Narrative:

Arc X called orf ground control for taxi. Ground said: 'taxi to runway 5' and we acknowledged. Approaching intersecting runway I looked left, stated 'clear left,' first officer looked right and stated 'clear right.' I looked back to the left once more and saw a piper saratoga about 200 ft away just rotating for takeoff! I immediately applied brakes and stopped about 15 ft from the runway edge while myself and first officer watched the saratoga pass from left to right, reaching a ht of about 10 ft when directly in front of us. Ground control said nothing until I restated our taxi clearance followed by the fact we were holding short of runway 32 due to traffic taking off in front of us. Ground replied 'hold your position,' followed a min later with further taxi clearance and an apology. Moral: be vigilant! Expect other traffic to be there until you really look and make sure otherwise. Don't get complacent because some traffic can be hard to see -- look twice! (That's what saved us!) also when taking off, turn on all lights possible, our conflict traffic didn't have a landing light on and might've helped. Remember that ATC is human too and may make a mistake once in a while!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X RWY INCURSION HAD NMAC LTSS FROM PA32 ON TKOF. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: ARC X CALLED ORF GND CTL FOR TAXI. GND SAID: 'TAXI TO RWY 5' AND WE ACKNOWLEDGED. APCHING INTERSECTING RWY I LOOKED L, STATED 'CLR L,' FO LOOKED R AND STATED 'CLR R.' I LOOKED BACK TO THE L ONCE MORE AND SAW A PIPER SARATOGA ABOUT 200 FT AWAY JUST ROTATING FOR TKOF! I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED BRAKES AND STOPPED ABOUT 15 FT FROM THE RWY EDGE WHILE MYSELF AND FO WATCHED THE SARATOGA PASS FROM L TO R, REACHING A HT OF ABOUT 10 FT WHEN DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. GND CTL SAID NOTHING UNTIL I RESTATED OUR TAXI CLRNC FOLLOWED BY THE FACT WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 32 DUE TO TFC TAKING OFF IN FRONT OF US. GND REPLIED 'HOLD YOUR POS,' FOLLOWED A MIN LATER WITH FURTHER TAXI CLRNC AND AN APOLOGY. MORAL: BE VIGILANT! EXPECT OTHER TFC TO BE THERE UNTIL YOU REALLY LOOK AND MAKE SURE OTHERWISE. DON'T GET COMPLACENT BECAUSE SOME TFC CAN BE HARD TO SEE -- LOOK TWICE! (THAT'S WHAT SAVED US!) ALSO WHEN TAKING OFF, TURN ON ALL LIGHTS POSSIBLE, OUR CONFLICT TFC DIDN'T HAVE A LNDG LIGHT ON AND MIGHT'VE HELPED. REMEMBER THAT ATC IS HUMAN TOO AND MAY MAKE A MISTAKE ONCE IN A WHILE!

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.