Pilot of aircraft departing sfo reports sfo local controller issued takeoff clearance when runway wa...

Attributes
ACN	694123
Time
Date	200604
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mdw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	694123
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

I was holding short of runway 28R at sfo. Aircraft Y was on short final. Communication with the tower at this time was excellent. Aircraft Y was clearing the runway and tower asked him 3 times to pull up to the hold bars. He never moved. I was cleared into position by the sfo tower. At this time I stated that it appeared that aircraft Y tail was still on the runway but was a long way down. The controller again asked aircraft Y to move up to the hold bars. Again nothing. Then what I think was a different voice screamed at me to either take off or get off the runway. This was so nasty it took the speech right out of me. I have never been talked to by such an unprofessional controller as this. He had no regard for safety. I did ask for the tapes to be marked. I still cannot understand this attitude. There was an airplane on final but 6 mi out; so it was not an event. They finally cleared aircraft Y across runway 28L and we took off once cleared.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF ACFT DEPARTING SFO RPTS SFO LCL CTLR ISSUED TKOF CLRNC WHEN RWY WAS NOT CLR.

Narrative: I WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 28R AT SFO. ACFT Y WAS ON SHORT FINAL. COM WITH THE TWR AT THIS TIME WAS EXCELLENT. ACFT Y WAS CLRING THE RWY AND TWR ASKED HIM 3 TIMES TO PULL UP TO THE HOLD BARS. HE NEVER MOVED. I WAS CLRED INTO POS BY THE SFO TWR. AT THIS TIME I STATED THAT IT APPEARED THAT ACFT Y TAIL WAS STILL ON THE RWY BUT WAS A LONG WAY DOWN. THE CTLR AGAIN ASKED ACFT Y TO MOVE UP TO THE HOLD BARS. AGAIN NOTHING. THEN WHAT I THINK WAS A DIFFERENT VOICE SCREAMED AT ME TO EITHER TAKE OFF OR GET OFF THE RWY. THIS WAS SO NASTY IT TOOK THE SPEECH RIGHT OUT OF ME. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TALKED TO BY SUCH AN UNPROFESSIONAL CTLR AS THIS. HE HAD NO REGARD FOR SAFETY. I DID ASK FOR THE TAPES TO BE MARKED. I STILL CANNOT UNDERSTAND THIS ATTITUDE. THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE ON FINAL BUT 6 MI OUT; SO IT WAS NOT AN EVENT. THEY FINALLY CLRED ACFT Y ACROSS RWY 28L AND WE TOOK OFF ONCE CLRED.

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.

Pilot of aircraft departing sfo reports sfo local controller issued takeoff clearance when runway was not clear.