Potential conflict. Takeoff aborted.

Attributes
ACN	150095
Time
Date	199007
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : private pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 230
ASRS Report	150095
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight xx/atl-slt (air carrier xx). We were cleared into position to hold on runway 8R by control tower. We were then cleared 'air carrier xx at the middle marker fly heading 070, cleared for takeoff.' we began to advance the power for takeoff at xa:56 local time. Both the first officer and I noticed that the aircraft taking off ahead of us had not yet rotated. I then heard the tower controller ask the aircraft ahead of us if he was aborting. I did not hear a reply, then I heard the tower controller transmit, 'air carrier xx, taxi into position and hold.' I knew that there was some confusion in the tower because he had already cleared us for takeoff. I immediately aborted. We could still see the aircraft ahead of us still on the runway. He had aborted and had not yet cleared the runway. Then the tower controller transmitted, 'air carrier xx, cancel your takeoff clearance.' we were at 30-40 KTS when we aborted. The visibility was good and we could see the aircraft ahead still on the runway, so we were anticipating the abort. However, had the visibility been bad, it could have been disastrous. The tower controller cleared us for takeoff before the aircraft ahead of us had rotated. This, in my opinion, is always unsafe.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT. TKOF ABORTED.

Narrative: FLT XX/ATL-SLT (ACR XX). WE WERE CLRED INTO POS TO HOLD ON RWY 8R BY CTL TWR. WE WERE THEN CLRED 'ACR XX AT THE MIDDLE MARKER FLY HDG 070, CLRED FOR TKOF.' WE BEGAN TO ADVANCE THE PWR FOR TKOF AT XA:56 LCL TIME. BOTH THE F/O AND I NOTICED THAT THE ACFT TAKING OFF AHEAD OF US HAD NOT YET ROTATED. I THEN HEARD THE TWR CTLR ASK THE ACFT AHEAD OF US IF HE WAS ABORTING. I DID NOT HEAR A REPLY, THEN I HEARD THE TWR CTLR XMIT, 'ACR XX, TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' I KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION IN THE TWR BECAUSE HE HAD ALREADY CLRED US FOR TKOF. I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED. WE COULD STILL SEE THE ACFT AHEAD OF US STILL ON THE RWY. HE HAD ABORTED AND HAD NOT YET CLRED THE RWY. THEN THE TWR CTLR XMITTED, 'ACR XX, CANCEL YOUR TKOF CLRNC.' WE WERE AT 30-40 KTS WHEN WE ABORTED. THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD AND WE COULD SEE THE ACFT AHEAD STILL ON THE RWY, SO WE WERE ANTICIPATING THE ABORT. HOWEVER, HAD THE VISIBILITY BEEN BAD, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. THE TWR CTLR CLRED US FOR TKOF BEFORE THE ACFT AHEAD OF US HAD ROTATED. THIS, IN MY OPINION, IS ALWAYS UNSAFE.

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