Narrative:

It was the first officer's landing and he landed a little long, which resulted in our exiting runway 25L a little farther down the runway than normal. I was concerned about clearing the runway for the aircraft behind us on final, so I kept the speed up while clearing. After we exited the runway the first officer asked me a question about the ground controller frequency, and I looked down at the airport diagram which was on the yoke in front of me. When I looked up, I saw the runway markings for the approach end of runway 7L in front of me. I then looked right and observed a widebody transport approaching our intersection on his takeoff run O runway 25R. I slammed on the brakes and we came to a stop about 20' short of the runway. 2 F/a's were out of their seats, but fortunately no one was injured, although I did have a plane load of concerned passenger. My airline has been emphasizing 'situational awareness' lately, but although I was familiar with lax and well aware of runway 24L, I momentarily lost track of where I was while I dealt with the question about ground control frequency. This brief lapse could have been fatal, and it underlined the importance of knowing where you are at all times, and above all, control the aircraft first and worry about the incidental once that is accomplished.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT TAXIING LGT HIT BRAKES HARD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY WHEN A WDB WAS OBSERVED TAKING OFF ON THE RWY.

Narrative: IT WAS THE F/O'S LNDG AND HE LANDED A LITTLE LONG, WHICH RESULTED IN OUR EXITING RWY 25L A LITTLE FARTHER DOWN THE RWY THAN NORMAL. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT CLRING THE RWY FOR THE ACFT BEHIND US ON FINAL, SO I KEPT THE SPD UP WHILE CLRING. AFTER WE EXITED THE RWY THE F/O ASKED ME A QUESTION ABOUT THE GND CTLR FREQ, AND I LOOKED DOWN AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM WHICH WAS ON THE YOKE IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN I LOOKED UP, I SAW THE RWY MARKINGS FOR THE APCH END OF RWY 7L IN FRONT OF ME. I THEN LOOKED RIGHT AND OBSERVED A WDB APCHING OUR INTXN ON HIS TKOF RUN O RWY 25R. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND WE CAME TO A STOP ABOUT 20' SHORT OF THE RWY. 2 F/A'S WERE OUT OF THEIR SEATS, BUT FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED, ALTHOUGH I DID HAVE A PLANE LOAD OF CONCERNED PAX. MY AIRLINE HAS BEEN EMPHASIZING 'SITUATIONAL AWARENESS' LATELY, BUT ALTHOUGH I WAS FAMILIAR WITH LAX AND WELL AWARE OF RWY 24L, I MOMENTARILY LOST TRACK OF WHERE I WAS WHILE I DEALT WITH THE QUESTION ABOUT GND CTL FREQ. THIS BRIEF LAPSE COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL, AND IT UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING WHERE YOU ARE AT ALL TIMES, AND ABOVE ALL, CTL THE ACFT FIRST AND WORRY ABOUT THE INCIDENTAL ONCE THAT IS ACCOMPLISHED.

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.