Narrative:

Preparing to taxi out to the active runway, I was its first officer. Usually I operate the radio to get taxi clearance, but at this time the captain decided to get the radio and taxi clearance. I just finished the pre-taxi checklist. The captain got the taxi clearance and asked me to start on the pre-takeoff checklist. As soon as we started to move in a busy ramp area, I did not think it was a good idea to start the checklist at that time, but did it anyway (while he was getting taxi clearance). I was distracted by something and did not hear or understand the clearance. Captain also did not tell me what runway he was heading to. While taxiing I was doing the checklist (pre-takeoff). It was a challenge and response checklist where he took his attention from outside to inside during the checklist usage. I glanced out the windscreen for a second and noticed we were approaching a runway on an angle (converging on it). I did not question the captain because I am new and I figured he knew what he was doing since he is a check airman. We were taxiing at about 20 mph and about 30' from the runway when we heard the ground controller shout 'stop, stop, stop.' at that second I saw a company aircraft rotate the takeoff right in front of us. We were able to stop just short of the runway, but if we had continued to taxi for another second we all would have been dead. (Note: their runway borders right on the ramp.) I asked the captain 'what is going on, what has happened?' he said they told him to taxi to 4R and that is where he was going. The ground controller said he told him to taxi to 31R. I think the captain was not a team player. I should have gotten the clearance and wrote it down, like I usually do. He did not take the time to give me a change to operate the radio. He may have thought just because I am new with him I would just get in the way, and he might as well do everything himself. He should have wrote the clearance down and been more vigilant around runways. He should have had me do the checklist after we clear the ramp area. Supplemental information from acn 135954: we had been cleared to taxi runway 4R. Wind from 360 degrees. Airport was just beginning to use 31R and left. As we crossed the hold line for 31R, I saw an aircraft on takeoff roll runway 31R. I stopped immediately. At the same time tower was calling for us to stop. A new first officer was not used to the flow in the cockpit and I was trying to help him. I will not insist that the taxi clearance and any hold short requirements to be noted on the edge of the manifest at all times. The manifest is clearly visible to both pilots, and since it is used for the pretkof data check, this seem a logical way to reinforce a taxi clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACR TAXIING FOR TKOF AT MDW ALMOST CROSSED RWY IN FRONT OF ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT ON TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: PREPARING TO TAXI OUT TO THE ACTIVE RWY, I WAS ITS F/O. USUALLY I OPERATE THE RADIO TO GET TAXI CLRNC, BUT AT THIS TIME THE CAPT DECIDED TO GET THE RADIO AND TAXI CLRNC. I JUST FINISHED THE PRE-TAXI CHKLIST. THE CAPT GOT THE TAXI CLRNC AND ASKED ME TO START ON THE PRE-TKOF CHKLIST. AS SOON AS WE STARTED TO MOVE IN A BUSY RAMP AREA, I DID NOT THINK IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO START THE CHKLIST AT THAT TIME, BUT DID IT ANYWAY (WHILE HE WAS GETTING TAXI CLRNC). I WAS DISTRACTED BY SOMETHING AND DID NOT HEAR OR UNDERSTAND THE CLRNC. CAPT ALSO DID NOT TELL ME WHAT RWY HE WAS HDG TO. WHILE TAXIING I WAS DOING THE CHKLIST (PRE-TKOF). IT WAS A CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE CHKLIST WHERE HE TOOK HIS ATTN FROM OUTSIDE TO INSIDE DURING THE CHKLIST USAGE. I GLANCED OUT THE WINDSCREEN FOR A SECOND AND NOTICED WE WERE APCHING A RWY ON AN ANGLE (CONVERGING ON IT). I DID NOT QUESTION THE CAPT BECAUSE I AM NEW AND I FIGURED HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING SINCE HE IS A CHK AIRMAN. WE WERE TAXIING AT ABOUT 20 MPH AND ABOUT 30' FROM THE RWY WHEN WE HEARD THE GND CTLR SHOUT 'STOP, STOP, STOP.' AT THAT SECOND I SAW A COMPANY ACFT ROTATE THE TKOF RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. WE WERE ABLE TO STOP JUST SHORT OF THE RWY, BUT IF WE HAD CONTINUED TO TAXI FOR ANOTHER SEC WE ALL WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD. (NOTE: THEIR RWY BORDERS RIGHT ON THE RAMP.) I ASKED THE CAPT 'WHAT IS GOING ON, WHAT HAS HAPPENED?' HE SAID THEY TOLD HIM TO TAXI TO 4R AND THAT IS WHERE HE WAS GOING. THE GND CTLR SAID HE TOLD HIM TO TAXI TO 31R. I THINK THE CAPT WAS NOT A TEAM PLAYER. I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE CLRNC AND WROTE IT DOWN, LIKE I USUALLY DO. HE DID NOT TAKE THE TIME TO GIVE ME A CHANGE TO OPERATE THE RADIO. HE MAY HAVE THOUGHT JUST BECAUSE I AM NEW WITH HIM I WOULD JUST GET IN THE WAY, AND HE MIGHT AS WELL DO EVERYTHING HIMSELF. HE SHOULD HAVE WROTE THE CLRNC DOWN AND BEEN MORE VIGILANT AROUND RWYS. HE SHOULD HAVE HAD ME DO THE CHKLIST AFTER WE CLR THE RAMP AREA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 135954: WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO TAXI RWY 4R. WIND FROM 360 DEGS. ARPT WAS JUST BEGINNING TO USE 31R AND L. AS WE CROSSED THE HOLD LINE FOR 31R, I SAW AN ACFT ON TKOF ROLL RWY 31R. I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. AT THE SAME TIME TWR WAS CALLING FOR US TO STOP. A NEW F/O WAS NOT USED TO THE FLOW IN THE COCKPIT AND I WAS TRYING TO HELP HIM. I WILL NOT INSIST THAT THE TAXI CLRNC AND ANY HOLD SHORT REQUIREMENTS TO BE NOTED ON THE EDGE OF THE MANIFEST AT ALL TIMES. THE MANIFEST IS CLEARLY VISIBLE TO BOTH PLTS, AND SINCE IT IS USED FOR THE PRETKOF DATA CHK, THIS SEEM A LOGICAL WAY TO REINFORCE A TAXI CLRNC.

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.