The tower cleared the reporter aircraft on to the runway in front of an aircraft on the takeoff roll...

Attributes
ACN	319217
Time
Date	199510
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sjo
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Short Brothers Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	319217
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Ground control told us to hold short of taxiway a on ramp. We were facing east awaiting clearance to back taxi for takeoff on runway 25. Tower cleared us to backtrack for runway 25. As we were entering the runway we did not see any other planes. When we were 1/2 way onto runway, we saw a shorts with its landing lights on, heading in our direction on runway 7. Further observation revealed that it was on a takeoff roll. We stopped and expressed our concern and verified our clearance. By this time the shorts was airborne. The tower said that they had cleared on to the runway and that the traffic was airborne before we took the runway. We were in no danger of a collision. The shorts was airborne 3000-4000 ft before taxiway a, and turned during his climb out. Still this was an uncomfortable situation. We do not recall any tower radio xmissions between us coming up on frequency and our clearance onto the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE TWR CLRED THE RPTR ACFT ON TO THE RWY IN FRONT OF AN ACFT ON THE TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: GND CTL TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY A ON RAMP. WE WERE FACING E AWAITING CLRNC TO BACK TAXI FOR TKOF ON RWY 25. TWR CLRED US TO BACKTRACK FOR RWY 25. AS WE WERE ENTERING THE RWY WE DID NOT SEE ANY OTHER PLANES. WHEN WE WERE 1/2 WAY ONTO RWY, WE SAW A SHORTS WITH ITS LNDG LIGHTS ON, HDG IN OUR DIRECTION ON RWY 7. FURTHER OBSERVATION REVEALED THAT IT WAS ON A TKOF ROLL. WE STOPPED AND EXPRESSED OUR CONCERN AND VERIFIED OUR CLRNC. BY THIS TIME THE SHORTS WAS AIRBORNE. THE TWR SAID THAT THEY HAD CLRED ON TO THE RWY AND THAT THE TFC WAS AIRBORNE BEFORE WE TOOK THE RWY. WE WERE IN NO DANGER OF A COLLISION. THE SHORTS WAS AIRBORNE 3000-4000 FT BEFORE TXWY A, AND TURNED DURING HIS CLB OUT. STILL THIS WAS AN UNCOMFORTABLE SIT. WE DO NOT RECALL ANY TWR RADIO XMISSIONS BTWN US COMING UP ON FREQ AND OUR CLRNC ONTO 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.