE ACFT IT APPEARED TO BE MOVING QUICKLY AWAY; A STRAIGHT WING ACFT. I THOUGHT OF A CITATION MOVING THAT QUICKLY; BUT THEN WHEN IT TURNED TOWARD THE N; IT TRACKED TO THE L RATHER SLOWLY. SUBSEQUENT TELECON WITH CLE SUPVR REVEALED IT WAS A MOONEY. GIVEN WHAT I SAW AND THE SIZE OF THE ACFT; MY PREVIOUS ESTIMATE OF 200 FT VERT MISS DISTANCE MAY BE OFF. COULD IT HAVE BEEN LESS? IT HAPPENED QUICKLY; MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE; BUT I DON'T THINK SO. SUPVR SAID THAT THE TWR DIDN'T SEE THE ACFT; IT WAS NOT USING LNDG LIGHTS. BY THE TIME 'THE HORNS WENT OFF' THE ACFT HAD STARTED ITS OWN GAR. HE APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCIDENT; VERY CORDIAL CONVERSATION. QUESTIONS: 1) WHAT COULD WE HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY? VISUAL PICK-UP -- WHEN I TOLD SUPVR THAT WE LOOKED ON FINAL BUT SAW NO ONE; HE SAID WE WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN HIM BECAUSE HE WAS BEHIND US. DON'T KNOW IF HE MEANT WHILE WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OR ON THE RWY. REGARDLESS; MAYBE I WAS LOOKING FOR LNDG LIGHTS VERSUS POS LIGHTS. HOLDING SHORT; SHOULD I HAVE LOOKED BACK AT 7 O'CLOCK POS VERSUS 9 O'CLOCK-ISH POS? 2) DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS A) STRAIGHT-IN; B) L BASE WITH AN OVERSHOOT OF RWY 6L; OR C) R BASE TO RWY 6L. BUT IF TWR TOLD HIM HE WAS X MI S OF COURSE (ACCORDING TO SUPVR PLT SAID HE THOUGHT HE WAS N OF COURSE; WAS DIALING THE LOC FREQ HEADS DOWN) THEY EITHER HAD A VISUAL AND THEN LOST IT; OR HAD A SKIN PAINT -- 'THE HORNS WENT OFF' -- WHY WERE WE CLRED FOR TKOF WITH AN ACFT SO CLOSE? I CAN ONLY ASSUME THEY WERE THINKING; 'HE'S CLRED TO RWY 6L;' IT WAS DARK AND NO VISUAL; WHO KNOWS. I CAN THINK OF ONE THING: AFTER MUCH THOUGHT; HE DIDN'T GO AROUND UNTIL HE SAW OUR EXTERIOR LIGHTS FLOOD THE RWY. WERE WE LATE ON THE LIGHTS?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.