Narrative:

We were holding short of runway 9 at mli airport when we were advised our release time was XX35. At XX34 we cleared into position and hold runway 9 and we repeated the clearance. After being in position for at least a minute we observed an air carrier large transport departing runway 27. We cleared the runway without problem. When asked, the controller confirmed that he cleared us by company name into position. We never heard the other aircraft called or reply. The tower said (another controller) that he never cleared us nor did he hear our readback. I feel it was simply a controller mistake. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter is not sure what happened. He is certain that the first controller cleared flight into position and he read the clearance back. In not hearing the air carrier flight he assumes that the clearance for takeoff may have come at the same time as he read back his into position clearance and that he stepped on the other transmission. Another possibility he put forth was that ground control had issued the clearance to air carrier as he did not ever hear a call to the other flight. The runway has quite a slope at each end and one aircraft cannot see the other when occupying opposite ends of the same runway. This opposite direction traffic situation happens but seldom at mli but he has had difficulty in monitoring calls in this type situation. The reporter and PIC saw the air carrier with lights on and on the roll for takeoff and cleared the runway before the medium large transport rotated. The second controller on tower frequency was, he assumed, a supervisor who had relieved the person prior to that event. No action from any agency and no review of the tower tape.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT CLEARS RWY AFTER HAVING BEEN CLEARED INTO POSITION FOR TKOF AS ACR LGT IS SEEN ROLLING FOR TKOF AT OTHER END.

Narrative: WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 9 AT MLI ARPT WHEN WE WERE ADVISED OUR RELEASE TIME WAS XX35. AT XX34 WE CLRED INTO POSITION AND HOLD RWY 9 AND WE REPEATED THE CLRNC. AFTER BEING IN POSITION FOR AT LEAST A MINUTE WE OBSERVED AN ACR LGT DEPARTING RWY 27. WE CLRED THE RWY WITHOUT PROBLEM. WHEN ASKED, THE CTLR CONFIRMED THAT HE CLRED US BY COMPANY NAME INTO POSITION. WE NEVER HEARD THE OTHER ACFT CALLED OR REPLY. THE TWR SAID (ANOTHER CTLR) THAT HE NEVER CLRED US NOR DID HE HEAR OUR READBACK. I FEEL IT WAS SIMPLY A CTLR MISTAKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER IS NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED. HE IS CERTAIN THAT THE FIRST CTLR CLRED FLT INTO POSITION AND HE READ THE CLRNC BACK. IN NOT HEARING THE ACR FLT HE ASSUMES THAT THE CLRNC FOR TKOF MAY HAVE COME AT THE SAME TIME AS HE READ BACK HIS INTO POSITION CLRNC AND THAT HE STEPPED ON THE OTHER XMISSION. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY HE PUT FORTH WAS THAT GND CTL HAD ISSUED THE CLRNC TO ACR AS HE DID NOT EVER HEAR A CALL TO THE OTHER FLT. THE RWY HAS QUITE A SLOPE AT EACH END AND ONE ACFT CANNOT SEE THE OTHER WHEN OCCUPYING OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SAME RWY. THIS OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC SITUATION HAPPENS BUT SELDOM AT MLI BUT HE HAS HAD DIFFICULTY IN MONITORING CALLS IN THIS TYPE SITUATION. THE REPORTER AND PIC SAW THE ACR WITH LIGHTS ON AND ON THE ROLL FOR TKOF AND CLRED THE RWY BEFORE THE MLG ROTATED. THE SECOND CTLR ON TWR FREQ WAS, HE ASSUMED, A SUPVR WHO HAD RELIEVED THE PERSON PRIOR TO THAT EVENT. NO ACTION FROM ANY AGENCY AND NO REVIEW OF THE TWR TAPE.

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.