Narrative:

Little rock tower was using intersecting runways for departures--runways 18 and 22. The tower cleared an light transport for departure on runway 18. After he had xed the centerline of runway 22 my flight, air carrier medium large transport, was cleared for takeoff with a left turn after takeoff on runway 22. The first officer was flying. As we rotated, the first officer said, 'oh south .' to our right was a single engine small aircraft that had just lifted off runway 18. Initially it looked like we would have to either go over him or under him but he had seen us and began a hard right turn, we began and early left turn keeping him in sight and avoiding a conflict. When informed by the tower that he had not been given takeoff clearance, the pilot of the small aircraft responded, something to the effect that he thought his clearance, into position his discretion behind the light transport was a takeoff clearance. The problem was caused by either non standard phraseology on the part of the tower or by a misunderstanding of his clearance by the pilot of the small aircraft. The utilization of intersecting runways was a contributing factor. I feel this incident points out the fact that the tower must be more vigilant when intersecting runways are in use. If the tower had noticed the small aircraft on the takeoff roll they could have notified us and we would have aborted the takeoff. As it happened the tower apparently didn't notice the small aircraft until we started our early turn.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG GA-SMA. SIMULTANEOUS TKOF FROM INTERSECTING RWYS.

Narrative: LITTLE ROCK TWR WAS USING INTERSECTING RWYS FOR DEPS--RWYS 18 AND 22. THE TWR CLRED AN LTT FOR DEP ON RWY 18. AFTER HE HAD XED THE CENTERLINE OF RWY 22 MY FLT, ACR MLG, WAS CLRED FOR TKOF WITH A LEFT TURN AFTER TKOF ON RWY 22. THE F/O WAS FLYING. AS WE ROTATED, THE F/O SAID, 'OH S .' TO OUR RIGHT WAS A SINGLE ENG SMA THAT HAD JUST LIFTED OFF RWY 18. INITIALLY IT LOOKED LIKE WE WOULD HAVE TO EITHER GO OVER HIM OR UNDER HIM BUT HE HAD SEEN US AND BEGAN A HARD RIGHT TURN, WE BEGAN AND EARLY LEFT TURN KEEPING HIM IN SIGHT AND AVOIDING A CONFLICT. WHEN INFORMED BY THE TWR THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN TKOF CLRNC, THE PLT OF THE SMA RESPONDED, SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT HE THOUGHT HIS CLRNC, INTO POS HIS DISCRETION BEHIND THE LTT WAS A TKOF CLRNC. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY EITHER NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY ON THE PART OF THE TWR OR BY A MISUNDERSTANDING OF HIS CLRNC BY THE PLT OF THE SMA. THE UTILIZATION OF INTERSECTING RWYS WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. I FEEL THIS INCIDENT POINTS OUT THE FACT THAT THE TWR MUST BE MORE VIGILANT WHEN INTERSECTING RWYS ARE IN USE. IF THE TWR HAD NOTICED THE SMA ON THE TKOF ROLL THEY COULD HAVE NOTIFIED US AND WE WOULD HAVE ABORTED THE TKOF. AS IT HAPPENED THE TWR APPARENTLY DIDN'T NOTICE THE SMA UNTIL WE STARTED OUR EARLY TURN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.