B727 flight crew reports near collision with aircraft on takeoff roll.

Attributes
ACN	436780
Time
Date	199905
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	L-1011 Tri-Star All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 41 flight time total : 2871 flight time type : 248
ASRS Report	436780
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

During takeoff roll, just prior to rotation, I noticed an L1011 clearing the runway ahead of us. The aircraft didn't have strobes/landing lights on. The lack of lights apparently hid the aircraft from our view. This could have been a very bad situation with a small time difference. The aircraft should have not been cleared across our takeoff runway after we were cleared for takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLC RPTS NEAR COLLISION WITH ACFT ON TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: DURING TKOF ROLL, JUST PRIOR TO ROTATION, I NOTICED AN L1011 CLRING THE RWY AHEAD OF US. THE ACFT DIDN'T HAVE STROBES/LNDG LIGHTS ON. THE LACK OF LIGHTS APPARENTLY HID THE ACFT FROM OUR VIEW. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY BAD SIT WITH A SMALL TIME DIFFERENCE. THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN CLRED ACROSS OUR TKOF RWY AFTER WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF.

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.