Narrative:

What happened was the tower cleared an small aircraft Y to land and later cleared me to takeoff, and by the time I saw small aircraft Y in front of me, I had too much speed to stop, but sufficient speed to takeoff. 1. The tower: I have always wondered how a tower can clear people for landing 10 mi out and expect to remember all of the inbound aircraft. Well, I got my answer, they can't. Almost all major towers do this and it obviously doesn't work. What they should always do is ask the pilots to report downwind, 1 mi final, etc!!! 2. Small aircraft Y landing obviously did not hear the tower clear me for takeoff. My guess is that the flight was a training flight or at least there was more than 1 person in the cockpit and they were distracted when the tower cleared me for takeoff. Missed radio calls happen all the time, and, since nobody keeps track of missed calls, there is no incentive for people or training flts, etc, to keep the radio volume sufficiently high to drown out their own communication. 3. As for my part, I did not hear them clear small aircraft Y to land since I was on ground prior to takeoff and since they probably cleared him while he was still fairly far out time wise. I also think I had trouble seeing him because he saw me first and had slowed way down and moved to the far right side of the runway which caused him to blend in with the runway lights along the side of the runway. I also think that all 135 121 operators should be required to make a complete stop prior to releasing the brakes on the runway so runway can be scanned prior to starting the takeoff roll.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMT TKOF ON OCCUPIED RWY HAD LTSS FROM SMA Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE TWR CLRED AN SMA Y TO LAND AND LATER CLRED ME TO TKOF, AND BY THE TIME I SAW SMA Y IN FRONT OF ME, I HAD TOO MUCH SPD TO STOP, BUT SUFFICIENT SPD TO TKOF. 1. THE TWR: I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED HOW A TWR CAN CLR PEOPLE FOR LNDG 10 MI OUT AND EXPECT TO REMEMBER ALL OF THE INBOUND ACFT. WELL, I GOT MY ANSWER, THEY CAN'T. ALMOST ALL MAJOR TWRS DO THIS AND IT OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T WORK. WHAT THEY SHOULD ALWAYS DO IS ASK THE PLTS TO RPT DOWNWIND, 1 MI FINAL, ETC!!! 2. SMA Y LNDG OBVIOUSLY DID NOT HEAR THE TWR CLR ME FOR TKOF. MY GUESS IS THAT THE FLT WAS A TRAINING FLT OR AT LEAST THERE WAS MORE THAN 1 PERSON IN THE COCKPIT AND THEY WERE DISTRACTED WHEN THE TWR CLRED ME FOR TKOF. MISSED RADIO CALLS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, AND, SINCE NOBODY KEEPS TRACK OF MISSED CALLS, THERE IS NO INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE OR TRAINING FLTS, ETC, TO KEEP THE RADIO VOLUME SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO DROWN OUT THEIR OWN COM. 3. AS FOR MY PART, I DID NOT HEAR THEM CLR SMA Y TO LAND SINCE I WAS ON GND PRIOR TO TKOF AND SINCE THEY PROBABLY CLRED HIM WHILE HE WAS STILL FAIRLY FAR OUT TIME WISE. I ALSO THINK I HAD TROUBLE SEEING HIM BECAUSE HE SAW ME FIRST AND HAD SLOWED WAY DOWN AND MOVED TO THE FAR RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY WHICH CAUSED HIM TO BLEND IN WITH THE RWY LIGHTS ALONG THE SIDE OF THE RWY. I ALSO THINK THAT ALL 135 121 OPERATORS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAKE A COMPLETE STOP PRIOR TO RELEASING THE BRAKES ON THE RWY SO RWY CAN BE SCANNED PRIOR TO STARTING THE TKOF ROLL.

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.