One aircraft cleared for takeoff while another had been cleared to cross the active runway. Abort.

Attributes
ACN	290248
Time
Date	199411
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Saab-Scania Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	290248
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error

Narrative:

Tower cleared us for takeoff on runway 17R. Power checked, autothrottle on, aircraft turned over to first officer. Completed takeoff checks, looked up from instrument panel, at approximately 50 KTS noted another aircraft crossing our runway downfield. Aborted takeoff and advised tower. They had no knowledge of other aircraft. Response was 'what other aircraft.' cleared runway at next taxi and returned for another takeoff. During taxi back listened on ground frequency. Ground had cleared another aircraft to taxi to runway 13R unrestr, and tower had cleared us for takeoff. Gross error on controller's part. Would recommend left hand check with right hand. Also, crossing saab should have seen the conflict. We had all lights turned on and rolling before they started to cross. It has been a practice of mine to always check (even if I have been cleared) my position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ONE ACFT CLRED FOR TKOF WHILE ANOTHER HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY. ABORT.

Narrative: TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 17R. PWR CHKED, AUTOTHROTTLE ON, ACFT TURNED OVER TO FO. COMPLETED TKOF CHKS, LOOKED UP FROM INST PANEL, AT APPROX 50 KTS NOTED ANOTHER ACFT XING OUR RWY DOWNFIELD. ABORTED TKOF AND ADVISED TWR. THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF OTHER ACFT. RESPONSE WAS 'WHAT OTHER ACFT.' CLRED RWY AT NEXT TAXI AND RETURNED FOR ANOTHER TKOF. DURING TAXI BACK LISTENED ON GND FREQ. GND HAD CLRED ANOTHER ACFT TO TAXI TO RWY 13R UNRESTR, AND TWR HAD CLRED US FOR TKOF. GROSS ERROR ON CTLR'S PART. WOULD RECOMMEND L HAND CHK WITH R HAND. ALSO, XING SAAB SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE CONFLICT. WE HAD ALL LIGHTS TURNED ON AND ROLLING BEFORE THEY STARTED TO CROSS. IT HAS BEEN A PRACTICE OF MINE TO ALWAYS CHK (EVEN IF I HAVE BEEN CLRED) MY POS.

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.