Narrative:

Get out your lax airport diagram. We were holding number one on taxiway C short of taxiway V next to runway 24L. This position allows us to take the runway but also allows an aircraft from the other direction on taxiway D-7 to take the runway, depending on who gets released from socal departure first. A B747-400 was in position on runway 24L while some traffic that had lnded on runway 24R was crossing downfield. The B747 was then cleared to takeoff. With incredible foresight, my captain started his timer and told me to demand the full 2 minutes of wake turbulence separation when we got cleared into position and hold. Just as he predicted, we were cleared into position as the B747 was rotating. I acknowledged and requested 'the full two minutes.' we began rolling forward when the tower cancelled our clearance and cleared the J31 that had been on taxiway D-7 out on the runway in front of us. Obviously, this was in retaliation for our demand for wake turbulence separation. I was hoping the J31 crew would see what we were trying to do and likewise demand to wait the 2 minutes but they dutifully taxied onto the runway and immediately took off when cleared. Less than one minute had elapsed since the B747 has started his roll. The captain and I were in shock. Here we were, sitting in a brasilia easily twice the size of the jestream, refusing to launch into a B747's wake and they just followed orders and took off. We were cleared into position behind the J31 and subsequently took off. We made sure the two minutes were up before we pushed up the power. We encountered no wake problems and the J31 made no reports that I know of but the potential for disaster here was enormous. Lax tower has a history of these problems. Other planes in our company have been scolded on frequency for making turns after takeoff to get out of wake turbulence. I realize that lax is well over capacity and that the controllers are under serious pressure to get all these planes moved but safety is not something that can give in the name of expediency! The controllers' attitude is seriously flawed. This problem also shows in the unbelievable number of runway incursions and other ground control problems lax experiences on a very regular basis. They need to realize that they are clearing aircraft to perform specific actions. Whether and how these actions actually take place is still the purview of the flight crew. Yes, I know we make mistakes which ATC catches that saves the day and I'm immensely grateful but if the attitude of the controllers continues to degrade to that of a nun lambasting idiot students while shaking her ruler threateningly then the system is going to break down.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB120 RPTR DISTURBED WITH LAX TWR DISREGARD FOR WAKE TURB. SEPARATION POLICIES IN ORDER TO INCREASE TFC FLOW.

Narrative: GET OUT YOUR LAX ARPT DIAGRAM. WE WERE HOLDING NUMBER ONE ON TXWY C SHORT OF TXWY V NEXT TO RWY 24L. THIS POS ALLOWS US TO TAKE THE RWY BUT ALSO ALLOWS AN ACFT FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION ON TXWY D-7 TO TAKE THE RWY, DEPENDING ON WHO GETS RELEASED FROM SOCAL DEP FIRST. A B747-400 WAS IN POS ON RWY 24L WHILE SOME TFC THAT HAD LNDED ON RWY 24R WAS CROSSING DOWNFIELD. THE B747 WAS THEN CLRED TO TKOF. WITH INCREDIBLE FORESIGHT, MY CAPT STARTED HIS TIMER AND TOLD ME TO DEMAND THE FULL 2 MINUTES OF WAKE TURB SEPARATION WHEN WE GOT CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD. JUST AS HE PREDICTED, WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AS THE B747 WAS ROTATING. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND REQUESTED 'THE FULL TWO MINUTES.' WE BEGAN ROLLING FORWARD WHEN THE TWR CANCELLED OUR CLEARANCE AND CLRED THE J31 THAT HAD BEEN ON TXWY D-7 OUT ON THE RWY IN FRONT OF US. OBVIOUSLY, THIS WAS IN RETALIATION FOR OUR DEMAND FOR WAKE TURB SEPARATION. I WAS HOPING THE J31 CREW WOULD SEE WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO AND LIKEWISE DEMAND TO WAIT THE 2 MINUTES BUT THEY DUTIFULLY TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK OFF WHEN CLRED. LESS THAN ONE MINUTE HAD ELAPSED SINCE THE B747 HAS STARTED HIS ROLL. THE CAPT AND I WERE IN SHOCK. HERE WE WERE, SITTING IN A BRASILIA EASILY TWICE THE SIZE OF THE JESTREAM, REFUSING TO LAUNCH INTO A B747'S WAKE AND THEY JUST FOLLOWED ORDERS AND TOOK OFF. WE WERE CLRED INTO POS BEHIND THE J31 AND SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK OFF. WE MADE SURE THE TWO MINUTES WERE UP BEFORE WE PUSHED UP THE PWR. WE ENCOUNTERED NO WAKE PROBS AND THE J31 MADE NO RPTS THAT I KNOW OF BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER HERE WAS ENORMOUS. LAX TWR HAS A HISTORY OF THESE PROBS. OTHER PLANES IN OUR COMPANY HAVE BEEN SCOLDED ON FREQ FOR MAKING TURNS AFTER TKOF TO GET OUT OF WAKE TURB. I REALIZE THAT LAX IS WELL OVER CAPACITY AND THAT THE CTLRS ARE UNDER SERIOUS PRESSURE TO GET ALL THESE PLANES MOVED BUT SAFETY IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN GIVE IN THE NAME OF EXPEDIENCY! THE CTLRS' ATTITUDE IS SERIOUSLY FLAWED. THIS PROB ALSO SHOWS IN THE UNBELIEVABLE NUMBER OF RWY INCURSIONS AND OTHER GND CTL PROBS LAX EXPERIENCES ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS. THEY NEED TO REALIZE THAT THEY ARE CLRING ACFT TO PERFORM SPECIFIC ACTIONS. WHETHER AND HOW THESE ACTIONS ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE IS STILL THE PURVIEW OF THE FLC. YES, I KNOW WE MAKE MISTAKES WHICH ATC CATCHES THAT SAVES THE DAY AND I'M IMMENSELY GRATEFUL BUT IF THE ATTITUDE OF THE CTLRS CONTINUES TO DEGRADE TO THAT OF A NUN LAMBASTING IDIOT STUDENTS WHILE SHAKING HER RULER THREATENINGLY THEN THE SYS IS GOING TO BREAK DOWN.

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.