CAPT OF A B767ER EXPEDITED XING APCHING TXWY INTXN AFTER SUDDENLY NOTICING A DC9 APCHING THE INTXN ON AN INTERSECTING TXWY.

Narrative

ATL TWR STATED THAT IF WE COULD EXPEDITE; WE WERE CLRED ACROSS RWY 26L; CONTACT GND WHEN CLR. NORMALLY; WE ARE TOLD TO CONTACT THE INTL RAMP DIRECTLY; BYPASSING GND. WHEN I HEARD THE TWR TELL US TO CONTACT GND INSTEAD; I KNEW THAT THE FO WOULD BE CONTACTING GND; SO I DESELECTED GND ON MY AUDIO PANEL AND BEGAN COORDINATING WITH RAMP ON THE SECOND RADIO. AS WE CROSSED RWY 26L; I NOTICED AN ACR Y DC9 TAXIING ON TXWY F FOR TKOF. I MENTALLY NOTED HOW THE NEW ACR Y PAINT JOB MADE THE PLANE DIFFICULT TO SEE AGAINST THE DARK GRASS COLORS. I ASSUMED THAT THE CAPT AND FO SAW THE DC9. AS I WAS CONTACTING RAMP I HEARD THE FO SAY SOMETHING TO THE CAPT AS HE SWITCHED TO GND. AGAIN; I ASSUMED THE FO WAS POINTING THE DC9 OUT TO THE CAPT. THE FO THEN ATTEMPTED TO CALL GND; BUT WAS BLOCKED OUT BY FREQ CONGESTION. AT THIS POINT; I BEGAN TO GET APPREHENSIVE ABOUT A POSSIBLE COLLISION WITH THE DC9 AND WAS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING WHEN THE FO POINTED IT OUT TO THE CAPT. THE CAPT; NOR THE FO HAD SEEN THE DC9 UNTIL NOW! INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SLAM THE BRAKES ON; THE CAPT ACCELERATED AND CROSSED IN FRONT OF THE DC9. AT THAT TIME THE FO FINALLY CONTACTED GND. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY; TWR COORDINATING WITH GND TO HOLD DC9 SHORT WHILE WE EXPEDITED ACROSS RWY 26L; OR TWR TELLING US TO GIVE WAY AFTER XING -- NEVER ASSUME!