Narrative:

Small aircraft X was landing runway 23, full stop. Air carrier Y was ready to depart. Small aircraft X landed runway 23 and air carrier Y was instructed to taxi into position and hold. Small aircraft X was instructed to 'turn right that taxiway (taxiway north) if able, and contact ground control.' his response was 'roger', to indicate that he would clear the runway. I observed small aircraft X begin to clear runway 23, indicated by his landing light turning. I turned to scan the runway for air carrier Y departure. When I looked back, I did not see the landing light of small aircraft X, assuming he was clear of runway 23 established on taxiway north, so I cleared air carrier Y for takeoff. After clearing air carrier Y for takeoff, I once again scanned the departure end of runway 23. When I scanned back to air carrier Y, I noticed small aircraft X, no landing light, but navigational lights still on runway 23. Air carrier Y was approximately abeam taxiway north, it was too late to abort his takeoff. Small aircraft X was instructed to expedite his taxi and clear the runway immediately. Small aircraft X cleared runway 23 at taxiway left, air carrier Y passed through taxiway left and rotated about taxiway left. Contributing factors: small aircraft X was instructed to clear runway 23 at north, replied roger, did not indicate he could not make taxiway north. Small aircraft X turned off his landing light after he had begun a turn at taxiway north and did not turn it back on as he continued down the runway. Small aircraft X did not indicate that he was still on the runway when air carrier Y was cleared for takeoff. Supplemental information from acn 196240. Air carrier Y was cleared to hold short of runway 23, gso while an small aircraft X landed. Air carrier Y was then cleared for takeoff. As we began our takeoff roll, the runway appeared to be clear. As we approached V1 (139 KT), approximately halfway down the runway I noticed what appeared to be the navigation lights of small aircraft Y, near the extreme right edge of the runway. I maneuvered my aircraft to the left to increase/insure clearance, then quickly reestablished the centerline. We continued a normal takeoff profile and requested the tower to determine if any contact or damage had occurred. Since no contact or damage of any kind had occurred, we continued to our destination. I was informed the next day that gso tower had assumed responsibility for the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y TKOF ON OCCUPIED RWY HAD NMAC LTSS FROM SMA X. EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN. SYS ERROR. SMA X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC. PLTDEV.

Narrative: SMA X WAS LNDG RWY 23, FULL STOP. ACR Y WAS READY TO DEPART. SMA X LANDED RWY 23 AND ACR Y WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. SMA X WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'TURN R THAT TAXIWAY (TAXIWAY N) IF ABLE, AND CONTACT GND CTL.' HIS RESPONSE WAS 'ROGER', TO INDICATE THAT HE WOULD CLR THE RWY. I OBSERVED SMA X BEGIN TO CLR RWY 23, INDICATED BY HIS LNDG LIGHT TURNING. I TURNED TO SCAN THE RWY FOR ACR Y DEP. WHEN I LOOKED BACK, I DID NOT SEE THE LNDG LIGHT OF SMA X, ASSUMING HE WAS CLR OF RWY 23 ESTABLISHED ON TAXIWAY N, SO I CLRED ACR Y FOR TKOF. AFTER CLRING ACR Y FOR TKOF, I ONCE AGAIN SCANNED THE DEP END OF RWY 23. WHEN I SCANNED BACK TO ACR Y, I NOTICED SMA X, NO LNDG LIGHT, BUT NAVIGATIONAL LIGHTS STILL ON RWY 23. ACR Y WAS APPROX ABEAM TAXIWAY N, IT WAS TOO LATE TO ABORT HIS TKOF. SMA X WAS INSTRUCTED TO EXPEDITE HIS TAXI AND CLR THE RWY IMMEDIATELY. SMA X CLRED RWY 23 AT TAXIWAY L, ACR Y PASSED THROUGH TAXIWAY L AND ROTATED ABOUT TAXIWAY L. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: SMA X WAS INSTRUCTED TO CLR RWY 23 AT N, REPLIED ROGER, DID NOT INDICATE HE COULD NOT MAKE TAXIWAY N. SMA X TURNED OFF HIS LNDG LIGHT AFTER HE HAD BEGUN A TURN AT TAXIWAY N AND DID NOT TURN IT BACK ON AS HE CONTINUED DOWN THE RWY. SMA X DID NOT INDICATE THAT HE WAS STILL ON THE RWY WHEN ACR Y WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 196240. ACR Y WAS CLRED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23, GSO WHILE AN SMA X LANDED. ACR Y WAS THEN CLRED FOR TKOF. AS WE BEGAN OUR TKOF ROLL, THE RWY APPEARED TO BE CLR. AS WE APCHED V1 (139 KT), APPROX HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY I NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE NAV LIGHTS OF SMA Y, NEAR THE EXTREME R EDGE OF THE RWY. I MANEUVERED MY ACFT TO THE L TO INCREASE/INSURE CLRNC, THEN QUICKLY REESTABLISHED THE CENTERLINE. WE CONTINUED A NORMAL TKOF PROFILE AND REQUESTED THE TWR TO DETERMINE IF ANY CONTACT OR DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED. SINCE NO CONTACT OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND HAD OCCURRED, WE CONTINUED TO OUR DEST. I WAS INFORMED THE NEXT DAY THAT GSO TWR HAD ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INCIDENT.

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.