Narrative:

I was on a check ride for an aircraft checkout. We taxied out to the runway and were holding short as we briefed the takeoff and I was teaching points related to the maneuver to be conducted. After completing the pre-takeoff briefing I requested takeoff with a short delay on the runway; which was approved by tower. The instruction was quickly read back and we began to roll onto the runway. There was some miscommunication in the cockpit between the PIC and myself as I was explaining the take off as we entered the runway environment. Believing we had been cleared for take off we began the roll. We lifted off and as we were coming to the intersection of the intersecting runway at an altitude of 250 ft we saw a beech 1900 landing on the intersecting runway. We were switched over to approach control where we made the decision to return to the airfield for landing. On approach; we were notified of 'possible pilot deviation' by ATC and instructed to contact them upon landing. I believe this situation was a result of a combination of factors: general nervousness due to being in a check ride environment which caused a narrowing of awareness of sorts. Being somewhat new to the aircraft I was fixated on making sure new checklist items were complete and that I hadn't forgotten anything. Task saturation also seemed to play a roll; we know take-off is one of the busiest phases of flight and combining that with explaining new material on a relatively unfamiliar aircraft led to a loss of situational awareness by both the pilot flying and the PIC. This incident could have been prevented by slowing down and trying to reduce the number of tasks being performed at once in such a critical part of flight. Perhaps [we need to start] making it a practice of both pilots to concur with each other when entering the runway whether they are cleared to take off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A licensed pilot and his flight instructor on an instructor check ride took off and had a critical conflict with an arriving aircraft on an intersecting runway; because of task saturation; stress and a communications misunderstanding.

Narrative: I was on a check ride for an aircraft checkout. We taxied out to the runway and were holding short as we briefed the takeoff and I was teaching points related to the maneuver to be conducted. After completing the pre-takeoff briefing I requested takeoff with a short delay on the runway; which was approved by Tower. The instruction was quickly read back and we began to roll onto the runway. There was some miscommunication in the cockpit between the PIC and myself as I was explaining the take off as we entered the runway environment. Believing we had been cleared for take off we began the roll. We lifted off and as we were coming to the intersection of the intersecting runway at an altitude of 250 FT we saw a Beech 1900 landing on the intersecting runway. We were switched over to Approach Control where we made the decision to return to the airfield for landing. On approach; we were notified of 'possible pilot deviation' by ATC and instructed to contact them upon landing. I believe this situation was a result of a combination of factors: general nervousness due to being in a check ride environment which caused a narrowing of awareness of sorts. Being somewhat new to the aircraft I was fixated on making sure new checklist items were complete and that I hadn't forgotten anything. Task saturation also seemed to play a roll; we know take-off is one of the busiest phases of flight and combining that with explaining new material on a relatively unfamiliar aircraft led to a loss of situational awareness by both the pilot flying and the PIC. This incident could have been prevented by slowing down and trying to reduce the number of tasks being performed at once in such a critical part of flight. Perhaps [we need to start] making it a practice of both pilots to concur with each other when entering the runway whether they are cleared to take off.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.