Narrative:

Landed runway 36L...low visibility approach. Cleared onto taxiway east and asked to hold short runway 36R on taxiway Y. While holding short runway 36R with brakes parked; I heard a flight attendant PA asking passenger to remain seated. I make a quick PA reminding everyone to remain seated. After putting handset down in cradle; we were cleared to cross runway 36R and to contact ground. First officer read back clearance and gave hand signal to cross. The rwsl light flickered and we crossed with confidence of the clearance and no obvious traffic. At mid crossing point we realized the lights that we thought were an aircraft holding in position was actually an aircraft on takeoff roll runway 36R. We cleared the runway well before the aircraft flew overhead and tower called and then said to disregard. We taxied to gate and called west tower and gave my contact number to tower. Callback conversation with reporter acn 713626 revealed the following information: reporter stated that a phone call to the tower after parking revealed that the tower controller made a mistake. The chain of events that led up to that mistake were aircraft Y on runway 36R did not commence its takeoff roll until 50 seconds after it was cleared to do so. The controller did not confirm the departure with electronic means and cleared aircraft X to cross runway 36R the runway status light system was apparently confused by the long hold in position and initially allowed aircraft X to cross; then turned red as aircraft Y started to move.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAS RWY INCURSION AT DFW RWY 36R AFTER LANDING RWY 36L.

Narrative: LANDED RWY 36L...LOW VIS APCH. CLEARED ONTO TXWY E AND ASKED TO HOLD SHORT RWY 36R ON TXWY Y. WHILE HOLDING SHORT RWY 36R WITH BRAKES PARKED; I HEARD A FLT ATTENDANT PA ASKING PAX TO REMAIN SEATED. I MAKE A QUICK PA REMINDING EVERYONE TO REMAIN SEATED. AFTER PUTTING HANDSET DOWN IN CRADLE; WE WERE CLEARED TO CROSS RWY 36R AND TO CONTACT GND. FO READ BACK CLRNC AND GAVE HAND SIGNAL TO CROSS. THE RWSL LIGHT FLICKERED AND WE CROSSED WITH CONFIDENCE OF THE CLRNC AND NO OBVIOUS TFC. AT MID CROSSING POINT WE REALIZED THE LIGHTS THAT WE THOUGHT WERE AN ACFT HOLDING IN POSITION WAS ACTUALLY AN ACFT ON TKOF ROLL RWY 36R. WE CLEARED THE RWY WELL BEFORE THE ACFT FLEW OVERHEAD AND TWR CALLED AND THEN SAID TO DISREGARD. WE TAXIED TO GATE AND CALLED WEST TOWER AND GAVE MY CONTACT NUMBER TO TOWER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 713626 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT A PHONE CALL TO THE TOWER AFTER PARKING REVEALED THAT THE TOWER CTLR MADE A MISTAKE. THE CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THAT MISTAKE WERE ACFT Y ON RWY 36R DID NOT COMMENCE ITS TKOF ROLL UNTIL 50 SECONDS AFTER IT WAS CLEARED TO DO SO. THE CTLR DID NOT CONFIRM THE DEP WITH ELECTRONIC MEANS AND CLEARED ACFT X TO CROSS RWY 36R THE RWY STATUS LIGHT SYSTEM WAS APPARENTLY CONFUSED BY THE LONG HOLD IN POSITION AND INITIALLY ALLOWED ACFT X TO CROSS; THEN TURNED RED AS ACFT Y STARTED TO MOVE.

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.