Narrative:

While taxiing out for takeoff at stl, we were holding short of runway 30L at taxiway right. We were told to switch to clearance delivery for a rerte to ord. The first officer was on the clearance frequency while I monitored ground control. Ground asked us, by flight number, if we were up and I rogered that we were. He then told us to cross runway 30L and that another air carrier's metroliner would be holding in position. Since we were doing a #1 engine taxi, because of a wheels-up time, we were slow to move forward. Just as the aircraft started to move forward, I saw the metroliner, in position, accelerate for takeoff. I stopped the aircraft just over the hold short line but clear of the runway. As I stopped, ground called us to hold short and I observed the metroliner rapidly come to a stop. I asked what was going on and they replied 'we are sorting it out.' after 2 mins or so, the metroliner was cleared for takeoff and we continued our taxi across runway 30L. Though the first officer was off frequency, that was not a factor in this incident. But still, it would have been much better to have 2 sets of eyeballs outside instead of 1. My comment on ATC procedures is, since we had almost a 25 min delay/wheels-up time, why would they have us switch to get a new clearance, holding short of an active runway vice waiting until we were across and on a parallel taxiway between the 2 runways? Our flight then departed about 25 mins after the incident with no further problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD-80S CAPT RPTED THAT HE WAS CLRED TO CROSS THE RWY AT STL AND WAS ASSURED A METROLINER IN POS WOULD HOLD. AS HE CROSSED, THE METROLINER INITIATED THE TKOF ROLL, BUT THEN REJECTED UPON SEEING THE MD-80S.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF AT STL, WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 30L AT TXWY R. WE WERE TOLD TO SWITCH TO CLRNC DELIVERY FOR A RERTE TO ORD. THE FO WAS ON THE CLRNC FREQ WHILE I MONITORED GND CTL. GND ASKED US, BY FLT NUMBER, IF WE WERE UP AND I ROGERED THAT WE WERE. HE THEN TOLD US TO CROSS RWY 30L AND THAT ANOTHER ACR'S METROLINER WOULD BE HOLDING IN POS. SINCE WE WERE DOING A #1 ENG TAXI, BECAUSE OF A WHEELS-UP TIME, WE WERE SLOW TO MOVE FORWARD. JUST AS THE ACFT STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD, I SAW THE METROLINER, IN POS, ACCELERATE FOR TKOF. I STOPPED THE ACFT JUST OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE BUT CLR OF THE RWY. AS I STOPPED, GND CALLED US TO HOLD SHORT AND I OBSERVED THE METROLINER RAPIDLY COME TO A STOP. I ASKED WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THEY REPLIED 'WE ARE SORTING IT OUT.' AFTER 2 MINS OR SO, THE METROLINER WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND WE CONTINUED OUR TAXI ACROSS RWY 30L. THOUGH THE FO WAS OFF FREQ, THAT WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT. BUT STILL, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER TO HAVE 2 SETS OF EYEBALLS OUTSIDE INSTEAD OF 1. MY COMMENT ON ATC PROCS IS, SINCE WE HAD ALMOST A 25 MIN DELAY/WHEELS-UP TIME, WHY WOULD THEY HAVE US SWITCH TO GET A NEW CLRNC, HOLDING SHORT OF AN ACTIVE RWY VICE WAITING UNTIL WE WERE ACROSS AND ON A PARALLEL TXWY BTWN THE 2 RWYS? OUR FLT THEN DEPARTED ABOUT 25 MINS AFTER THE INCIDENT WITH NO FURTHER PROBS.

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.