Narrative:

The ATIS indicated operations on both runway 34L&right, the parallel runways at vny. Start and taxi were normal. Taxi out was short, but long enough to complete all checklist items and departure brief prior to the runway. Tower cleared us into position and hold on runway 34L. I noticed many operations taking place on runway 34R, even as we taxied into position. Tower issued takeoff clearance and I applied power and released the brakes. Shortly after beginning the takeoff roll, both pilots noted traffic off the departure end of the runway. I believed it was an aircraft departing from the right side. The other pilot agreed and takeoff was continued. Immediately after the vr call, just as we began our climb, both of us realized that the traffic was actually coming head on. (Our closing speed was probably at least 200 KTS and we were accelerating.) I made a hard left turn and sharp pull-up to avoid the collision. Somehow we missed the oncoming aircraft. Once we recovered our aircraft to a normal climb, the PNF asked the tower about the other aircraft. Tower responded that he had no idea what the aircraft was doing there or who it was. In a phone conversation later with the tower, I learned that the other aircraft, a single engine light GA airplane, had apparently suffered an electrical failure and decided to land at vny. Based on the information I obtained from the tower and the course the aircraft was on, I believe if we would have noticed the direction he was going sooner and chose to abort, he would have landed on top of us. The evasive maneuver was conducted at a very low altitude at full power. I'm sure vny operations received many phone call. I hope they had a reasonable explanation for those people, one that wouldn't cause problems for the airport public relations team. I believe the tower did not see the other aircraft because of his low altitude and city back drop. With so many aircraft departing both runways, the controller may have thought exactly what I thought, the aircraft was departure traffic off of runway 34R. I'm not sure how this could have been avoided or prevented. The pilot in the oncoming aircraft apparently felt he ahd to land now. I do not know if he even made any evasive maneuver. I really believe that the tower did everything they were supposed to. I think if we would have aborted and not been able to clear the runway, the other aircraft would have landed on top of us. This is one incident that was way too close and I sincerely hope it does not happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR JET ON TKOF VNY NARROWLY MISSES SMA GA ACFT OPPOSITE DIRECTION ATTEMPTING TO LAND WITH LOST COM. 50 FT VERT, 50 FT HORIZ.

Narrative: THE ATIS INDICATED OPS ON BOTH RWY 34L&R, THE PARALLEL RWYS AT VNY. START AND TAXI WERE NORMAL. TAXI OUT WAS SHORT, BUT LONG ENOUGH TO COMPLETE ALL CHKLIST ITEMS AND DEP BRIEF PRIOR TO THE RWY. TWR CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 34L. I NOTICED MANY OPS TAKING PLACE ON RWY 34R, EVEN AS WE TAXIED INTO POS. TWR ISSUED TKOF CLRNC AND I APPLIED PWR AND RELEASED THE BRAKES. SHORTLY AFTER BEGINNING THE TKOF ROLL, BOTH PLTS NOTED TFC OFF THE DEP END OF THE RWY. I BELIEVED IT WAS AN ACFT DEPARTING FROM THE R SIDE. THE OTHER PLT AGREED AND TKOF WAS CONTINUED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE VR CALL, JUST AS WE BEGAN OUR CLB, BOTH OF US REALIZED THAT THE TFC WAS ACTUALLY COMING HEAD ON. (OUR CLOSING SPD WAS PROBABLY AT LEAST 200 KTS AND WE WERE ACCELERATING.) I MADE A HARD L TURN AND SHARP PULL-UP TO AVOID THE COLLISION. SOMEHOW WE MISSED THE ONCOMING ACFT. ONCE WE RECOVERED OUR ACFT TO A NORMAL CLB, THE PNF ASKED THE TWR ABOUT THE OTHER ACFT. TWR RESPONDED THAT HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE ACFT WAS DOING THERE OR WHO IT WAS. IN A PHONE CONVERSATION LATER WITH THE TWR, I LEARNED THAT THE OTHER ACFT, A SINGLE ENG LIGHT GA AIRPLANE, HAD APPARENTLY SUFFERED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND DECIDED TO LAND AT VNY. BASED ON THE INFO I OBTAINED FROM THE TWR AND THE COURSE THE ACFT WAS ON, I BELIEVE IF WE WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE DIRECTION HE WAS GOING SOONER AND CHOSE TO ABORT, HE WOULD HAVE LANDED ON TOP OF US. THE EVASIVE MANEUVER WAS CONDUCTED AT A VERY LOW ALT AT FULL PWR. I'M SURE VNY OPS RECEIVED MANY PHONE CALL. I HOPE THEY HAD A REASONABLE EXPLANATION FOR THOSE PEOPLE, ONE THAT WOULDN'T CAUSE PROBS FOR THE ARPT PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM. I BELIEVE THE TWR DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT BECAUSE OF HIS LOW ALT AND CITY BACK DROP. WITH SO MANY ACFT DEPARTING BOTH RWYS, THE CTLR MAY HAVE THOUGHT EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT, THE ACFT WAS DEP TFC OFF OF RWY 34R. I'M NOT SURE HOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED OR PREVENTED. THE PLT IN THE ONCOMING ACFT APPARENTLY FELT HE AHD TO LAND NOW. I DO NOT KNOW IF HE EVEN MADE ANY EVASIVE MANEUVER. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE TWR DID EVERYTHING THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO. I THINK IF WE WOULD HAVE ABORTED AND NOT BEEN ABLE TO CLR THE RWY, THE OTHER ACFT WOULD HAVE LANDED ON TOP OF US. THIS IS ONE INCIDENT THAT WAS WAY TOO CLOSE AND I SINCERELY HOPE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.