Narrative:

On taxiout the runway 36R we were cleared for takeoff. Observing a commuter on a 2 mi final, we rolled onto the runway. This is when we observed small aircraft Y single on the runway in position about 2000' down the runway. We aborted the takeoff and continued the roll toward the bypass/turnoff, anticipating a request by the tower to clear the runway knowing that both aircraft could not be airborne in time. The tower had both of us clear the runway and the commuter to go around. We had acknowledged the takeoff clearance, but 2 of us ended up on the runway at once. Using multiple departure points on a single runway from different ramps can lead to a situation like this. Some sort of backup confirmation of a takeoff clearance or an ATIS notification of multiple departure points could help in this situation. Some runways do not have a clear view of all entry points due to slope or terrain. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: a few days after this incident reporter was contacted by telephone by his chief pilot. He was informed that enforcement action was being contemplated because the tower claimed he had taxied onto the runway and started takeoff west/O clearance. They claimed that takeoff clearance was for another aircraft. Reporter stated that he and his first officer had heard 'cleared for immediate takeoff,' and had started a rolling takeoff. They saw the small aircraft on the runway at D2 and immediately aborted their takeoff. Reporter now speculates that they did takeoff with clearance that was meant for the small aircraft that was already on the runway at the intersection. Tower was having difficulty communicating with the small aircraft on the runway. Place of occurrence was learned during callback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR-MLG STARTED AND ABORTED TKOF WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON RWY. ARR MADE GO AROUND.

Narrative: ON TAXIOUT THE RWY 36R WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. OBSERVING A COMMUTER ON A 2 MI FINAL, WE ROLLED ONTO THE RWY. THIS IS WHEN WE OBSERVED SMA Y SINGLE ON THE RWY IN POS ABOUT 2000' DOWN THE RWY. WE ABORTED THE TKOF AND CONTINUED THE ROLL TOWARD THE BYPASS/TURNOFF, ANTICIPATING A REQUEST BY THE TWR TO CLR THE RWY KNOWING THAT BOTH ACFT COULD NOT BE AIRBORNE IN TIME. THE TWR HAD BOTH OF US CLR THE RWY AND THE COMMUTER TO GO AROUND. WE HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THE TKOF CLRNC, BUT 2 OF US ENDED UP ON THE RWY AT ONCE. USING MULTIPLE DEP POINTS ON A SINGLE RWY FROM DIFFERENT RAMPS CAN LEAD TO A SITUATION LIKE THIS. SOME SORT OF BACKUP CONFIRMATION OF A TKOF CLRNC OR AN ATIS NOTIFICATION OF MULTIPLE DEP POINTS COULD HELP IN THIS SITUATION. SOME RWYS DO NOT HAVE A CLR VIEW OF ALL ENTRY POINTS DUE TO SLOPE OR TERRAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: A FEW DAYS AFTER THIS INCIDENT RPTR WAS CONTACTED BY TELEPHONE BY HIS CHIEF PLT. HE WAS INFORMED THAT ENFORCEMENT ACTION WAS BEING CONTEMPLATED BECAUSE THE TWR CLAIMED HE HAD TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AND STARTED TKOF W/O CLRNC. THEY CLAIMED THAT TKOF CLRNC WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT. RPTR STATED THAT HE AND HIS F/O HAD HEARD 'CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF,' AND HAD STARTED A ROLLING TKOF. THEY SAW THE SMA ON THE RWY AT D2 AND IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THEIR TKOF. RPTR NOW SPECULATES THAT THEY DID TKOF WITH CLRNC THAT WAS MEANT FOR THE SMA THAT WAS ALREADY ON THE RWY AT THE INTXN. TWR WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH THE SMA ON THE RWY. PLACE OF OCCURRENCE WAS LEARNED DURING CALLBACK.

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.