Narrative:

After landing on runway 22R at dtw we were instructed to taxi via victor and hold short of runway 22L on victor. As we approached the hold short line on victor we were instructed to cross runway 22L and contact ground clearing runway 22L. After crossing the hold short line I noticed some lights to my left moving to the right. Being at night, I was not sure if these lights were an aircraft, an aircraft on the runway or parallel taxiway or just an aircraft taxing on the runway. Simultaneously as I realized this was an aircraft on the takeoff roll, the tower controller instructed us to 'stop! Stop! Stop!' I used full brake pressure to stop the aircraft and estimate that the departing aircraft's right wingtip was less than 75 ft from our aircraft. The controller apologized profusely and reclred us across runway 22L. I believe that night visual illusions contributed to my initial delay in using full brakes, as well as routinely crossing runways with aircraft in 'position and holding' or taxing on it where a simple 'clear left' or 'clear right' could not be accomplished. Also I believe that the departing aircraft was utilizing a different tower frequency, so neither aircraft could hear the other's clearance, which may have alerted me sooner to the near-miss. Supplemental information from acn 537463: another factor, was that my full attention was not outside the aircraft. When I did look to the left my eyes were focused on the aircraft on final and due to all the lights on the ground I did not even see the aircraft on takeoff roll. I also don't understand why neither of us heard the tower issue a takeoff clearance to the B727. I also believe the controller was preoccupied with giving us the proper ground frequency therefore, forgot about the aircraft that was cleared to takeoff on the runway we were cleared to taxi across. If the controller's transmission would have been 'blocked' I am sure my captain would not have stopped in time to avoid a catastrophe. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated after crossing the runway, the controller apologized profusely before changing the crew to ground control. He said it was not busy at the time and there were no aircraft taxiing ahead of his flight. The reporter agreed that the departing aircraft was already moving when they received a clearance to cross the runway. He said he quickly realized the moving light he saw was the departing aircraft. He had mentioned the incident to another pilot who later told him on flying into dtw and taxiing in on V taxiway, that there were black skid marks too near the runway 22L edge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING IN, AN AVRO 146 CREW WAS INSTRUCTED TO CROSS RWY 22L, BUT THEN INSTRUCTED TO STOP BECAUSE OF DEPARTING TFC.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 22R AT DTW WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI VIA VICTOR AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 22L ON VICTOR. AS WE APCHED THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON VICTOR WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CROSS RWY 22L AND CONTACT GND CLRING RWY 22L. AFTER XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE I NOTICED SOME LIGHTS TO MY LEFT MOVING TO THE R. BEING AT NIGHT, I WAS NOT SURE IF THESE LIGHTS WERE AN ACFT, AN ACFT ON THE RWY OR PARALLEL TXWY OR JUST AN ACFT TAXING ON THE RWY. SIMULTANEOUSLY AS I REALIZED THIS WAS AN ACFT ON THE TKOF ROLL, THE TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO 'STOP! STOP! STOP!' I USED FULL BRAKE PRESSURE TO STOP THE ACFT AND ESTIMATE THAT THE DEPARTING ACFT'S RIGHT WINGTIP WAS LESS THAN 75 FT FROM OUR ACFT. THE CTLR APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY AND RECLRED US ACROSS RWY 22L. I BELIEVE THAT NIGHT VISUAL ILLUSIONS CONTRIBUTED TO MY INITIAL DELAY IN USING FULL BRAKES, AS WELL AS ROUTINELY XING RWYS WITH ACFT IN 'POSITION AND HOLDING' OR TAXING ON IT WHERE A SIMPLE 'CLR LEFT' OR 'CLR RIGHT' COULD NOT BE ACCOMPLISHED. ALSO I BELIEVE THAT THE DEPARTING ACFT WAS UTILIZING A DIFFERENT TWR FREQ, SO NEITHER ACFT COULD HEAR THE OTHER'S CLRNC, WHICH MAY HAVE ALERTED ME SOONER TO THE NEAR-MISS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 537463: ANOTHER FACTOR, WAS THAT MY FULL ATTENTION WAS NOT OUTSIDE THE ACFT. WHEN I DID LOOK TO THE LEFT MY EYES WERE FOCUSED ON THE ACFT ON FINAL AND DUE TO ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE GND I DID NOT EVEN SEE THE ACFT ON TKOF ROLL. I ALSO DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY NEITHER OF US HEARD THE TWR ISSUE A TKOF CLRNC TO THE B727. I ALSO BELIEVE THE CTLR WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH GIVING US THE PROPER GND FREQ THEREFORE, FORGOT ABOUT THE ACFT THAT WAS CLRED TO TKOF ON THE RWY WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI ACROSS. IF THE CTLR'S XMISSION WOULD HAVE BEEN 'BLOCKED' I AM SURE MY CAPT WOULD NOT HAVE STOPPED IN TIME TO AVOID A CATASTROPHE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED AFTER XING THE RWY, THE CTLR APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY BEFORE CHANGING THE CREW TO GND CTL. HE SAID IT WAS NOT BUSY AT THE TIME AND THERE WERE NO ACFT TAXIING AHEAD OF HIS FLT. THE RPTR AGREED THAT THE DEPARTING ACFT WAS ALREADY MOVING WHEN THEY RECEIVED A CLRNC TO CROSS THE RWY. HE SAID HE QUICKLY REALIZED THE MOVING LIGHT HE SAW WAS THE DEPARTING ACFT. HE HAD MENTIONED THE INCIDENT TO ANOTHER PLT WHO LATER TOLD HIM ON FLYING INTO DTW AND TAXIING IN ON V TXWY, THAT THERE WERE BLACK SKID MARKS TOO NEAR THE RWY 22L EDGE.

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.