Small aircraft taking off from uncontrolled airport departs too quickly behind landing traffic.

Attributes
ACN	132503
Time
Date	199001
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : p10
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial ground : holding
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	132503
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

There were several light aircraft in the pattern, all using the CTAF. The aircraft were closely spaced. As 1 aircraft crossed the threshold, I rolled out on the runway behind him. Another aircraft turned from base to final. There was adequate distance between all 3 aircraft. When the landing aircraft began his turn off the runway, I began my takeoff roll, mindful of the aircraft on final behind me. As I accelerated, the aircraft in front of me stopped his turn and continued down the runway. There was enough distance between us for me to continue my takeoff. When airborne, I moved to the left slightly to avoid flying over him. By the time I passed him he was just clearing the runway. I felt that aborting the takeoff would have resulted in my sliding up closely behind him, and the aircraft behind me would have compounded the problem. Had the first aircraft turned off when and where he first began to turn, there would not have been a problem. With the benefit of hindsight, it's clear that I could have prevented this occurrence by waiting for a bigger gap between aircraft before beginning my takeoff roll. At the time there really was enough room, but seeing how it all soured I will allow a grater margin for safety in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TAKING OFF FROM UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT DEPARTS TOO QUICKLY BEHIND LNDG TRAFFIC.

Narrative: THERE WERE SEVERAL LIGHT ACFT IN THE PATTERN, ALL USING THE CTAF. THE ACFT WERE CLOSELY SPACED. AS 1 ACFT CROSSED THE THRESHOLD, I ROLLED OUT ON THE RWY BEHIND HIM. ANOTHER ACFT TURNED FROM BASE TO FINAL. THERE WAS ADEQUATE DISTANCE BTWN ALL 3 ACFT. WHEN THE LNDG ACFT BEGAN HIS TURN OFF THE RWY, I BEGAN MY TKOF ROLL, MINDFUL OF THE ACFT ON FINAL BEHIND ME. AS I ACCELERATED, THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED HIS TURN AND CONTINUED DOWN THE RWY. THERE WAS ENOUGH DISTANCE BTWN US FOR ME TO CONTINUE MY TKOF. WHEN AIRBORNE, I MOVED TO THE LEFT SLIGHTLY TO AVOID FLYING OVER HIM. BY THE TIME I PASSED HIM HE WAS JUST CLRING THE RWY. I FELT THAT ABORTING THE TKOF WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN MY SLIDING UP CLOSELY BEHIND HIM, AND THE ACFT BEHIND ME WOULD HAVE COMPOUNDED THE PROB. HAD THE FIRST ACFT TURNED OFF WHEN AND WHERE HE FIRST BEGAN TO TURN, THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROB. WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT, IT'S CLEAR THAT I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE BY WAITING FOR A BIGGER GAP BTWN ACFT BEFORE BEGINNING MY TKOF ROLL. AT THE TIME THERE REALLY WAS ENOUGH ROOM, BUT SEEING HOW IT ALL SOURED I WILL ALLOW A GRATER MARGIN FOR SAFETY IN THE FUTURE.

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.