Narrative:

Upon reaching runway 31L we were issued a takeoff clearance. During the takeoff roll as the first officer calls V1 speed, the tower controller simultaneously says 'abort takeoff, cancel takeoff clearance.' considering we were past V1 on a wet, short runway, I elected to continue the takeoff. During rotation, another voice says 'that was close.' after takeoff, I called the tower back to ask what had happened. He said everything was fine. 5-10 mins later, another lear captain from the same company calls to tell me what happened. Apparently there was another LR35 (different company) landing on runway 4R. He passed behind us at the intersection. He said that if we had tried to abort the takeoff, we would have hit. We never saw him. The tower had forgotten about the landing lear when he issued us a takeoff clearance. Early morning, fatigue or whatever -- or all could have been factors. Supplemental information from acn 417781: over the next few days of discussing the events with others who witnessed this, it was determined that we had nearly collided with another aircraft that had been cleared to land on runway 4R, as close as 20 ft. I believe this was caused by the fact that the controller was working all position at once, and possible fatigue. After reviewing the chain of events, it seems that the controller simply forgot about the other aircraft. When asked about this on the radio after the incident, the controller offered no explanation, possibly for fear of further implicating himself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 LR35'S NEARLY COLLIDE ON XING RWYS AT MDW, ONE ON TKOF, THE OTHER ON LNDG.

Narrative: UPON REACHING RWY 31L WE WERE ISSUED A TKOF CLRNC. DURING THE TKOF ROLL AS THE FO CALLS V1 SPD, THE TWR CTLR SIMULTANEOUSLY SAYS 'ABORT TKOF, CANCEL TKOF CLRNC.' CONSIDERING WE WERE PAST V1 ON A WET, SHORT RWY, I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TKOF. DURING ROTATION, ANOTHER VOICE SAYS 'THAT WAS CLOSE.' AFTER TKOF, I CALLED THE TWR BACK TO ASK WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE. 5-10 MINS LATER, ANOTHER LEAR CAPT FROM THE SAME COMPANY CALLS TO TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED. APPARENTLY THERE WAS ANOTHER LR35 (DIFFERENT COMPANY) LNDG ON RWY 4R. HE PASSED BEHIND US AT THE INTXN. HE SAID THAT IF WE HAD TRIED TO ABORT THE TKOF, WE WOULD HAVE HIT. WE NEVER SAW HIM. THE TWR HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE LNDG LEAR WHEN HE ISSUED US A TKOF CLRNC. EARLY MORNING, FATIGUE OR WHATEVER -- OR ALL COULD HAVE BEEN FACTORS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 417781: OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS OF DISCUSSING THE EVENTS WITH OTHERS WHO WITNESSED THIS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE HAD NEARLY COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER ACFT THAT HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 4R, AS CLOSE AS 20 FT. I BELIEVE THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT THE CTLR WAS WORKING ALL POS AT ONCE, AND POSSIBLE FATIGUE. AFTER REVIEWING THE CHAIN OF EVENTS, IT SEEMS THAT THE CTLR SIMPLY FORGOT ABOUT THE OTHER ACFT. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THIS ON THE RADIO AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE CTLR OFFERED NO EXPLANATION, POSSIBLY FOR FEAR OF FURTHER IMPLICATING HIMSELF.

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.