Narrative:

Cleared to taxi to runway 17R at hrl. Looked at winds and taxi time, so we requested taxi to runway 13. Ground cleared us to runway 13. As we approached the runway, all cockpit checks were finished, so we called for takeoff. Tower cleared us for takeoff. We finished our remaining runway checklist items as we rolled onto the runway and started takeoff. As I rotated, small aircraft Y came out of the upper left corner of my windscreen. He was on upwind for runway 17L at approximately 250'. A normal takeoff would have resulted in a midair, so I got airborne and kept the aircraft at approximately 20' as I cleaned it up. We passed directly under aircraft Y. I would estimate the tail missed small aircraft Y by about 100-150'. Tower was asked if he had aircraft Y, and after a silence, tower said he was controling small aircraft Y. After further discussion, it was decided not to file a near midair, as we could see no possible benefit. Possibly tower was still thinking of us taking off on runway 17R instead of 13. Tower made a mistake, but 3 sets of eyeballs in our cockpit should have seen the light plane sooner than we did. From now on, I lean forward at the beginning of takeoff to clear a larger area of sky. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter did not file any formal complaint or near midair collision report with FAA. Thought controller had learned all there was to learn from incident and had expressed regret on frequency. Thinks small aircraft Y was completing a touch and go on runway 17L, and that the pilot of Y did not see air carrier X until they had passed each other. Heard small aircraft Y on tower local controller frequency after incident. Says that divider bar in cockpit window obstructs view and he will develop habit of moving head to get the complete picture.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION AND VERY CLOSE NMAC BETWEEN ACR AND SMA. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 17R AT HRL. LOOKED AT WINDS AND TAXI TIME, SO WE REQUESTED TAXI TO RWY 13. GND CLRED US TO RWY 13. AS WE APCHED THE RWY, ALL COCKPIT CHKS WERE FINISHED, SO WE CALLED FOR TKOF. TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. WE FINISHED OUR REMAINING RWY CHKLIST ITEMS AS WE ROLLED ONTO THE RWY AND STARTED TKOF. AS I ROTATED, SMA Y CAME OUT OF THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF MY WINDSCREEN. HE WAS ON UPWIND FOR RWY 17L AT APPROX 250'. A NORMAL TKOF WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MIDAIR, SO I GOT AIRBORNE AND KEPT THE ACFT AT APPROX 20' AS I CLEANED IT UP. WE PASSED DIRECTLY UNDER ACFT Y. I WOULD ESTIMATE THE TAIL MISSED SMA Y BY ABOUT 100-150'. TWR WAS ASKED IF HE HAD ACFT Y, AND AFTER A SILENCE, TWR SAID HE WAS CTLING SMA Y. AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION, IT WAS DECIDED NOT TO FILE A NEAR MIDAIR, AS WE COULD SEE NO POSSIBLE BENEFIT. POSSIBLY TWR WAS STILL THINKING OF US TAKING OFF ON RWY 17R INSTEAD OF 13. TWR MADE A MISTAKE, BUT 3 SETS OF EYEBALLS IN OUR COCKPIT SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT PLANE SOONER THAN WE DID. FROM NOW ON, I LEAN FORWARD AT THE BEGINNING OF TKOF TO CLR A LARGER AREA OF SKY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR DID NOT FILE ANY FORMAL COMPLAINT OR NMAC REPORT WITH FAA. THOUGHT CTLR HAD LEARNED ALL THERE WAS TO LEARN FROM INCIDENT AND HAD EXPRESSED REGRET ON FREQ. THINKS SMA Y WAS COMPLETING A TOUCH AND GO ON RWY 17L, AND THAT THE PLT OF Y DID NOT SEE ACR X UNTIL THEY HAD PASSED EACH OTHER. HEARD SMA Y ON TWR LCL CTLR FREQ AFTER INCIDENT. SAYS THAT DIVIDER BAR IN COCKPIT WINDOW OBSTRUCTS VIEW AND HE WILL DEVELOP HABIT OF MOVING HEAD TO GET THE COMPLETE PICTURE.

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.