Narrative:

Tower cleared us to taxi onto runway 18 and told us to be prepared for an immediate takeoff. Captain taxied on. We were heavy and it was hot. As he was about to line up, tower cleared us for an immediate takeoff. Captain transferred throttles to me. The engines had already been partially spooled up. I took the plane and added takeoff power. Tower cleared us again for a immediate takeoff. A fully loaded plane doesn't accelerate fast. 10 seconds later, tower canceled our clearance and told air carrier Y behind us to go around. It passed about 200 ft above us. The tower operator was now annoyed at us. He taxied us back and tried the same thing again, clearing us 'into position and hold on runway 18 be prepared for an immediate takeoff.' he cleared us for immediate takeoff. Then called again very insistently almost harassing clearing us for takeoff. We barely made it off using the entire runway. We were heavy. Tower cannot assume that every plane can accelerate rapidly. Jets are not propellers and are probably used to light shuttle jets that move faster. That is no excuse to harass us. If he taxis us onto the runway it belongs to us. There was a jet ahead of us who was very slowly exiting after his landing. Dca was very unprofessional and operating at an interval for the river visual approach. That was unsafe. Supplemental information from acn 277752: I was given a clearance into position and hold runway 18 ready for immediate takeoff. In position, I had the engines spooled up and ready to go. We were cleared for immediate takeoff 'traffic on a mi and a half final.' 5 seconds later, our takeoff clearance was canceled and we were told to clear at the first available right turn (runway 15). Halfway to the turnoff, a 737 flew over us. We lined up for takeoff, we were given immediate takeoff several times by different voices. A great deal of pressure at a very bad time. There was clearly not enough room for our takeoff, but I was not told how far out landing traffic was and I could not see them while taking the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X TKOF CLRNC CANCELED ACR Y GAR.

Narrative: TWR CLRED US TO TAXI ONTO RWY 18 AND TOLD US TO BE PREPARED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. CAPT TAXIED ON. WE WERE HVY AND IT WAS HOT. AS HE WAS ABOUT TO LINE UP, TWR CLRED US FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. CAPT TRANSFERRED THROTTLES TO ME. THE ENGS HAD ALREADY BEEN PARTIALLY SPOOLED UP. I TOOK THE PLANE AND ADDED TKOF PWR. TWR CLRED US AGAIN FOR A IMMEDIATE TKOF. A FULLY LOADED PLANE DOESN'T ACCELERATE FAST. 10 SECONDS LATER, TWR CANCELED OUR CLRNC AND TOLD ACR Y BEHIND US TO GAR. IT PASSED ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE US. THE TWR OPERATOR WAS NOW ANNOYED AT US. HE TAXIED US BACK AND TRIED THE SAME THING AGAIN, CLRING US 'INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 18 BE PREPARED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF.' HE CLRED US FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF. THEN CALLED AGAIN VERY INSISTENTLY ALMOST HARASSING CLRING US FOR TKOF. WE BARELY MADE IT OFF USING THE ENTIRE RWY. WE WERE HVY. TWR CANNOT ASSUME THAT EVERY PLANE CAN ACCELERATE RAPIDLY. JETS ARE NOT PROPS AND ARE PROBABLY USED TO LIGHT SHUTTLE JETS THAT MOVE FASTER. THAT IS NO EXCUSE TO HARASS US. IF HE TAXIS US ONTO THE RWY IT BELONGS TO US. THERE WAS A JET AHEAD OF US WHO WAS VERY SLOWLY EXITING AFTER HIS LNDG. DCA WAS VERY UNPROFESSIONAL AND OPERATING AT AN INTERVAL FOR THE RIVER VISUAL APCH. THAT WAS UNSAFE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 277752: I WAS GIVEN A CLRNC INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 18 READY FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF. IN POS, I HAD THE ENGS SPOOLED UP AND READY TO GO. WE WERE CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF 'TFC ON A MI AND A HALF FINAL.' 5 SECONDS LATER, OUR TKOF CLRNC WAS CANCELED AND WE WERE TOLD TO CLR AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE R TURN (RWY 15). HALFWAY TO THE TURNOFF, A 737 FLEW OVER US. WE LINED UP FOR TKOF, WE WERE GIVEN IMMEDIATE TKOF SEVERAL TIMES BY DIFFERENT VOICES. A GREAT DEAL OF PRESSURE AT A VERY BAD TIME. THERE WAS CLRLY NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR OUR TKOF, BUT I WAS NOT TOLD HOW FAR OUT LNDG TFC WAS AND I COULD NOT SEE THEM WHILE TAKING THE RWY.

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.