DC9. Just after takeoff someone shot a flare near the aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	409776
Time
Date	199807
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : orf
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : orf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 380 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	409776
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While departing orf on runway 23, a flare was descending near our aircraft. There is a naval ship yard at opposite end of runway so it didn't make sense. There were some factories nearby and nothing was above us that we could tell. I immediately notified orf tower and they were going to look into the situation. It was not clear where this flare could have come from and being so close to the airport and our aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9. JUST AFTER TKOF SOMEONE SHOT A FLARE NEAR THE ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE DEPARTING ORF ON RWY 23, A FLARE WAS DSNDING NEAR OUR ACFT. THERE IS A NAVAL SHIP YARD AT OPPOSITE END OF RWY SO IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE. THERE WERE SOME FACTORIES NEARBY AND NOTHING WAS ABOVE US THAT WE COULD TELL. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED ORF TWR AND THEY WERE GOING TO LOOK INTO THE SIT. IT WAS NOT CLR WHERE THIS FLARE COULD HAVE COME FROM AND BEING SO CLOSE TO THE ARPT AND OUR 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.