Narrative:

I was returning home to bishop from mry, ca. I had completed my runup, called the tower and was told to hold short of runway 28L. The traffic was heavy and planes were landing on 28L and 28R. After holding for several mins, the tower gave me clearance to takeoff. At the time there was an small aircraft on short final for 28L. As there were no planes visible behind the 180, I was expecting a clearance to taxi into position and hold. I asked the controller to clarify and he again cleared me to takeoff. I assumed that the tower controller wanted me to takeoff expeditiously, since the traffic was heavy. I waited until the 180 had touched down and had rolled out about 1/2 the runway length, then taxied into position and immediately took off. The 180 was still on the runway. As I climbed over the runway, the controller gave me an immediate 90 degree right turn to clear the 180. His order was to 'clear traffic that has landed wrong runway.' I complied and was then vectored 90 degrees left, parallel to 28L. At this point, the tower thanked me and turned me over to mry departure. I feel that there were several errors that occurred. First, the pilot of the 180 was landing on 28L, and issued a takeoff clearance to me. Third, I should have taxied into position and held until the 180 cleared the runway. I should also have told the controller that the 180 was on short final when I called for clarification of his clearance. The basic safety issue here is that one should never assume that the controller is fully aware of all the facts at a given moment. I assumed that the controller knew that the 180 was landing 28L, when he in fact did not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PROCEEDS TO TKOF BEFORE LNDG TRAFFIC HAS EXITED ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING HOME TO BISHOP FROM MRY, CA. I HAD COMPLETED MY RUNUP, CALLED THE TWR AND WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28L. THE TFC WAS HEAVY AND PLANES WERE LNDG ON 28L AND 28R. AFTER HOLDING FOR SEVERAL MINS, THE TWR GAVE ME CLRNC TO TKOF. AT THE TIME THERE WAS AN SMA ON SHORT FINAL FOR 28L. AS THERE WERE NO PLANES VISIBLE BEHIND THE 180, I WAS EXPECTING A CLRNC TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. I ASKED THE CTLR TO CLARIFY AND HE AGAIN CLRED ME TO TKOF. I ASSUMED THAT THE TWR CTLR WANTED ME TO TKOF EXPEDITIOUSLY, SINCE THE TFC WAS HEAVY. I WAITED UNTIL THE 180 HAD TOUCHED DOWN AND HAD ROLLED OUT ABOUT 1/2 THE RWY LENGTH, THEN TAXIED INTO POS AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK OFF. THE 180 WAS STILL ON THE RWY. AS I CLBED OVER THE RWY, THE CTLR GAVE ME AN IMMEDIATE 90 DEG RIGHT TURN TO CLR THE 180. HIS ORDER WAS TO 'CLR TFC THAT HAS LANDED WRONG RWY.' I COMPLIED AND WAS THEN VECTORED 90 DEGS LEFT, PARALLEL TO 28L. AT THIS POINT, THE TWR THANKED ME AND TURNED ME OVER TO MRY DEP. I FEEL THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL ERRORS THAT OCCURRED. FIRST, THE PLT OF THE 180 WAS LNDG ON 28L, AND ISSUED A TKOF CLRNC TO ME. THIRD, I SHOULD HAVE TAXIED INTO POS AND HELD UNTIL THE 180 CLRED THE RWY. I SHOULD ALSO HAVE TOLD THE CTLR THAT THE 180 WAS ON SHORT FINAL WHEN I CALLED FOR CLARIFICATION OF HIS CLRNC. THE BASIC SAFETY ISSUE HERE IS THAT ONE SHOULD NEVER ASSUME THAT THE CTLR IS FULLY AWARE OF ALL THE FACTS AT A GIVEN MOMENT. I ASSUMED THAT THE CTLR KNEW THAT THE 180 WAS LNDG 28L, WHEN HE IN FACT DID NOT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.