This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
While on IFR training mission, we stopped to refuel. The weather was VMC with calm winds. After refueling, we notified traffic of our taxiing intentions via CTAF radio. Upon reaching the end of the taxiway and before entering the runway we notified CTAF of our departure intentions. Both myself and my CFII checked visually left and right and did not see any traffic on the ground nor in the air. Nothing showed on ADS-B.
I taxied the plane onto the runway and moved the throttle to full power. As we accelerated to rotation speed, both my CFII and I spotted a low-wing plane heading south, directly towards us, about 50 feet above the runway.
As I was not immediately sure if they were landing or taking off, I pulled power off, began braking, and moved to the right side of the runway. The plane was taking off but never spoke on CTAF until after he was leaving the pattern, when he identified himself as an RV-10, departing to the southeast.
Neither I or my CFII had the presence of mind to write down his tail number.
After I exited the runway, my CFII double-checked to make sure that we were tuned to the correct CTAF frequency (we were).
We both are certain that the RV-10 never spoke on CTAF until after he took off and began to leave the pattern.
My CFI checked his Stratus several times and never saw him on ADS-B either.
We taxied to Runway XY and took off without incident. As we took off, it became clear that due to runway slope and “dip” that the end of Runway XX could not been seen from Runway XY. We are not sure that the RV-10 ever saw us.
This incident highlights the absolute necessity for proper radio communications at all times, even at so-called uncontrolled airports.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 1854764
I for one am done with observing the nearly predictable comment to these reports and not speaking up. See and avoid, heads up, not in the cockpit, pick your choice. Enough, its 2022, it is long past due to act like we live in the modern world. Radios have been around for more than a year or two. As pilots we take extraordinary steps to have the privilege , and freedom to fly. We also have the responsibility to do so safely. Please do not tell me a handheld radio is to much to ask. For less than fueling up many common planes a radio can be had, and a good one at that. The added layer of safety is to large to ignore. This article clearly states the pilot and instructor passenger had there heads out of the cockpit, and still did not see the conflicting traffic. A simple radio, BEING USED, would have resulted in none of us reading this report. As for pilot controlled airspace, hand signals certainly aren’t what that name implies. It is long past time that pilot controlled means we are actually working together to control the space by actually talking to each other. Until we can all agree to do so we are trapped flying with the world around us presumably on mute, and limiting our senses to just See and Avoid.
Bet that RV10 had a radio and was announcing in that airport’s published Unicom frequency. CTAF , usually 126.7, is never used at the non-towered fields around our area.
Yes – but even with 100% of the airplanes equipped with a radio, you still have the threat of mistakes (wrong frequency) and emergencies (someone on fire and unable to talk on the radio). Don’t let your guard down. (And remember the greatest aviation disaster in history occurred at a towered airport with both crews using a radio).
“Proper Communication”? There is no such thing. No communications or radios are required at non-controlled airports. See and be seen is the key. To much dependence on ADS-B and to much ‘heads down’ time in the cockpit are the true culprits. We should ALWAYS be alert for and anticipate conflicting traffic.
“So called uncontrolled fields” are called uncontrolled fields because pilots do that. There is a lot of “control” at these facilities. Much better to refer to them as “non-towered” airports.
I kinda like the term “Tower Free” airport…
Given the geometry of the runway in this incident (ends not visible from each other), I hope that the airport management has nominated a “Calm Wind Runway”, so as to minimize the risk of ‘head-on’ operations when surface wind is not a factor in a pilot’s runway selection.
Had similar experience at a class D airport, had clearance to land, was about 50 feet above end of runway, at the same time, saw a Bonanza landing from opposite way, moved over to land on taxi way, which was clear, Bonanza turned for a go of round, scary called tower, never heard anymore
Scary experience. All you can do in some cases is keep your eyes and ears open to all aircraft movement. If you see an aircraft but don’t hear it make any radio calls, watch out.
Uncontrolled airports will often have a calm wind runway published in the AFD and posted at the airport.
Certainly radio comm announcements would have mattered. But not all airplanes have ratios or ASB.