Narrative:

Flight from iah to cvg was cleared for takeoff on runway 14L. The winds were light and variable and the visibility better than 10 mi. We were cleared for takeoff and directed to turn left to 020 degrees. My first officer was flying and the aircraft was light. At about 800' AGL he started the left turn which would take us across runway 8-26. Unknown to us, there was landing traffic on runway 26. About 1000' I asked tower if they wanted us over to departure control. A new voice came on the radio and asked our altitude. I responded we were 1200'. He told us to expedite through 3000'. My first officer spotted the traffic on final as we increased our climb rate. We were approximately 3100-3200' MSL as we crossed runway 26, the traffic according to my first officer was about 1 mi on final, ie, approximately 300' AGL. There were no further comments from tower and none were heard from the other aircraft. My first officer said perhaps he should have gone to the field boundary before he turned, but even if he had we would have had a conflict with the landing traffic. I believe the proper clearance would have been to climb runway heading to 2000 or 3000', then turn left to 020 degrees since our departure path was taking us across another runway. This was a lesson for me. Anytime we are crossing another runway or the airport I will ask for a more specific clearance. Let me repeat that we had no idea there was landing traffic on runway 26 prior to or during the takeoff.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG UNK-ACFT ON APCH TO INTERSECTING RWY.

Narrative: FLT FROM IAH TO CVG WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 14L. THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE AND THE VIS BETTER THAN 10 MI. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND DIRECTED TO TURN LEFT TO 020 DEGS. MY F/O WAS FLYING AND THE ACFT WAS LIGHT. AT ABOUT 800' AGL HE STARTED THE LEFT TURN WHICH WOULD TAKE US ACROSS RWY 8-26. UNKNOWN TO US, THERE WAS LNDG TFC ON RWY 26. ABOUT 1000' I ASKED TWR IF THEY WANTED US OVER TO DEP CTL. A NEW VOICE CAME ON THE RADIO AND ASKED OUR ALT. I RESPONDED WE WERE 1200'. HE TOLD US TO EXPEDITE THROUGH 3000'. MY F/O SPOTTED THE TFC ON FINAL AS WE INCREASED OUR CLB RATE. WE WERE APPROX 3100-3200' MSL AS WE CROSSED RWY 26, THE TFC ACCORDING TO MY F/O WAS ABOUT 1 MI ON FINAL, IE, APPROX 300' AGL. THERE WERE NO FURTHER COMMENTS FROM TWR AND NONE WERE HEARD FROM THE OTHER ACFT. MY F/O SAID PERHAPS HE SHOULD HAVE GONE TO THE FIELD BOUNDARY BEFORE HE TURNED, BUT EVEN IF HE HAD WE WOULD HAVE HAD A CONFLICT WITH THE LNDG TFC. I BELIEVE THE PROPER CLRNC WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CLB RWY HDG TO 2000 OR 3000', THEN TURN LEFT TO 020 DEGS SINCE OUR DEP PATH WAS TAKING US ACROSS ANOTHER RWY. THIS WAS A LESSON FOR ME. ANYTIME WE ARE XING ANOTHER RWY OR THE ARPT I WILL ASK FOR A MORE SPECIFIC CLRNC. LET ME REPEAT THAT WE HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS LNDG TFC ON RWY 26 PRIOR TO OR DURING THE TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.