Narrative:

Shortly after we initiated our takeoff roll on runway 8L in hnl; the tower cleared an aircraft across our runway. There were aircraft landing on runway 4R (an intersecting runway); and also an aircraft holding short of our runway midfield (taxiway G) waiting to cross. There was a moment of confusion between the captain and I whether the controller said '8L;' and certainly a big concern with where the aircraft was crossing. The aircraft read back the controller's instructions and we concluded it was an aircraft behind us crossing runway 8L at taxiway rb; taxiing to runway 8R. It all happened in a matter of moments and we were familiar enough with the airport to know that taxiway rb was behind us. We continued the takeoff uneventfully. I would like to know if clearing an aircraft across a runway behind a departing aircraft is an accepted procedure. I can't see how it could be. What if we hadn't been familiar enough with the airport layout to know that the taxiway the aircraft was using to cross the runway we are rolling down was behind us? The captain had every right and would have been justified to reject the takeoff. A rejected takeoff has its own set of problems that would have had to be dealt with. What about the momentary confusion during a critical phase of flight and the fact that we were distraction from our job of managing the aircraft on the takeoff roll?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT QUESTIONED ATC'S CROSSING PROC BEHIND ACFT ON TKOF ROLL AT HCF; CITING POSSIBLE ABORTS IF FLT CREW IS UNSURE OF CROSSING LOCATION.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER WE INITIATED OUR TKOF ROLL ON RWY 8L IN HNL; THE TWR CLRED AN ACFT ACROSS OUR RWY. THERE WERE ACFT LNDG ON RWY 4R (AN INTERSECTING RWY); AND ALSO AN ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF OUR RWY MIDFIELD (TXWY G) WAITING TO CROSS. THERE WAS A MOMENT OF CONFUSION BTWN THE CAPT AND I WHETHER THE CTLR SAID '8L;' AND CERTAINLY A BIG CONCERN WITH WHERE THE ACFT WAS XING. THE ACFT READ BACK THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS AND WE CONCLUDED IT WAS AN ACFT BEHIND US XING RWY 8L AT TXWY RB; TAXIING TO RWY 8R. IT ALL HAPPENED IN A MATTER OF MOMENTS AND WE WERE FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH THE ARPT TO KNOW THAT TXWY RB WAS BEHIND US. WE CONTINUED THE TKOF UNEVENTFULLY. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF CLRING AN ACFT ACROSS A RWY BEHIND A DEPARTING ACFT IS AN ACCEPTED PROC. I CAN'T SEE HOW IT COULD BE. WHAT IF WE HADN'T BEEN FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH THE ARPT LAYOUT TO KNOW THAT THE TXWY THE ACFT WAS USING TO CROSS THE RWY WE ARE ROLLING DOWN WAS BEHIND US? THE CAPT HAD EVERY RIGHT AND WOULD HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED TO REJECT THE TKOF. A REJECTED TKOF HAS ITS OWN SET OF PROBS THAT WOULD HAVE HAD TO BE DEALT WITH. WHAT ABOUT THE MOMENTARY CONFUSION DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE DISTR FROM OUR JOB OF MANAGING THE ACFT ON THE TKOF ROLL?

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.