Narrative:

Ord was departing runway 9L, with lndgs on runway 22R to hold short of runway 9L. We were cleared for takeoff on runway 9L and advised air carrier Y flight xx was landing runway 22R to hold short of our runway. We could see air carrier Y touch down and decelerate as we began takeoff roll. Heard ord tower instruct air carrier Y to turn left on taxiway C and hold short of runway 9L. Air carrier Y acknowledged, but did not read back hold short per local procedure advertised on ATIS. As we accelerated for takeoff on runway 9L, we could see air carrier Y clear runway 22R on taxiway C at a high rate of speed, creating question in our minds as to if they were going to hold short of our runway. I was just considering aborting when tower said enthusiastically to air carrier Y XXX to stop! I saw their aircraft abruptly stop (lurch) short of the runway 9L hold short line, and we continued takeoff without incident. Tower queried air carrier Y, 'you were going to stop, right?' to which they replied 'yes, of course.' no incident or accident or violation occurred, thanks to the quick thinking of the ord tower controller. If the air carrier Y B737 had gone ahead with the runway incursion, even if we had initiated an abort, it is doubtful that a collision would have been avoidable. So, while nothing actually happened, it was not too far from being catastrophic. I thought company and ord tower should know about this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW, ON TKOF ROLL ON RWY 9L AND A LNDG B737 ON RWY 22R ALMOST COLLIDED WHEN THE LNDG B737 ONLY HELD SHORT AT THE LAST SECOND.

Narrative: ORD WAS DEPARTING RWY 9L, WITH LNDGS ON RWY 22R TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9L. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 9L AND ADVISED ACR Y FLT XX WAS LNDG RWY 22R TO HOLD SHORT OF OUR RWY. WE COULD SEE ACR Y TOUCH DOWN AND DECELERATE AS WE BEGAN TKOF ROLL. HEARD ORD TWR INSTRUCT ACR Y TO TURN L ON TXWY C AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9L. ACR Y ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT DID NOT READ BACK HOLD SHORT PER LCL PROC ADVERTISED ON ATIS. AS WE ACCELERATED FOR TKOF ON RWY 9L, WE COULD SEE ACR Y CLR RWY 22R ON TXWY C AT A HIGH RATE OF SPD, CREATING QUESTION IN OUR MINDS AS TO IF THEY WERE GOING TO HOLD SHORT OF OUR RWY. I WAS JUST CONSIDERING ABORTING WHEN TWR SAID ENTHUSIASTICALLY TO ACR Y XXX TO STOP! I SAW THEIR ACFT ABRUPTLY STOP (LURCH) SHORT OF THE RWY 9L HOLD SHORT LINE, AND WE CONTINUED TKOF WITHOUT INCIDENT. TWR QUERIED ACR Y, 'YOU WERE GOING TO STOP, RIGHT?' TO WHICH THEY REPLIED 'YES, OF COURSE.' NO INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT OR VIOLATION OCCURRED, THANKS TO THE QUICK THINKING OF THE ORD TWR CTLR. IF THE ACR Y B737 HAD GONE AHEAD WITH THE RWY INCURSION, EVEN IF WE HAD INITIATED AN ABORT, IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT A COLLISION WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDABLE. SO, WHILE NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENED, IT WAS NOT TOO FAR FROM BEING CATASTROPHIC. I THOUGHT COMPANY AND ORD TWR SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS.

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.