Narrative:

The tower local controller was having situational awareness problems and a high workload. He changed an aircraft's landing runway from runway 21 to runway 15 and another's from runway 15 to runway 21. He cleared air carrier X into position and hold but we were blocked by an aircraft. Then, when the aircraft had been cleared for takeoff, a few mins later he cleared the aircraft behind us into position and hold. The aircraft said they were blocked, and he had to ask us who we were. The aircraft that was involved with us was cleared to land runway 15, then instructed to hold short of runway 21. I don't remember him being told to exit the runway. That should have been an alarm, but I am so used to people just automatically clearing the runway I didn't think about it. We were cleared into position, then given an immediate takeoff clearance. We rounded the corner and I applied normal takeoff power. I was the PF. Approximately 1000-1500 ft down the runway, I said 'I think there is an aircraft on the runway.' it had been hard to see because it was aligned with the runway and was a low winged small aircraft. The captain looked up and at this point I said 'there is an aircraft on the runway.' there was probably a 1 or 2 second delay and he said rotate. We lifted off and cleared by approximately 100-150 ft. The controller also seemed to be trying to 'push' as many airplanes out as he could because there were quite a few airplanes in the line-up for both runways. Supplemental information from acn 236761: decision was made to continue to vr and fly over the parked aircraft. If we had aborted I'm not sure we could have stopped without hitting the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X TKOF ON OCCUPIED RWY HAD LTSS FROM SMA.

Narrative: THE TWR LCL CTLR WAS HAVING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS PROBS AND A HIGH WORKLOAD. HE CHANGED AN ACFT'S LNDG RWY FROM RWY 21 TO RWY 15 AND ANOTHER'S FROM RWY 15 TO RWY 21. HE CLRED ACR X INTO POS AND HOLD BUT WE WERE BLOCKED BY AN ACFT. THEN, WHEN THE ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF, A FEW MINS LATER HE CLRED THE ACFT BEHIND US INTO POS AND HOLD. THE ACFT SAID THEY WERE BLOCKED, AND HE HAD TO ASK US WHO WE WERE. THE ACFT THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH US WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 15, THEN INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 21. I DON'T REMEMBER HIM BEING TOLD TO EXIT THE RWY. THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN ALARM, BUT I AM SO USED TO PEOPLE JUST AUTOMATICALLY CLRING THE RWY I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT. WE WERE CLRED INTO POS, THEN GIVEN AN IMMEDIATE TKOF CLRNC. WE ROUNDED THE CORNER AND I APPLIED NORMAL TKOF PWR. I WAS THE PF. APPROX 1000-1500 FT DOWN THE RWY, I SAID 'I THINK THERE IS AN ACFT ON THE RWY.' IT HAD BEEN HARD TO SEE BECAUSE IT WAS ALIGNED WITH THE RWY AND WAS A LOW WINGED SMA. THE CAPT LOOKED UP AND AT THIS POINT I SAID 'THERE IS AN ACFT ON THE RWY.' THERE WAS PROBABLY A 1 OR 2 SECOND DELAY AND HE SAID ROTATE. WE LIFTED OFF AND CLRED BY APPROX 100-150 FT. THE CTLR ALSO SEEMED TO BE TRYING TO 'PUSH' AS MANY AIRPLANES OUT AS HE COULD BECAUSE THERE WERE QUITE A FEW AIRPLANES IN THE LINE-UP FOR BOTH RWYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 236761: DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE TO VR AND FLY OVER THE PARKED ACFT. IF WE HAD ABORTED I'M NOT SURE WE COULD HAVE STOPPED WITHOUT HITTING THE ACFT.

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.