Narrative:

I was cleared for takeoff runway 28. I just rotated the aircraft; and was roughly 1-2 ft off the ground when the tower told me to 'cancel takeoff;' then 'continue.' the aircraft that was cleared to land runway 22; passed very close behind me. 'That was close' was heard on frequency. I was unable to see the oncoming aircraft due to trees and the wing of the aircraft. I was able to see an aircraft rolling out on the runway 22 as I looked behind me. The tower then said it was 'perfectly legal.' I'd agree. But it was not safe. Having the tower tell a pilot to abort a takeoff while just airborne is unsafe; distracting; and not professional. Had I listened to this instruction; the PIC would have been at fault; and in the trees at the end of the runway. The tower seemed distraction with unusual flight activity in the area; as well as a partial IFR system failure that was stated on frequency; and full attention was not given to the current inbound (22) and outbound (28) runway traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SMA PLT ON CDW'S RWY 28 REPORTS HAVING THE TKOF CANCELED; THEN 'CONTINUE.' A SMA ACFT LNDG RWY 22 PASSED VERY NEAR BEHIND. ATC ACCEPTED CONFLICT AS 'ACCEPTABLE.'

Narrative: I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 28. I JUST ROTATED THE ACFT; AND WAS ROUGHLY 1-2 FT OFF THE GND WHEN THE TWR TOLD ME TO 'CANCEL TKOF;' THEN 'CONTINUE.' THE ACFT THAT WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 22; PASSED VERY CLOSE BEHIND ME. 'THAT WAS CLOSE' WAS HEARD ON FREQ. I WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE ONCOMING ACFT DUE TO TREES AND THE WING OF THE ACFT. I WAS ABLE TO SEE AN ACFT ROLLING OUT ON THE RWY 22 AS I LOOKED BEHIND ME. THE TWR THEN SAID IT WAS 'PERFECTLY LEGAL.' I'D AGREE. BUT IT WAS NOT SAFE. HAVING THE TWR TELL A PLT TO ABORT A TKOF WHILE JUST AIRBORNE IS UNSAFE; DISTRACTING; AND NOT PROFESSIONAL. HAD I LISTENED TO THIS INSTRUCTION; THE PIC WOULD HAVE BEEN AT FAULT; AND IN THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RWY. THE TWR SEEMED DISTR WITH UNUSUAL FLT ACTIVITY IN THE AREA; AS WELL AS A PARTIAL IFR SYS FAILURE THAT WAS STATED ON FREQ; AND FULL ATTN WAS NOT GIVEN TO THE CURRENT INBOUND (22) AND OUTBOUND (28) RWY TFC.

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.