Narrative:

While holding short of runway 19R for departure we noticed that the tower controller was allowing aircraft to depart and land in opposite directions on both runways 19R and 1L. Our departure roll and rotation were uneventful. While climbing through approximately 1300 ft the tower controller gave a clearance to level at 1500 ft and to fly the runway heading. We were climbing at almost 4000 FPM as we were doing the required noise abatement maximum performance climb. The captain who was the PF did a nice job of reducing power; stopping the climb and retracing the flaps. We stopped the climb at about 1700 ft and descended back down to 1500 ft. We were level at 1500 ft and 200 KTS proceeding out over the water and gaining on an aircraft ahead of us at our altitude that we could see visually. I queried the controller twice about the traffic and could not get an answer out of him. He then turned us over to departure. I immediately switched over and advised of the traffic. The controller gave us an immediate right turn to 250 degrees and instructed us to climb. I asked him what was going on as the previous controller's actions in requesting us to level off while performing a maximum performance takeoff and that not responding to us was unacceptable. He stated that it appeared the aircraft that departed ahead of us 'botched' the departure procedure and the tower controller did not notice it until we were already airborne. It appears that the tower controller totally screwed things up and then froze up. If it were not for our immediate and precise actions; who knows what would have happened. This airport is an accident waiting to happen. Supplemental information from acn 810209: in my opinion the problem was the tower controller was trying to do too much with other aircraft in the pattern on departure and not planning very well. He got behind and then would not respond to our radio calls about the traffic conflict he had caused with the preceding aircraft that took off in front of us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRCARRIER CREW REPORTS A CONFLICT WITH PREVIOUSLY DEPARTING TRAFFIC OFF OF SNA 19R. SNA LOCAL CONTROLLER WAS VERY BUSY AND DID NOT ADEQUATELY SEPARATE OR COMMUNICATE WITH TRAFFIC.

Narrative: WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 19R FOR DEP WE NOTICED THAT THE TWR CTLR WAS ALLOWING ACFT TO DEPART AND LAND IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS ON BOTH RWYS 19R AND 1L. OUR DEP ROLL AND ROTATION WERE UNEVENTFUL. WHILE CLBING THROUGH APPROX 1300 FT THE TWR CTLR GAVE A CLRNC TO LEVEL AT 1500 FT AND TO FLY THE RWY HDG. WE WERE CLBING AT ALMOST 4000 FPM AS WE WERE DOING THE REQUIRED NOISE ABATEMENT MAX PERFORMANCE CLB. THE CAPT WHO WAS THE PF DID A NICE JOB OF REDUCING PWR; STOPPING THE CLB AND RETRACING THE FLAPS. WE STOPPED THE CLB AT ABOUT 1700 FT AND DSNDED BACK DOWN TO 1500 FT. WE WERE LEVEL AT 1500 FT AND 200 KTS PROCEEDING OUT OVER THE WATER AND GAINING ON AN ACFT AHEAD OF US AT OUR ALT THAT WE COULD SEE VISUALLY. I QUERIED THE CTLR TWICE ABOUT THE TFC AND COULD NOT GET AN ANSWER OUT OF HIM. HE THEN TURNED US OVER TO DEP. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED OVER AND ADVISED OF THE TFC. THE CTLR GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 250 DEGS AND INSTRUCTED US TO CLB. I ASKED HIM WHAT WAS GOING ON AS THE PREVIOUS CTLR'S ACTIONS IN REQUESTING US TO LEVEL OFF WHILE PERFORMING A MAX PERFORMANCE TKOF AND THAT NOT RESPONDING TO US WAS UNACCEPTABLE. HE STATED THAT IT APPEARED THE ACFT THAT DEPARTED AHEAD OF US 'BOTCHED' THE DEP PROC AND THE TWR CTLR DID NOT NOTICE IT UNTIL WE WERE ALREADY AIRBORNE. IT APPEARS THAT THE TWR CTLR TOTALLY SCREWED THINGS UP AND THEN FROZE UP. IF IT WERE NOT FOR OUR IMMEDIATE AND PRECISE ACTIONS; WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. THIS ARPT IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 810209: IN MY OPINION THE PROB WAS THE TWR CTLR WAS TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH WITH OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN ON DEP AND NOT PLANNING VERY WELL. HE GOT BEHIND AND THEN WOULD NOT RESPOND TO OUR RADIO CALLS ABOUT THE TFC CONFLICT HE HAD CAUSED WITH THE PRECEDING ACFT THAT TOOK OFF IN FRONT OF US.

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.