Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 60; Flight Crew Total 23000; Flight Crew Type 350
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
Our aircraft was holding for takeoff full length Runway 34L. Tower cleared other aircraft for takeoff from intersection L and Runway 34L; then cleared our aircraft to line up and wait Runway 34L. We heard other aircraft acknowledge takeoff clearance.Tower then cleared our aircraft to takeoff. As we climbed through approx. 300 feet; passenger in right front seat pointed out other aircraft just lifting off below and well ahead. When tower was questioned; other aircraft requested 'save the tapes.'My conjecture is that other aircraft held at intersection L for some unspecified time before entering runway and beginning takeoff roll; tower; once having cleared it to takeoff; assumed it would depart immediately and didn't verify runway clear before clearing our aircraft for takeoff. As other aircraft was small and white; and intersection L is approximately 5500 feet from our departure position at threshold of RW 34L; it would have been difficult to see against the light concrete runway at this distance. In addition; right seat passenger claims 'he saw other airplane pull out onto runway' after our aircraft had already lifted off; and my attention may have been momentarily diverted to the airspeed indicator.
My understanding was that I had received takeoff clearance on runway 34L at intersection Lima. I repeated the clearance and initiated the takeoff roll. I climbed to about 400 feet AGL and heard a call to the tower that 'someone' took off in front of me. The tower responded that a plane had departed from intersection Lima. I responded that I had received and communicated the takeoff clearance from the tower prior to takeoff and asked the tower to 'pull the tape'. Then I spotted the other aircraft directly above me about 500-600 feet. The other pilot then responded by saying that he had heard the takeoff clearance. After returning to RNO; I called the tower. The tower supervisor told me that I had responded to the other aircraft's takeoff clearance read back and that the tower did hear me respond that I was departing runway 34L. He admitted that the tower did not respond by canceling my takeoff clearance. The tower supervisor said that I took off without clearance and that his tower operator had not canceled my take off clearance when I repeated it. He said he would use this incident to educate his tower operator and I said I would start practicing a 'sterile' cockpit on takeoff and landings. In other words; this would be an educational teaching moment for both of us. I later reviewed the tower tapes of this incident and found that indeed we (tower and me) both made mistakes on this departure from runway 34L.
Pilots and a RNO Controller reported an airborne conflict when two aircraft took off at the same time from RNO 34L; one from a downfield intersection. The aircraft at the intersection mistakenly accepted the takeoff clearance for the full-length aircraft and their read backs blocked each other.