Narrative:

We received a 'wheels up' time with our clearance in las. As we followed another air carrier twin jet to runway 1R, I could see we were approaching our wheels up time. Clear skies with unlimited visibility and a brisk north wind prevailed at the airport. After an air carrier landing the tower operator cleared the twin jet in front of us into position and in what seemed to be the same breath, cleared him for takeoff and me into position. As I taxied into position behind the departing jet, I could see another jet on a 3 or 4 mi final approach to this runway 1R). In a panicky voice, the tower operator cleared me for takeoff before the traffic down the runway lifted off, advising me that he would be turning east and I west. I at least waited until the traffic in front of me lifted off before beginning my takeoff. An uneventful takeoff ensued. I appreciate what I hope seemed to be an attempt to meet our wheels up time by the controller, however to do it over again, I would have refused clearance onto the runway until there was a sufficient interval between the departure or after the arrival had landed. I have noticed a tendency to squeeze departures (more than arrs) together at las and phx. The pressure of expediting the takeoff combined with decreased performance of jet aircraft at high density altitudes makes for a very uncomfortable situation at times. For everyone's sake, departures and arrs should be staggered. We're not in that much of a hurry!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERATIONAL ERROR. TWR LCL CTLR CLEARED ACR-MLG FOR TKOF BEFORE PRECEDING ACR-MLG HAD CROSSED END OF RWY AND DID NOT ADVISE MLG OF TRAFFIC ON FINAL WITHIN 6 MILES PER 7110 PT 65.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED A 'WHEELS UP' TIME WITH OUR CLRNC IN LAS. AS WE FOLLOWED ANOTHER ACR TWIN JET TO RWY 1R, I COULD SEE WE WERE APCHING OUR WHEELS UP TIME. CLEAR SKIES WITH UNLIMITED VISIBILITY AND A BRISK N WIND PREVAILED AT THE ARPT. AFTER AN ACR LNDG THE TWR OPERATOR CLRED THE TWIN JET IN FRONT OF US INTO POS AND IN WHAT SEEMED TO BE THE SAME BREATH, CLRED HIM FOR TKOF AND ME INTO POS. AS I TAXIED INTO POS BEHIND THE DEPARTING JET, I COULD SEE ANOTHER JET ON A 3 OR 4 MI FINAL APCH TO THIS RWY 1R). IN A PANICKY VOICE, THE TWR OPERATOR CLRED ME FOR TKOF BEFORE THE TFC DOWN THE RWY LIFTED OFF, ADVISING ME THAT HE WOULD BE TURNING E AND I W. I AT LEAST WAITED UNTIL THE TFC IN FRONT OF ME LIFTED OFF BEFORE BEGINNING MY TKOF. AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF ENSUED. I APPRECIATE WHAT I HOPE SEEMED TO BE AN ATTEMPT TO MEET OUR WHEELS UP TIME BY THE CTLR, HOWEVER TO DO IT OVER AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE REFUSED CLRNC ONTO THE RWY UNTIL THERE WAS A SUFFICIENT INTERVAL BTWN THE DEP OR AFTER THE ARR HAD LANDED. I HAVE NOTICED A TENDENCY TO SQUEEZE DEPS (MORE THAN ARRS) TOGETHER AT LAS AND PHX. THE PRESSURE OF EXPEDITING THE TKOF COMBINED WITH DECREASED PERFORMANCE OF JET ACFT AT HIGH DENSITY ALTS MAKES FOR A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION AT TIMES. FOR EVERYONE'S SAKE, DEPS AND ARRS SHOULD BE STAGGERED. WE'RE NOT IN THAT MUCH OF A HURRY!

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.