Flight crew of a B727 rotated early during takeoff in order to avoid an atx aircraft which had just ...

Attributes
ACN	430805
Time
Date	199903
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cid.airport
State Reference	IA
Altitude	agl single value : 250
Environment
Light	Night
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 48 flight time total : 6099 flight time type : 2025
ASRS Report	430805
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical incursion : runway other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : insufficient time
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 250
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Due to a mechanical delay at cid, flight XXX departed cid for ind after the tower closed for the night. We complied with the procedures found on page 10-10A at cid. I called ZAU prior to taxi for our clearance on VHF2. I then made a 'taxiing to runway 9' call on the CTAF on VHF1. Upon reaching the departure end of runway 9, I called 'taking the active' call on CTAF. I then called 'beginning takeoff roll' on CTAF and center frequency. The captain xferred control to me and we began rolling. Between 80-100 KTS, we heard air carrier Y announce his intentions for an intersection takeoff (taxiway a). The captain and I both had the air carrier Y in sight, and as we neared rotation we saw he was not going to stop prior to entering the runway. I expedited rotation and we went over the air carrier Y by 200-300 ft as he entered the runway. During this time the captain tried contacting air carrier Y on CTAF but he did not respond. Soon after clearing him, we heard him query chicago if they just had someone take off from cid. Chicago told him of our departure, and air carrier Y wanted to know why we hadn't made any calls on CTAF. We told chicago we in fact had made calls that went unanswered by air carrier Y. The captain also told chicago we had heard air carrier Y calls, but he evidently hadn't heard ours. Air carrier Y said something about the volume on his radios, and that 'he guesses he's just used to having cid to himself at that time of night.' chicago responded that it sounded like everybody did what they were supposed to have done. The captain checked both of our radios to ensure that they transmitted and received, and they checked ok. I might understand missing some radio calls, but I cannot understand how someone can taxi onto a runway without visually clearing it, especially when the tower is closed. I don't expect any action to be taken, but I hope we can evaluate our operations into airports with closed towers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B727 ROTATED EARLY DURING TKOF IN ORDER TO AVOID AN ATX ACFT WHICH HAD JUST TAXIED ONTO THE RWY RESULTING IN FLYING OVER THE ATX AT 250 FT DURING INITIAL CLB.

Narrative: DUE TO A MECHANICAL DELAY AT CID, FLT XXX DEPARTED CID FOR IND AFTER THE TWR CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT. WE COMPLIED WITH THE PROCS FOUND ON PAGE 10-10A AT CID. I CALLED ZAU PRIOR TO TAXI FOR OUR CLRNC ON VHF2. I THEN MADE A 'TAXIING TO RWY 9' CALL ON THE CTAF ON VHF1. UPON REACHING THE DEP END OF RWY 9, I CALLED 'TAKING THE ACTIVE' CALL ON CTAF. I THEN CALLED 'BEGINNING TKOF ROLL' ON CTAF AND CTR FREQ. THE CAPT XFERRED CTL TO ME AND WE BEGAN ROLLING. BTWN 80-100 KTS, WE HEARD ACR Y ANNOUNCE HIS INTENTIONS FOR AN INTXN TKOF (TXWY A). THE CAPT AND I BOTH HAD THE ACR Y IN SIGHT, AND AS WE NEARED ROTATION WE SAW HE WAS NOT GOING TO STOP PRIOR TO ENTERING THE RWY. I EXPEDITED ROTATION AND WE WENT OVER THE ACR Y BY 200-300 FT AS HE ENTERED THE RWY. DURING THIS TIME THE CAPT TRIED CONTACTING ACR Y ON CTAF BUT HE DID NOT RESPOND. SOON AFTER CLRING HIM, WE HEARD HIM QUERY CHICAGO IF THEY JUST HAD SOMEONE TAKE OFF FROM CID. CHICAGO TOLD HIM OF OUR DEP, AND ACR Y WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE HADN'T MADE ANY CALLS ON CTAF. WE TOLD CHICAGO WE IN FACT HAD MADE CALLS THAT WENT UNANSWERED BY ACR Y. THE CAPT ALSO TOLD CHICAGO WE HAD HEARD ACR Y CALLS, BUT HE EVIDENTLY HADN'T HEARD OURS. ACR Y SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE VOLUME ON HIS RADIOS, AND THAT 'HE GUESSES HE'S JUST USED TO HAVING CID TO HIMSELF AT THAT TIME OF NIGHT.' CHICAGO RESPONDED THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE EVERYBODY DID WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE DONE. THE CAPT CHKED BOTH OF OUR RADIOS TO ENSURE THAT THEY XMITTED AND RECEIVED, AND THEY CHKED OK. I MIGHT UNDERSTAND MISSING SOME RADIO CALLS, BUT I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW SOMEONE CAN TAXI ONTO A RWY WITHOUT VISUALLY CLRING IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE TWR IS CLOSED. I DON'T EXPECT ANY ACTION TO BE TAKEN, BUT I HOPE WE CAN EVALUATE OUR OPS INTO ARPTS WITH CLOSED TWRS.

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.

Flight crew of a B727 rotated early during takeoff in order to avoid an atx aircraft which had just taxied onto the runway resulting in flying over the atx at 250 ft during initial climb.