Narrative:

Holding short of Q, on Q, we were #5 for departure. We watched an air carrier heavy transport taxi into position. The heavy transport appeared to have some trouble lining up with runway 12. The tower asked the heavy transport if everything was ok and received no response. As power was added on the heavy transport, the nose left the ground and rapidly climbed until the tail contacted the ground. It appeared to me that the heavy transport was likely to have some directional control problems. In an effort to provide maximum room for the heavy transport to maneuver, I released the brakes, applied power, and started a right turn. The heavy transport now changed its heading, and appeared to be headed straight for us. I now vigorously applied rated takeoff thrust. During the few seconds that elapsed between power application and engine spool up 2 things concentrated my attention. The heavy transport appeared to regain directional control in that it continued to head unswervingly in our direction. My first officer repeatedly and forcefully expressed his desire to leave the area as rapidly as possible. When the power finally approached the throttle setting, we maneuvered between aircraft and taxied briskly onto microphone taxiway. The flight then continued routinely. Supplemental information from acn 143915: we noticed a foreign heavy transport type aircraft start his takeoff roll with his tail extremely low. As he added power and black smoke came out of his 4 engines, his nose gear came off the ground completely, and his tail hit the runway as the aircraft gathered speed (10-15 KTS) down runway 12. It appeared that heavy brakes were applied at this time since white smoke was emitted from the main gear trucks. At this point the fire trucks came to the aid of the foreign heavy transport aircraft. With the center of gravity either out of limits or the load improperly secured so that as power was added the load slid aft causing the aircraft to tip on its tail.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEAR COLLISION ON GND BETWEEN ACR MLG HOLDING FOR TKOF AND HVT ON TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: HOLDING SHORT OF Q, ON Q, WE WERE #5 FOR DEP. WE WATCHED AN ACR HVT TAXI INTO POSITION. THE HVT APPEARED TO HAVE SOME TROUBLE LINING UP WITH RWY 12. THE TWR ASKED THE HVT IF EVERYTHING WAS OK AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. AS POWER WAS ADDED ON THE HVT, THE NOSE LEFT THE GND AND RAPIDLY CLIMBED UNTIL THE TAIL CONTACTED THE GND. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THE HVT WAS LIKELY TO HAVE SOME DIRECTIONAL CTL PROBLEMS. IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE MAX ROOM FOR THE HVT TO MANEUVER, I RELEASED THE BRAKES, APPLIED POWER, AND STARTED A RIGHT TURN. THE HVT NOW CHANGED ITS HDG, AND APPEARED TO BE HEADED STRAIGHT FOR US. I NOW VIGOROUSLY APPLIED RATED TKOF THRUST. DURING THE FEW SECONDS THAT ELAPSED BETWEEN POWER APPLICATION AND ENGINE SPOOL UP 2 THINGS CONCENTRATED MY ATTN. THE HVT APPEARED TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL IN THAT IT CONTINUED TO HEAD UNSWERVINGLY IN OUR DIRECTION. MY F/O REPEATEDLY AND FORCEFULLY EXPRESSED HIS DESIRE TO LEAVE THE AREA AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. WHEN THE POWER FINALLY APCHED THE THROTTLE SETTING, WE MANEUVERED BETWEEN ACFT AND TAXIED BRISKLY ONTO MIKE TXWY. THE FLT THEN CONTINUED ROUTINELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 143915: WE NOTICED A FOREIGN HVT TYPE ACFT START HIS TKOF ROLL WITH HIS TAIL EXTREMELY LOW. AS HE ADDED POWER AND BLACK SMOKE CAME OUT OF HIS 4 ENGINES, HIS NOSE GEAR CAME OFF THE GND COMPLETELY, AND HIS TAIL HIT THE RWY AS THE ACFT GATHERED SPEED (10-15 KTS) DOWN RWY 12. IT APPEARED THAT HEAVY BRAKES WERE APPLIED AT THIS TIME SINCE WHITE SMOKE WAS EMITTED FROM THE MAIN GEAR TRUCKS. AT THIS POINT THE FIRE TRUCKS CAME TO THE AID OF THE FOREIGN HVT ACFT. WITH THE CENTER OF GRAVITY EITHER OUT OF LIMITS OR THE LOAD IMPROPERLY SECURED SO THAT AS POWER WAS ADDED THE LOAD SLID AFT CAUSING THE ACFT TO TIP ON ITS TAIL.

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.