Narrative:

Tupelo tower cleared us for takeoff on runway 36. A C172 had been previously cleared for a touch and go. He was on his upwind leg and was told to make left traffic. On our takeoff roll, I noticed the C172 had not begun his left turn and had drifted a considerable distance to the east or right of the runway centerline. Our pretkof briefing mentioned to keep an eye on the C172 and were planning to depart behind the C172 by making a slight right turn to clear. At the point of rotation, I still noticed he had not begun his left traffic pattern, and the wind, being out of the northwest had continued his drift east to a point where I didn't think we would clear behind him. Upon gear retraction, we made an immediate left turn to avoid a potential conflict. During our turn and nose high attitude in the learjet, the C172 was out of sight for the turn. We turned to about 300 degrees after departing runway 36. This gave us clearance but a little closer than I would have liked, since he also finally turned left while we were in our turn. Things I felt should have been done are: 1) tupelo tower holding us until the C172 was in a left turn, 2) C172 holding the extended centerline applying the proper drift correction, 3) us delaying the takeoff for I assumed the C172 would have stayed on the extended centerline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LEARJET HAS A CONFLICT WITH A C172 AFTER TKOF AT TUP RWY 36.

Narrative: TUPELO TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 36. A C172 HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLRED FOR A TOUCH AND GO. HE WAS ON HIS UPWIND LEG AND WAS TOLD TO MAKE L TFC. ON OUR TKOF ROLL, I NOTICED THE C172 HAD NOT BEGUN HIS L TURN AND HAD DRIFTED A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE TO THE E OR R OF THE RWY CTRLINE. OUR PRETKOF BRIEFING MENTIONED TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE C172 AND WERE PLANNING TO DEPART BEHIND THE C172 BY MAKING A SLIGHT R TURN TO CLR. AT THE POINT OF ROTATION, I STILL NOTICED HE HAD NOT BEGUN HIS L TFC PATTERN, AND THE WIND, BEING OUT OF THE NW HAD CONTINUED HIS DRIFT E TO A POINT WHERE I DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD CLR BEHIND HIM. UPON GEAR RETRACTION, WE MADE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO AVOID A POTENTIAL CONFLICT. DURING OUR TURN AND NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE IN THE LEARJET, THE C172 WAS OUT OF SIGHT FOR THE TURN. WE TURNED TO ABOUT 300 DEGS AFTER DEPARTING RWY 36. THIS GAVE US CLRNC BUT A LITTLE CLOSER THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED, SINCE HE ALSO FINALLY TURNED L WHILE WE WERE IN OUR TURN. THINGS I FELT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE ARE: 1) TUPELO TWR HOLDING US UNTIL THE C172 WAS IN A L TURN, 2) C172 HOLDING THE EXTENDED CTRLINE APPLYING THE PROPER DRIFT CORRECTION, 3) US DELAYING THE TKOF FOR I ASSUMED THE C172 WOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE EXTENDED CTRLINE.

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.