Narrative:

Our aircraft position and hold runway 30L sjc. An small aircraft was cleared for takeoff runway 30R and told to turn left behind departing light transport. We were cleared to depart and were told by tower that the departing small aircraft would turn behind us. The other aircraft was airborne before we started our takeoff roll. The small aircraft was again told to turn behind us, 'the light transport.' the pilot apparently became confused and turned into us. I advised the captain loudly of the closing traffic. Advised a right turn and applied pressure to the flight controls to avoid collision. The other pilot may have mistaken the lights of a much larger jet a few mi off the departure end for our airplane. The average pilot should not be expected to identify specific aircraft types in the dark! Also, it was a busy night at sjc. Traffic was constantly arriving and departing off the left runway. In my opinion, traffic requesting a left turn off the right runway under these conditions should be issued a clearance for a right 270 degree climbing turn overhead. A more timely departure for either aircraft would have solved the problem. More specific phraseology by the tower directed to the small aircraft may have helped also. I am thankful the tower informed us both directly and indirectly (we could hear the tower call the small aircraft) of the small aircraft's intentions. After being so alerted, I watched the traffic closely throughout the takeoff. Had I not been concentrating on the small aircraft lights, the small aircraft slow turn might have been imperceptible with peripheral vision. The PIC did not see the traffic before I called it. I believe we would have hit the airplane west/O evasive action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX CPR-LTT GA-SMA DURING ICB FROM PARALLEL RWYS.

Narrative: OUR ACFT POS AND HOLD RWY 30L SJC. AN SMA WAS CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 30R AND TOLD TO TURN LEFT BEHIND DEPARTING LTT. WE WERE CLRED TO DEPART AND WERE TOLD BY TWR THAT THE DEPARTING SMA WOULD TURN BEHIND US. THE OTHER ACFT WAS AIRBORNE BEFORE WE STARTED OUR TKOF ROLL. THE SMA WAS AGAIN TOLD TO TURN BEHIND US, 'THE LTT.' THE PLT APPARENTLY BECAME CONFUSED AND TURNED INTO US. I ADVISED THE CAPT LOUDLY OF THE CLOSING TFC. ADVISED A RIGHT TURN AND APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE FLT CONTROLS TO AVOID COLLISION. THE OTHER PLT MAY HAVE MISTAKEN THE LIGHTS OF A MUCH LARGER JET A FEW MI OFF THE DEP END FOR OUR AIRPLANE. THE AVERAGE PLT SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO IDENT SPECIFIC ACFT TYPES IN THE DARK! ALSO, IT WAS A BUSY NIGHT AT SJC. TFC WAS CONSTANTLY ARRIVING AND DEPARTING OFF THE LEFT RWY. IN MY OPINION, TFC REQUESTING A LEFT TURN OFF THE RIGHT RWY UNDER THESE CONDITIONS SHOULD BE ISSUED A CLRNC FOR A RIGHT 270 DEG CLBING TURN OVERHEAD. A MORE TIMELY DEP FOR EITHER ACFT WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE PROB. MORE SPECIFIC PHRASEOLOGY BY THE TWR DIRECTED TO THE SMA MAY HAVE HELPED ALSO. I AM THANKFUL THE TWR INFORMED US BOTH DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY (WE COULD HEAR THE TWR CALL THE SMA) OF THE SMA'S INTENTIONS. AFTER BEING SO ALERTED, I WATCHED THE TFC CLOSELY THROUGHOUT THE TKOF. HAD I NOT BEEN CONCENTRATING ON THE SMA LIGHTS, THE SMA SLOW TURN MIGHT HAVE BEEN IMPERCEPTIBLE WITH PERIPHERAL VISION. THE PIC DID NOT SEE THE TFC BEFORE I CALLED IT. I BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE HIT THE AIRPLANE W/O EVASIVE ACTION.

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.