CL65 flight crew aborts takeoff observing crossing runway traffic at dtw.

Attributes
ACN	614886
Time
Date	200404
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw.airport
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : toa.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : dtw.tower
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	614886
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2400 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	614898
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : separated traffic controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were in position and hold on runway 21R in dtw. We got a takeoff clearance and repeated it and then started to take off. About 4-5 seconds later, I noticed an aircraft at the far end (departure end) of our runway, crossing. So I aborted takeoff. ATC comes on and says 'air carrier X stop, air carrier X stop,' we respond and stop. ATC then says to another aircraft cleared for takeoff on another runway, runway 22L. At this point, we thought that ATC had mistakenly told us to take off, but meant to tell the other aircraft. ATC then cleared us to take off and we did and continued to our destination. We were asked to call tower. After talking to ATC supervisor, I realized that the one ATC controller was clearing takeoffs on opposite sides of the airport. This is an abnormal situation to my knowledge. Plus, the 2 aircraft could not hear each other's responses. So after the first takeoff clearance, both aircraft responded and evidently the xmissions were blocked or just one went through. If there were 2 ATC controllers on each side of the airport like normal, this would never have happened. I believe that human factors are involved when we were in position and hold waiting for those same words that we have heard thousands of times before, 'air carrier X, cleared for takeoff.' even if we did hear the wrong air carrier flight number and wrong runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 FLT CREW ABORTS TKOF OBSERVING XING RWY TFC AT DTW.

Narrative: WE WERE IN POS AND HOLD ON RWY 21R IN DTW. WE GOT A TKOF CLRNC AND REPEATED IT AND THEN STARTED TO TAKE OFF. ABOUT 4-5 SECONDS LATER, I NOTICED AN ACFT AT THE FAR END (DEP END) OF OUR RWY, XING. SO I ABORTED TKOF. ATC COMES ON AND SAYS 'ACR X STOP, ACR X STOP,' WE RESPOND AND STOP. ATC THEN SAYS TO ANOTHER ACFT CLRED FOR TKOF ON ANOTHER RWY, RWY 22L. AT THIS POINT, WE THOUGHT THAT ATC HAD MISTAKENLY TOLD US TO TAKE OFF, BUT MEANT TO TELL THE OTHER ACFT. ATC THEN CLRED US TO TAKE OFF AND WE DID AND CONTINUED TO OUR DEST. WE WERE ASKED TO CALL TWR. AFTER TALKING TO ATC SUPVR, I REALIZED THAT THE ONE ATC CTLR WAS CLRING TKOFS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE ARPT. THIS IS AN ABNORMAL SIT TO MY KNOWLEDGE. PLUS, THE 2 ACFT COULD NOT HEAR EACH OTHER'S RESPONSES. SO AFTER THE FIRST TKOF CLRNC, BOTH ACFT RESPONDED AND EVIDENTLY THE XMISSIONS WERE BLOCKED OR JUST ONE WENT THROUGH. IF THERE WERE 2 ATC CTLRS ON EACH SIDE OF THE ARPT LIKE NORMAL, THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. I BELIEVE THAT HUMAN FACTORS ARE INVOLVED WHEN WE WERE IN POS AND HOLD WAITING FOR THOSE SAME WORDS THAT WE HAVE HEARD THOUSANDS OF TIMES BEFORE, 'ACR X, CLRED FOR TKOF.' EVEN IF WE DID HEAR THE WRONG ACR FLT NUMBER AND WRONG RWY.

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.