Date: 201509
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ORD.Airport, IL
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Ground ORD
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Distraction; Situational Awareness
Second reporter function: First Officer
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe
Contributing factors: Airport; Company Policy; Environment - Non Weather Related
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: During our brief for departing ORD; we planned on a 9R departure. With the understanding we could get assigned another runway; we planned on the most likely and closest taxi runway.  We figured a two engine taxi out would be less distracting and decided to run the before takeoff checklist before calling for taxi; understanding that if the runway was changed; we would have to run the checklist again after making the runway change. When we called for taxi; we did get a different runway than we planned for. I understood the route to the runway and verbalized that to my FO (First Officer). He asked to go heads down; I asked him to wait till after I had turned onto Bravo; and had a long straight taxi. We followed ATCs instructions just fine. Made no errors.  And got to the runway safely. The problem was that while my FO was heads down and busy with running the checklist; an aircraft cut in front of us. We were never advised by ATC about this aircraft. It was night and the aircraft was blocked from my view for a time by the window post on the captain's side. We never got close; but might have if I had not seen the airplane and slowed down. It is not uncommon for this to happen in ORD.


Second narrative: In preparation for taxi at night we decided to run the before takeoff checklist before moving the aircraft due to the busy environment for taxi in ORD. Our intent was to mitigate the threats that this checklist imposes knowing full well that we may have to re-run it if the runway gets changed. Upon taxi out the runway was changed and I went heads down to do everything I needed to do and run the before takeoff checklist while the Captain taxied slowly toward the new runway. We elected to wait for my heads down time until we were on a relatively straight taxiway (Bravo) in ORD. While I was heads down an [aircraft] cut across in front of us and was at least momentarily blocked from the Captains view by the windshield post. I was unable to assist and warn the captain of the crossing aircraft because I did not see it as I was too busy running the before takeoff checklist. Since implementation of the new checklist I have felt frustrated and extremely uncomfortable with my lack of situational awareness while taxiing. I have missed a number of radio calls already. I am out of the loop far more than I am accustomed to and for a checklist that does not appear to check much of anything. I would argue that VVM (Verbalize Verify Monitor) is hindered by this checklist; not enhanced as I am simply reading items off of the FMS or MCP and the Captain is saying set while trying to taxi without my assistance. It is also a long and absurdly cumbersome checklist that at least at this point takes far too much focus and attention away from moving the aircraft safely. This near miss on a taxiway is just one example of the potential dangers of this much heads down time while taxiing in the real world.


Synopsis: The flight crew of a large transport reported that the recent implementation of a new before takeoff checklist resulted in greatly reduced situational awareness by the pilot performing the checklist; and increased the potential for taxi conflicts or mishaps.