Narrative:

After a normal taxi out from our gate at mdw; we were instructed to taxi into position and hold on runway 31C. The captain taxied the aircraft into position and when the aircraft was stopped; xferred control to me. As I was responding with the SOP; 'my aircraft; brakes off' call; the captain responded to a clearance from the tower; 'air carrier X cleared for immediate departure from runway 31C; turn left to 220 degrees.' the captain read 'that' clearance back verbatim. I released pressure on the pedals and applied toga power. Immediately after the 80 KT call; tower sharply stated; 'air carrier X stop; air carrier X stop.' the captain executed the maneuver; commanded me to keep them seated in the cabin. The aircraft came to a stop before the intersection of runway 31C/22L. Seconds later; a B737 went through the intersection at takeoff power. We were then instructed to taxi clear from ATC. Obviously there was a grave error. Perhaps we; air carrier X and the B737; may have answered at the same time not allowing tower to correct the situation or even to hear anyone answering the takeoff clearance (we may have blocked each other out). There was also another aircraft in view on short final to runway 22L (in view as we came to a stop). Tower may have been looking closely at the separation on runway 22L; sees the runway 22L departure traffic rolling; anticipation looks good; then checks downfield at the runway 22L departure end to check the runway will be clear for the arrival and he sees our jet rolling on runway 31C! This report writer is extremely thankful that ATC gave us that command to stop. I'm not sure why this happened. I am rested just coming off 2 days off at home. It was only the second leg of the day; and I am not sure why we may have taken someone else's clearance. I do know that I am flying and on duty more now than I have ever been in my life. What are the long-term effects of flying 90-95 per month -- who knows? Time will tell. What was once fatigue may someday become the norm. Being on the road 300-350 hours per month or more may be unsatisfactory in the long term. I am just racked that the event occurred. I am so thankful for the uneventful outcome. Supplemental information from acn 666723: arriving aircraft were doing ILS to runway 31C; circle-to-land runway 22L. We were in position and hold for a very short time on runway 31C and were given a clearance to turn to a 220 degree heading and cleared for an immediate takeoff. There was an aircraft 1 mi out landing runway 22L. I acknowledged the transmission verbatim. I xferred control of aircraft to my first officer. Throttles were advanced to the toga position. I made the 80KT call and a command from tower came over radio 2 'air carrier X stop...air carrier X stop.' I initiated an abort just over 80 KTS using reverse thrust and manual braking. I then saw a B737 out my right window taking off on runway 22L. We passed behind him at the intersection. As we slowed; I instructed my first officer to tell crew and passenger to remain seated. ATC told us to make next right and hold. After approximately 2 mins; we were instructed to taxi back to runway 31C. We did. Due to hot brakes; we had a 30 min delay. After brakes were cool enough; we departed on runway 31C. No comments relating to the abort ever came from ATC at any time. Supplemental information from acn 666728: as we were directed to take runway 22L for position and hold; tower advised us that we were to expect a takeoff clearance very shortly and was assigned a heading of 220 degrees. An aircraft was circling base to final for runway 22L. We were cleared for takeoff on runway 22L. A blocked transmission prevented us from immediately acknowledging the clearance (sounded like 2 pilots transmitting simultaneously). The first officer acknowledged the takeoff clearance as we continued the takeoff. Long after V1 and just before vr; tower transmitted; 'air carrier X abort; air carrier X abort.' I looked to my left and saw an aircraft with smoking tires slowing and most importantly tracking aft in my side window. We continued the takeoff since we would now clear the intersection of runway 22L/31C before it slid through. I called the mdw tower supervisor after arriving at our destination to see what happened. He said the tower controller never caught the other carrier's transmission acknowledging clearance for takeoff. Supplemental information from acn 666727: when tower cleared us for takeoff; they told us (air carrier Y) not to stop and to continue our roll for takeoff. Before I could answer; another aircraft came on the radios and acknowledged a clearance. We acknowledged our clearance immediately after their transmission as we were cleared for an immediate takeoff. As I called V1; I heard tower on the radio once again yelling; 'air carrier X stop; air carrier X stop.' the separation on the intersecting runways was approximately 1000-1500 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 DEP FROM RWY 31C AT MDW IS INSTRUCTED BY TWR CTLR TO STOP; STOP; ABORTS TKOF; AND THEN OBSERVED A B737 DEP FROM RWY 22L XING INTXN OF RWYS 31C AND 22L.

Narrative: AFTER A NORMAL TAXI OUT FROM OUR GATE AT MDW; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 31C. THE CAPT TAXIED THE ACFT INTO POS AND WHEN THE ACFT WAS STOPPED; XFERRED CTL TO ME. AS I WAS RESPONDING WITH THE SOP; 'MY ACFT; BRAKES OFF' CALL; THE CAPT RESPONDED TO A CLRNC FROM THE TWR; 'ACR X CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE DEP FROM RWY 31C; TURN L TO 220 DEGS.' THE CAPT READ 'THAT' CLRNC BACK VERBATIM. I RELEASED PRESSURE ON THE PEDALS AND APPLIED TOGA PWR. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE 80 KT CALL; TWR SHARPLY STATED; 'ACR X STOP; ACR X STOP.' THE CAPT EXECUTED THE MANEUVER; COMMANDED ME TO KEEP THEM SEATED IN THE CABIN. THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP BEFORE THE INTXN OF RWY 31C/22L. SECONDS LATER; A B737 WENT THROUGH THE INTXN AT TKOF PWR. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO TAXI CLR FROM ATC. OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A GRAVE ERROR. PERHAPS WE; ACR X AND THE B737; MAY HAVE ANSWERED AT THE SAME TIME NOT ALLOWING TWR TO CORRECT THE SIT OR EVEN TO HEAR ANYONE ANSWERING THE TKOF CLRNC (WE MAY HAVE BLOCKED EACH OTHER OUT). THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER ACFT IN VIEW ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 22L (IN VIEW AS WE CAME TO A STOP). TWR MAY HAVE BEEN LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE SEPARATION ON RWY 22L; SEES THE RWY 22L DEP TFC ROLLING; ANTICIPATION LOOKS GOOD; THEN CHKS DOWNFIELD AT THE RWY 22L DEP END TO CHK THE RWY WILL BE CLR FOR THE ARR AND HE SEES OUR JET ROLLING ON RWY 31C! THIS RPT WRITER IS EXTREMELY THANKFUL THAT ATC GAVE US THAT COMMAND TO STOP. I'M NOT SURE WHY THIS HAPPENED. I AM RESTED JUST COMING OFF 2 DAYS OFF AT HOME. IT WAS ONLY THE SECOND LEG OF THE DAY; AND I AM NOT SURE WHY WE MAY HAVE TAKEN SOMEONE ELSE'S CLRNC. I DO KNOW THAT I AM FLYING AND ON DUTY MORE NOW THAN I HAVE EVER BEEN IN MY LIFE. WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF FLYING 90-95 PER MONTH -- WHO KNOWS? TIME WILL TELL. WHAT WAS ONCE FATIGUE MAY SOMEDAY BECOME THE NORM. BEING ON THE ROAD 300-350 HRS PER MONTH OR MORE MAY BE UNSATISFACTORY IN THE LONG TERM. I AM JUST RACKED THAT THE EVENT OCCURRED. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THE UNEVENTFUL OUTCOME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 666723: ARRIVING ACFT WERE DOING ILS TO RWY 31C; CIRCLE-TO-LAND RWY 22L. WE WERE IN POS AND HOLD FOR A VERY SHORT TIME ON RWY 31C AND WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO TURN TO A 220 DEG HDG AND CLRED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. THERE WAS AN ACFT 1 MI OUT LNDG RWY 22L. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION VERBATIM. I XFERRED CTL OF ACFT TO MY FO. THROTTLES WERE ADVANCED TO THE TOGA POS. I MADE THE 80KT CALL AND A COMMAND FROM TWR CAME OVER RADIO 2 'ACR X STOP...ACR X STOP.' I INITIATED AN ABORT JUST OVER 80 KTS USING REVERSE THRUST AND MANUAL BRAKING. I THEN SAW A B737 OUT MY R WINDOW TAKING OFF ON RWY 22L. WE PASSED BEHIND HIM AT THE INTXN. AS WE SLOWED; I INSTRUCTED MY FO TO TELL CREW AND PAX TO REMAIN SEATED. ATC TOLD US TO MAKE NEXT R AND HOLD. AFTER APPROX 2 MINS; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI BACK TO RWY 31C. WE DID. DUE TO HOT BRAKES; WE HAD A 30 MIN DELAY. AFTER BRAKES WERE COOL ENOUGH; WE DEPARTED ON RWY 31C. NO COMMENTS RELATING TO THE ABORT EVER CAME FROM ATC AT ANY TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 666728: AS WE WERE DIRECTED TO TAKE RWY 22L FOR POS AND HOLD; TWR ADVISED US THAT WE WERE TO EXPECT A TKOF CLRNC VERY SHORTLY AND WAS ASSIGNED A HDG OF 220 DEGS. AN ACFT WAS CIRCLING BASE TO FINAL FOR RWY 22L. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 22L. A BLOCKED XMISSION PREVENTED US FROM IMMEDIATELY ACKNOWLEDGING THE CLRNC (SOUNDED LIKE 2 PLTS XMITTING SIMULTANEOUSLY). THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED THE TKOF CLRNC AS WE CONTINUED THE TKOF. LONG AFTER V1 AND JUST BEFORE VR; TWR XMITTED; 'ACR X ABORT; ACR X ABORT.' I LOOKED TO MY L AND SAW AN ACFT WITH SMOKING TIRES SLOWING AND MOST IMPORTANTLY TRACKING AFT IN MY SIDE WINDOW. WE CONTINUED THE TKOF SINCE WE WOULD NOW CLR THE INTXN OF RWY 22L/31C BEFORE IT SLID THROUGH. I CALLED THE MDW TWR SUPVR AFTER ARRIVING AT OUR DEST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID THE TWR CTLR NEVER CAUGHT THE OTHER CARRIER'S XMISSION ACKNOWLEDGING CLRNC FOR TKOF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 666727: WHEN TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF; THEY TOLD US (ACR Y) NOT TO STOP AND TO CONTINUE OUR ROLL FOR TKOF. BEFORE I COULD ANSWER; ANOTHER ACFT CAME ON THE RADIOS AND ACKNOWLEDGED A CLRNC. WE ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CLRNC IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEIR XMISSION AS WE WERE CLRED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TAKEOFF. AS I CALLED V1; I HEARD TWR ON THE RADIO ONCE AGAIN YELLING; 'ACR X STOP; ACR X STOP.' THE SEPARATION ON THE INTERSECTING RWYS WAS APPROX 1000-1500 FT.

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.