Narrative:

I was the captain on flight departing hnl. Hnl tower cleared our flight into position on runway 8R. Shortly thereafter; we were cleared for takeoff. I noticed that just prior to our takeoff clearance; an air carrier was cleared for takeoff from runway 8L. Normally; when using the reef runway (8R) for departure; we are not cleared for takeoff until the departing aircraft from the left runway has crossed the extended centerline of our runway; thus ensuring adequate separation of both departing aircraft. On this day; I noticed that the air carrier departing the left had not started its right turn to crosswind as we were accelerated our takeoff roll. I called the tower and asked if we were going to follow the air carrier jet taking off on runway 8L. After a surprising delay; the tower controller responded by simply repeating our clearance to take off on runway 8R. Controller did not respond to my question regarding our following the air carrier jet departing on the parallel runway. As we continued to accelerate; I again transmitted to hnl tower; repeating my query whether we were to follow the air carrier jet taking off on the parallel. As we rotated; another tower controller came on the frequency and commented that we would not catch up to the air carrier jet. The tone of his voice was sarcastic; and again; still did not answer the question I had now asked twice during our takeoff roll. Now well established into our takeoff; did not have time for a debate with a controller; and I bluntly responded that I was not asking for his opinion -- I wanted to know if we were to follow the air carrier jet currently crossing our runway centerline. After becoming airborne and; following this second; unprofessional and unhelpful transmission from the tower; I decided to focus on separation without his assistance (I no longer had confidence in his performance or attitude) and we departed uneventfully. It's interesting to note that the air carrier signed off with tower (as they switched to hcf departure) with a comment to the effect of I guess he didn't hit me. It sounded like both of these folks thought this was funny. I do not find it amusing at all. This was the first time I have ever been put in a position to become airborne on runway 8R with an aircraft airborne off the parallel on runway 8L but still left of the extended centerline of runway 8R (and expected to cross it on departure). A competent and experienced controller would have recognized my xmissions for what they were -- a discreet indication that I was concerned about the safe separation of my aircraft from the other jet departing the parallel. When a pilot requests time-critical information from the tower -- particularly during a critical phase of flight such as a takeoff roll -- he should expect a direct and useful answer to that query. During this incident; the controllers in hnl tower working our flight failed to deliver that information to us; and in so doing failed to perform their duties in a professional or competent manner. Their actions had the potential to jeopardize the safe operation of several aircraft that day. This event also failed to live up to the normally high level of professional performance I've come to expect from the hnl tower crews. It may be germane to note that the controller who initially cleared us for takeoff was a voice I was not familiar with; and the character and content of the communications with me (and several other aircraft that I observed) seemed to indicate newness to the operation. Perhaps there was training going on at the time of our incident. That might explain why my request about following the air carrier jet was answered by a second takeoff clearance; instead of a useful answer to my question. The follow-on communication from the controller was not only unhelpful; the sarcasm and refusal to answer my specific question at all was actually a significant distraction for us during takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DEP FROM HNL RWY 8R QUESTIONED RWY 8L DEP AND POTENTIAL CONFLICT; CITING CTLR SPACING JUDGEMENT AND ATTITUDE AS QUESTIONABLE.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT DEPARTING HNL. HNL TWR CLRED OUR FLT INTO POS ON RWY 8R. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. I NOTICED THAT JUST PRIOR TO OUR TKOF CLRNC; AN ACR WAS CLRED FOR TKOF FROM RWY 8L. NORMALLY; WHEN USING THE REEF RWY (8R) FOR DEP; WE ARE NOT CLRED FOR TKOF UNTIL THE DEPARTING ACFT FROM THE L RWY HAS CROSSED THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF OUR RWY; THUS ENSURING ADEQUATE SEPARATION OF BOTH DEPARTING ACFT. ON THIS DAY; I NOTICED THAT THE ACR DEPARTING THE L HAD NOT STARTED ITS R TURN TO XWIND AS WE WERE ACCELERATED OUR TKOF ROLL. I CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO FOLLOW THE ACR JET TAKING OFF ON RWY 8L. AFTER A SURPRISING DELAY; THE TWR CTLR RESPONDED BY SIMPLY REPEATING OUR CLRNC TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 8R. CTLR DID NOT RESPOND TO MY QUESTION REGARDING OUR FOLLOWING THE ACR JET DEPARTING ON THE PARALLEL RWY. AS WE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE; I AGAIN XMITTED TO HNL TWR; REPEATING MY QUERY WHETHER WE WERE TO FOLLOW THE ACR JET TAKING OFF ON THE PARALLEL. AS WE ROTATED; ANOTHER TWR CTLR CAME ON THE FREQ AND COMMENTED THAT WE WOULD NOT CATCH UP TO THE ACR JET. THE TONE OF HIS VOICE WAS SARCASTIC; AND AGAIN; STILL DID NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION I HAD NOW ASKED TWICE DURING OUR TKOF ROLL. NOW WELL ESTABLISHED INTO OUR TKOF; DID NOT HAVE TIME FOR A DEBATE WITH A CTLR; AND I BLUNTLY RESPONDED THAT I WAS NOT ASKING FOR HIS OPINION -- I WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WERE TO FOLLOW THE ACR JET CURRENTLY XING OUR RWY CTRLINE. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE AND; FOLLOWING THIS SECOND; UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNHELPFUL XMISSION FROM THE TWR; I DECIDED TO FOCUS ON SEPARATION WITHOUT HIS ASSISTANCE (I NO LONGER HAD CONFIDENCE IN HIS PERFORMANCE OR ATTITUDE) AND WE DEPARTED UNEVENTFULLY. IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE ACR SIGNED OFF WITH TWR (AS THEY SWITCHED TO HCF DEP) WITH A COMMENT TO THE EFFECT OF I GUESS HE DIDN'T HIT ME. IT SOUNDED LIKE BOTH OF THESE FOLKS THOUGHT THIS WAS FUNNY. I DO NOT FIND IT AMUSING AT ALL. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER BEEN PUT IN A POS TO BECOME AIRBORNE ON RWY 8R WITH AN ACFT AIRBORNE OFF THE PARALLEL ON RWY 8L BUT STILL L OF THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 8R (AND EXPECTED TO CROSS IT ON DEP). A COMPETENT AND EXPERIENCED CTLR WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED MY XMISSIONS FOR WHAT THEY WERE -- A DISCREET INDICATION THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFE SEPARATION OF MY ACFT FROM THE OTHER JET DEPARTING THE PARALLEL. WHEN A PLT REQUESTS TIME-CRITICAL INFO FROM THE TWR -- PARTICULARLY DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT SUCH AS A TKOF ROLL -- HE SHOULD EXPECT A DIRECT AND USEFUL ANSWER TO THAT QUERY. DURING THIS INCIDENT; THE CTLRS IN HNL TWR WORKING OUR FLT FAILED TO DELIVER THAT INFO TO US; AND IN SO DOING FAILED TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES IN A PROFESSIONAL OR COMPETENT MANNER. THEIR ACTIONS HAD THE POTENTIAL TO JEOPARDIZE THE SAFE OP OF SEVERAL ACFT THAT DAY. THIS EVENT ALSO FAILED TO LIVE UP TO THE NORMALLY HIGH LEVEL OF PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE I'VE COME TO EXPECT FROM THE HNL TWR CREWS. IT MAY BE GERMANE TO NOTE THAT THE CTLR WHO INITIALLY CLRED US FOR TKOF WAS A VOICE I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH; AND THE CHARACTER AND CONTENT OF THE COMS WITH ME (AND SEVERAL OTHER ACFT THAT I OBSERVED) SEEMED TO INDICATE NEWNESS TO THE OP. PERHAPS THERE WAS TRAINING GOING ON AT THE TIME OF OUR INCIDENT. THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY MY REQUEST ABOUT FOLLOWING THE ACR JET WAS ANSWERED BY A SECOND TKOF CLRNC; INSTEAD OF A USEFUL ANSWER TO MY QUESTION. THE FOLLOW-ON COM FROM THE CTLR WAS NOT ONLY UNHELPFUL; THE SARCASM AND REFUSAL TO ANSWER MY SPECIFIC QUESTION AT ALL WAS ACTUALLY A SIGNIFICANT DISTR FOR US DURING TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.