Narrative:

We were flying air carrier a flight from lax to ind. It was day VMC. We were holding short of runway 25L at lax. An air carrier B 747 (I don't remember the flight number) landed on runway 25L and was told to turn right off the runway hold short of runway 25R and remain on tower frequency. The air carrier B turned right 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down the runway. A commuter metropolitan landed shortly thereafter and turned off midfield or sooner. We were cleared for takeoff. The tower controller was very busy, traffic was heavy! We were cleared for takeoff. We were light and accelerated rapidly, so rapidly in fact we missed our 80 KT airspeed call and crosschecked our speed at 100 KTS. We get the power set, our airspeed crosschecked and the engineer and I both realized that the tail of the 747 was too close to our runway. How much too close? Not sure, but I believe over the hold short line by a pretty good bit. By now it's V1, we rotate and takeoff. Nothing is said, other than a quick comment prior to V1. When we took the runway, the 747 didn't look too close to the runway. When we realized how close we were, it was too late to abort. Had we been heavier and had a longer takeoff roll, or had we aborted we would have either hit the 747 tail or at least been very close to it. I have had similar incidents at mem and ord, none this close but cases where the tail position of an aircraft was in question. Pilots know where their nose is but not their tail. Tower needs to confirm complete aircraft clearance either visually or with the pilots before giving takeoff or landing clrncs. Lax better be careful. I will be too!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ACFT ALMOST CONTACTS TAIL OF 747 STOPPED BTWN PARALLEL RWYS.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING ACR A FLT FROM LAX TO IND. IT WAS DAY VMC. WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 25L AT LAX. AN ACR B 747 (I DON'T REMEMBER THE FLT NUMBER) LANDED ON RWY 25L AND WAS TOLD TO TURN R OFF THE RWY HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25R AND REMAIN ON TWR FREQ. THE ACR B TURNED R 2/3 TO 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RWY. A COMMUTER METRO LANDED SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND TURNED OFF MIDFIELD OR SOONER. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. THE TWR CTLR WAS VERY BUSY, TFC WAS HVY! WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. WE WERE LIGHT AND ACCELERATED RAPIDLY, SO RAPIDLY IN FACT WE MISSED OUR 80 KT AIRSPD CALL AND XCHKED OUR SPD AT 100 KTS. WE GET THE PWR SET, OUR AIRSPD XCHKED AND THE ENGINEER AND I BOTH REALIZED THAT THE TAIL OF THE 747 WAS TOO CLOSE TO OUR RWY. HOW MUCH TOO CLOSE? NOT SURE, BUT I BELIEVE OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE BY A PRETTY GOOD BIT. BY NOW IT'S V1, WE ROTATE AND TKOF. NOTHING IS SAID, OTHER THAN A QUICK COMMENT PRIOR TO V1. WHEN WE TOOK THE RWY, THE 747 DIDN'T LOOK TOO CLOSE TO THE RWY. WHEN WE REALIZED HOW CLOSE WE WERE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO ABORT. HAD WE BEEN HEAVIER AND HAD A LONGER TKOF ROLL, OR HAD WE ABORTED WE WOULD HAVE EITHER HIT THE 747 TAIL OR AT LEAST BEEN VERY CLOSE TO IT. I HAVE HAD SIMILAR INCIDENTS AT MEM AND ORD, NONE THIS CLOSE BUT CASES WHERE THE TAIL POS OF AN ACFT WAS IN QUESTION. PLTS KNOW WHERE THEIR NOSE IS BUT NOT THEIR TAIL. TWR NEEDS TO CONFIRM COMPLETE ACFT CLRNC EITHER VISUALLY OR WITH THE PLTS BEFORE GIVING TKOF OR LNDG CLRNCS. LAX BETTER BE CAREFUL. I WILL BE TOO!

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.