Operational error.

Attributes
ACN	290743
Time
Date	199411
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phl
State Reference	PA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Metro Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	290743
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Captain and I were operating flight, phl orh, last leg. First day of a 3 day trip. We were waiting for departure from runway 35 -- full length. A metropolitan landed. Shortly after we were cleared for takeoff and executed a normal takeoff. As we rotated the tower asked the metropolitan to 'expedite clearing the active.' we looked over the nose of our aircraft, a DH8, and saw a metropolitan still taxiing on runway 35, 300 or 400 yards from the end. We were both very surprised as neither one of us had seen him. This incident was a reminder of how difficult it is to see aircraft on the ground at night, especially when they are 5000 ft away. Msu -- credit goes to the tower controller. Although he screwed up by giving us our takeoff clearance. He would have made things much worse if he had pointed it out to us near V1 -- if we had attempted an abort then it is doubtful we could have stopped without either hitting the metropolitan or, more likely, running off the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERROR.

Narrative: CAPT AND I WERE OPERATING FLT, PHL ORH, LAST LEG. FIRST DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP. WE WERE WAITING FOR DEP FROM RWY 35 -- FULL LENGTH. A METRO LANDED. SHORTLY AFTER WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND EXECUTED A NORMAL TKOF. AS WE ROTATED THE TWR ASKED THE METRO TO 'EXPEDITE CLRING THE ACTIVE.' WE LOOKED OVER THE NOSE OF OUR ACFT, A DH8, AND SAW A METRO STILL TAXIING ON RWY 35, 300 OR 400 YARDS FROM THE END. WE WERE BOTH VERY SURPRISED AS NEITHER ONE OF US HAD SEEN HIM. THIS INCIDENT WAS A REMINDER OF HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO SEE ACFT ON THE GND AT NIGHT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE 5000 FT AWAY. MSU -- CREDIT GOES TO THE TWR CTLR. ALTHOUGH HE SCREWED UP BY GIVING US OUR TKOF CLRNC. HE WOULD HAVE MADE THINGS MUCH WORSE IF HE HAD POINTED IT OUT TO US NEAR V1 -- IF WE HAD ATTEMPTED AN ABORT THEN IT IS DOUBTFUL WE COULD HAVE STOPPED WITHOUT EITHER HITTING THE METRO OR, MORE LIKELY, RUNNING OFF THE RWY.

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.