Narrative:

There was a light rain falling and the runway was slick. After a long taxi we finally found the end of runway 28R and runway 28L at sfo. ATC had us cross runway 28L, hold short runway 28R. As we approached our wheels-up time for lax, we were given position and hold runway 28R. Brakes were set awaiting takeoff clearance. There was another air carrier X flight on the tower frequency at the same time. We were cleared for takeoff. As the first officer added takeoff thrust (it was his leg to lax) tower cleared air carrier X to cross runway 28L at taxiway P, hold short runway 28R. After setting takeoff thrust, and calling 80 KTS thrust set, air carrier X caught my eye on the takeoff roll. They held short of runway 28R as instructed. As I focused down the runway of runway 28R somewhere around 100-110 KTS. I saw a twin engine baron beechcraft on the runway in front of us! At that moment I said, 'aircraft on the runway -- rotate!' seconds after that the tower said, 'oh shit!' hearing that I told the tower, 'we have him in sight, we're rotating.' the baron was approximately 800-900 ft in front of us prior to my call, 'rotate.' we were airborne by the intersection of runway 28R and runway 1L, as the baron was trying to clear the active runway at taxiway east and taxiway C. The first officer flew the aircraft nicely, with no problem at all. My attention was focused on the baron. We cleared the baron by 40- 50 ft in the air. The flight continued to lax normally without further incident. Comments: I'm glad channel 9 was off. The baron had their landing lights on. This helped me see the aircraft. We were light and able to take off early. Had an excellent first officer, he did not lose his cool. The tower did not tell us to abort. If they had, who knows what would have happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ACFT CLRED FOR TKOF AND ON TKOF ROLL SAW ANOTHER ACFT WHICH HAD ERRONEOUSLY ENTERED THE RWY. RPTR FLC WERE ABLE TO ROTATE PRIOR TO XING THE OTHER ACFT.

Narrative: THERE WAS A LIGHT RAIN FALLING AND THE RWY WAS SLICK. AFTER A LONG TAXI WE FINALLY FOUND THE END OF RWY 28R AND RWY 28L AT SFO. ATC HAD US CROSS RWY 28L, HOLD SHORT RWY 28R. AS WE APCHED OUR WHEELS-UP TIME FOR LAX, WE WERE GIVEN POS AND HOLD RWY 28R. BRAKES WERE SET AWAITING TKOF CLRNC. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACR X FLT ON THE TWR FREQ AT THE SAME TIME. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. AS THE FO ADDED TKOF THRUST (IT WAS HIS LEG TO LAX) TWR CLRED ACR X TO CROSS RWY 28L AT TXWY P, HOLD SHORT RWY 28R. AFTER SETTING TKOF THRUST, AND CALLING 80 KTS THRUST SET, ACR X CAUGHT MY EYE ON THE TKOF ROLL. THEY HELD SHORT OF RWY 28R AS INSTRUCTED. AS I FOCUSED DOWN THE RWY OF RWY 28R SOMEWHERE AROUND 100-110 KTS. I SAW A TWIN ENG BARON BEECHCRAFT ON THE RWY IN FRONT OF US! AT THAT MOMENT I SAID, 'ACFT ON THE RWY -- ROTATE!' SECONDS AFTER THAT THE TWR SAID, 'OH SHIT!' HEARING THAT I TOLD THE TWR, 'WE HAVE HIM IN SIGHT, WE'RE ROTATING.' THE BARON WAS APPROX 800-900 FT IN FRONT OF US PRIOR TO MY CALL, 'ROTATE.' WE WERE AIRBORNE BY THE INTXN OF RWY 28R AND RWY 1L, AS THE BARON WAS TRYING TO CLR THE ACTIVE RWY AT TXWY E AND TXWY C. THE FO FLEW THE ACFT NICELY, WITH NO PROB AT ALL. MY ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON THE BARON. WE CLRED THE BARON BY 40- 50 FT IN THE AIR. THE FLT CONTINUED TO LAX NORMALLY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. COMMENTS: I'M GLAD CHANNEL 9 WAS OFF. THE BARON HAD THEIR LNDG LIGHTS ON. THIS HELPED ME SEE THE ACFT. WE WERE LIGHT AND ABLE TO TAKE OFF EARLY. HAD AN EXCELLENT FO, HE DID NOT LOSE HIS COOL. THE TWR DID NOT TELL US TO ABORT. IF THEY HAD, WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.

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.