Narrative:

After first officer landed at sfo runway 28R, tower instructions were to turn left off runway 28R at taxiway east and hold short of runway 28L. Captain, as PNF, read back the clearance to turn left at taxiway east and hold short of runway 28L. First officer and captain exchanged control of the aircraft while on runway 28R after slowing and captain brought aircraft to stop on taxiway east. There were 2 takeoffs on runway 28L while aircraft held short of runway 28L. After second takeoff, tower cleared our aircraft to 'cross runway 28L and contact ground control on 121.8.' first officer read back crossing clearance, and captain applied power and crossed runway 28L. Halfway across runway 28L tower told aircraft holding in position for takeoff on runway 28L to cancel takeoff clearance. At that time, captain noticed aircraft in holding position had takeoff lights on, but neither he nor first officer ever heard a takeoff clearance for aircraft in position. Upon arrival at gate, captain called tower supervisor to reemphasize that he had been cleared to cross runway 28L, and the clearance had been read back. Tower supervisor indicated that he thought that was the case and that he would listen to the tapes to verify. Captain indicated that had he heard a takeoff clearance for the aircraft in position, he never would have accepted the clearance to cross runway 28L. Tower supervisor concurred. Supplemental information from acn 466862: we were cleared for takeoff runway 28L. After completing the takeoff checklist, setting takeoff power, checking headings and xchking instruments, I saw the airspeed come alive and began to shift my scan outside and down the runway. At that moment I saw an air transport aircraft crossing our runway. As I began an abort, we heard the tower say abort. Successful abort at approximately 60-80 KTS. Exited runway, consulted red book for abort procedure and brake limits. Everything well within limits so we got in line and departed approximately 10 mins later. Remainder uneventful. Upon talking with sfo tower chief later, he told us the controller was a trainee and had in fact cleared us for takeoff and had cleared the other aircraft to cross our runway. This information came off the tower tapes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 CREWS RPTED THAT 1 ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 28L AT SFO SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE OTHER ACFT'S BEING CLRED TO CROSS RWY 28L.

Narrative: AFTER FO LANDED AT SFO RWY 28R, TWR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TURN L OFF RWY 28R AT TXWY E AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28L. CAPT, AS PNF, READ BACK THE CLRNC TO TURN L AT TXWY E AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28L. FO AND CAPT EXCHANGED CTL OF THE ACFT WHILE ON RWY 28R AFTER SLOWING AND CAPT BROUGHT ACFT TO STOP ON TXWY E. THERE WERE 2 TKOFS ON RWY 28L WHILE ACFT HELD SHORT OF RWY 28L. AFTER SECOND TKOF, TWR CLRED OUR ACFT TO 'CROSS RWY 28L AND CONTACT GND CTL ON 121.8.' FO READ BACK XING CLRNC, AND CAPT APPLIED PWR AND CROSSED RWY 28L. HALFWAY ACROSS RWY 28L TWR TOLD ACFT HOLDING IN POS FOR TKOF ON RWY 28L TO CANCEL TKOF CLRNC. AT THAT TIME, CAPT NOTICED ACFT IN HOLDING POS HAD TKOF LIGHTS ON, BUT NEITHER HE NOR FO EVER HEARD A TKOF CLRNC FOR ACFT IN POS. UPON ARR AT GATE, CAPT CALLED TWR SUPVR TO REEMPHASIZE THAT HE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 28L, AND THE CLRNC HAD BEEN READ BACK. TWR SUPVR INDICATED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT WAS THE CASE AND THAT HE WOULD LISTEN TO THE TAPES TO VERIFY. CAPT INDICATED THAT HAD HE HEARD A TKOF CLRNC FOR THE ACFT IN POS, HE NEVER WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED THE CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 28L. TWR SUPVR CONCURRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 466862: WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 28L. AFTER COMPLETING THE TKOF CHKLIST, SETTING TKOF PWR, CHKING HEADINGS AND XCHKING INSTS, I SAW THE AIRSPD COME ALIVE AND BEGAN TO SHIFT MY SCAN OUTSIDE AND DOWN THE RWY. AT THAT MOMENT I SAW AN AIR TRANSPORT ACFT XING OUR RWY. AS I BEGAN AN ABORT, WE HEARD THE TWR SAY ABORT. SUCCESSFUL ABORT AT APPROX 60-80 KTS. EXITED RWY, CONSULTED RED BOOK FOR ABORT PROC AND BRAKE LIMITS. EVERYTHING WELL WITHIN LIMITS SO WE GOT IN LINE AND DEPARTED APPROX 10 MINS LATER. REMAINDER UNEVENTFUL. UPON TALKING WITH SFO TWR CHIEF LATER, HE TOLD US THE CTLR WAS A TRAINEE AND HAD IN FACT CLRED US FOR TKOF AND HAD CLRED THE OTHER ACFT TO CROSS OUR RWY. THIS INFO CAME OFF THE TWR TAPES.

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.