Narrative:

Taxiing for takeoff, runway 32. Sebound on taxiway a, approaching hold short line, ATCT cleared us for 'takeoff runway 32, turn left heading 260 degrees.' the first officer (PNF) repeated the clearance, I repeated the assigned heading, called 'clear final, cleared for takeoff, position and rolling items.' the flight engineer began the checklist items, and the first officer called 'clear right.' as we crossed the hold short line towards the threshold, I heard engine noise, and simultaneously saw a piper seneca at 25-30 ft, flying right to left down the runway, obviously just taking off. We had seen this aircraft holding short of runway 32/14 at taxiway D. He appeared to be running up, nose to the northwest. I don't know if he got confused and took off the wrong way, or if the tower cleared him for takeoff runway 14 from the intersection. The controller was very busy, local and ground were combined. Aircraft were landing runway 14, taking off runway 32. I don't think the controller even noticed. From my seat (left), at our angle to the runway, I couldn't see the runway to our right more than about 50-75 ft. I was depending on the first officer to clear that side. We got complacent in the ATC environment. Singling up (one ATC controller operating more than one position) is a problem in many facilities, including our home base okc. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that they intended to query the tower regarding the problem, but the frequency was very busy and they decided to wait until they got to their destination. When they arrived, they were assigned a turn around and there was no time to contact the tower. Reporter was a controller at one time and was sure the tower was 'singled up' on position, ground and local. Reporter knows that for every transmission there may be phone calls as well and controller is quite busy. Reporter feels there is too much of this occurring and some times the controller even works clearance delivery at the same time. This may make economic sense but is an extremely unsafe operation. Aex is a contract tower which occurred when the former military base was closed and the city or county took over operation of the airport. Reporter is adamant that the problem is not the individual controller, but the management who are trying to keep cost down at the expense of safety. Aircraft was a B727.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 IS CLRED FOR TKOF BUT TAXIING TOWARD THE THRESHOLD THEY HEAR, THEN SEE A PIPER SENECA AT 25 FT ON TKOF IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR.

Narrative: TAXIING FOR TKOF, RWY 32. SEBOUND ON TXWY A, APCHING HOLD SHORT LINE, ATCT CLRED US FOR 'TKOF RWY 32, TURN L HDG 260 DEGS.' THE FO (PNF) REPEATED THE CLRNC, I REPEATED THE ASSIGNED HEADING, CALLED 'CLR FINAL, CLRED FOR TKOF, POS AND ROLLING ITEMS.' THE FE BEGAN THE CHKLIST ITEMS, AND THE FO CALLED 'CLR R.' AS WE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE TOWARDS THE THRESHOLD, I HEARD ENG NOISE, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SAW A PIPER SENECA AT 25-30 FT, FLYING R TO L DOWN THE RWY, OBVIOUSLY JUST TAKING OFF. WE HAD SEEN THIS ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 32/14 AT TXWY D. HE APPEARED TO BE RUNNING UP, NOSE TO THE NW. I DON'T KNOW IF HE GOT CONFUSED AND TOOK OFF THE WRONG WAY, OR IF THE TWR CLRED HIM FOR TKOF RWY 14 FROM THE INTXN. THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY, LCL AND GND WERE COMBINED. ACFT WERE LNDG RWY 14, TAKING OFF RWY 32. I DON'T THINK THE CTLR EVEN NOTICED. FROM MY SEAT (L), AT OUR ANGLE TO THE RWY, I COULDN'T SEE THE RWY TO OUR R MORE THAN ABOUT 50-75 FT. I WAS DEPENDING ON THE FO TO CLR THAT SIDE. WE GOT COMPLACENT IN THE ATC ENVIRONMENT. SINGLING UP (ONE ATC CTLR OPERATING MORE THAN ONE POS) IS A PROB IN MANY FACILITIES, INCLUDING OUR HOME BASE OKC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THEY INTENDED TO QUERY THE TWR REGARDING THE PROB, BUT THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY AND THEY DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL THEY GOT TO THEIR DEST. WHEN THEY ARRIVED, THEY WERE ASSIGNED A TURN AROUND AND THERE WAS NO TIME TO CONTACT THE TWR. RPTR WAS A CTLR AT ONE TIME AND WAS SURE THE TWR WAS 'SINGLED UP' ON POS, GND AND LCL. RPTR KNOWS THAT FOR EVERY XMISSION THERE MAY BE PHONE CALLS AS WELL AND CTLR IS QUITE BUSY. RPTR FEELS THERE IS TOO MUCH OF THIS OCCURRING AND SOME TIMES THE CTLR EVEN WORKS CLRNC DELIVERY AT THE SAME TIME. THIS MAY MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE BUT IS AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE OP. AEX IS A CONTRACT TWR WHICH OCCURRED WHEN THE FORMER MIL BASE WAS CLOSED AND THE CITY OR COUNTY TOOK OVER OP OF THE ARPT. RPTR IS ADAMANT THAT THE PROB IS NOT THE INDIVIDUAL CTLR, BUT THE MGMNT WHO ARE TRYING TO KEEP COST DOWN AT THE EXPENSE OF SAFETY. ACFT WAS A B727.

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.