Narrative:

Sju tower cleared us for takeoff on runway 8. Air carrier Y A330 was clearing the runway from landing. It looked like air carrier Y was clearing the runway as I began to advance power. Then the A330 stopped; with its tail clearly into the runway. From my vantage point; the tip of the A330 tail extended 1/2 way between the runway edge and the runway centerline. The first officer and I agreed this was not safe and I reduced power to idle; and taxied clear of the runway; as we had an air carrier Z airplane cleared to land behind us. The tower asked why we aborted; and we said air carrier Y was on the runway. He said he was clear of the runway. From both of our vantage points he was not. I did not consider this an abort as we had not committed to take off and never reached a brisk running speed (less than 10 KTS). Just to be sure; we called dispatch and explained what happened. They said we were good to go. The tower controller was a little short with us. It was his opinion the A330 was clear. It was not from our vantage point and I informed him our vantage point was the only one that mattered. We had to make a decision; and in the interest of safety we chose to not take off and clear the runway. It was a very poor clearance from the tower controller. I think he tried to squeeze us in too close. If we did have to do a high speed abort; we possibly could have clipped his tail. Poor sequencing by ATC. Takeoff clearance should not have been given until the preceding landing aircraft was clear of the runway. The A330 is a very long aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATR72 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF FROM SJU WHILE AN A330'S TAIL STILL OCCUPIED THE RWY. TKOF ABORTED.

Narrative: SJU TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 8. ACR Y A330 WAS CLRING THE RWY FROM LNDG. IT LOOKED LIKE ACR Y WAS CLRING THE RWY AS I BEGAN TO ADVANCE PWR. THEN THE A330 STOPPED; WITH ITS TAIL CLRLY INTO THE RWY. FROM MY VANTAGE POINT; THE TIP OF THE A330 TAIL EXTENDED 1/2 WAY BTWN THE RWY EDGE AND THE RWY CTRLINE. THE FO AND I AGREED THIS WAS NOT SAFE AND I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE; AND TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY; AS WE HAD AN ACR Z AIRPLANE CLRED TO LAND BEHIND US. THE TWR ASKED WHY WE ABORTED; AND WE SAID ACR Y WAS ON THE RWY. HE SAID HE WAS CLR OF THE RWY. FROM BOTH OF OUR VANTAGE POINTS HE WAS NOT. I DID NOT CONSIDER THIS AN ABORT AS WE HAD NOT COMMITTED TO TAKE OFF AND NEVER REACHED A BRISK RUNNING SPD (LESS THAN 10 KTS). JUST TO BE SURE; WE CALLED DISPATCH AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. THEY SAID WE WERE GOOD TO GO. THE TWR CTLR WAS A LITTLE SHORT WITH US. IT WAS HIS OPINION THE A330 WAS CLR. IT WAS NOT FROM OUR VANTAGE POINT AND I INFORMED HIM OUR VANTAGE POINT WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT MATTERED. WE HAD TO MAKE A DECISION; AND IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY WE CHOSE TO NOT TAKE OFF AND CLR THE RWY. IT WAS A VERY POOR CLRNC FROM THE TWR CTLR. I THINK HE TRIED TO SQUEEZE US IN TOO CLOSE. IF WE DID HAVE TO DO A HIGH SPD ABORT; WE POSSIBLY COULD HAVE CLIPPED HIS TAIL. POOR SEQUENCING BY ATC. TKOF CLRNC SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN UNTIL THE PRECEDING LNDG ACFT WAS CLR OF THE RWY. THE A330 IS A VERY LONG ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.