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GA pilot reported runway excursion to avoid departing traffic. No NOTAM was available for airport event.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1657130 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201906 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | 7S1.Airport |
| State Reference | MT |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Landing |
| Route In Use | Direct |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Captain Single Pilot |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Private |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 30 Flight Crew Total 3350 Flight Crew Type 600 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Conflict Ground Conflict Less Severe Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Ground Excursion Runway Ground Incursion Runway |
Narrative:
I was on a cross country flight. While inflight I elected to make a fuel stop at twin bridges airport in montana. A quick look online showed no notams for the airport. 10 miles out I announced on the unicom my position and intentions. While monitoring the unicom frequency I heard a lot of chatter. It appeared to be a group of 10 planes organizing something. I ask and was told they were departing momentarily for 'some fun'. I assumed they were a lunch group heading out on a group flight to another airport. When I was about two miles out the planes started to take off in sequence. I extended my downwind to allow them to depart. When the last plane started to roll I turned inbound. On short final I noticed a laggard member of the group sitting on the cross runway. An uneventful landing and taxi to the end of the runway toward the fuel pumps. I was surprised to find the ramp to be full of people blocking the ramp. I announced my intentions to back taxi on the unicom. I turned around to back taxi only to find the laggard plane taking off while I was still on the runway. I quickly pulled into the tall grass along the runway to allow the departing plane to pass me. As I continued to back taxi I was again surprised to find a plane on short final; I quickly exited onto the cross runway to avoid the landing aircraft. My real surprise was to learn that 10 planes had lined up to drop bowling balls on the spot I had just been on! I cannot make this stuff up! No NOTAM; no announcements other than 'having fun'. Not sure how I would do things differently in the future. Assume less is all I can think of. I will never assume that my fellow pilots are going to communicate their intentions. My assumption was that when they said they were departing I thought they meant to another airport not departing the ground with a return trip to drop 10 bowling balls onto the runway I announced I was landing on. I do know the organizers of events like this would be well served issuing a NOTAM; having an air boss on the radio and over-communicating to other pilots in the vicinity of their impromptu air show.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: GA pilot reported runway excursion to avoid departing traffic. No NOTAM was available for airport event.
Narrative: I was on a cross country flight. While inflight I elected to make a fuel stop at Twin Bridges airport in Montana. A quick look online showed no NOTAMs for the airport. 10 miles out I announced on the UNICOM my position and intentions. While monitoring the UNICOM frequency I heard a lot of chatter. It appeared to be a group of 10 planes organizing something. I ask and was told they were departing momentarily for 'some fun'. I assumed they were a lunch group heading out on a group flight to another airport. When I was about two miles out the planes started to take off in sequence. I extended my downwind to allow them to depart. When the last plane started to roll I turned inbound. On short final I noticed a laggard member of the group sitting on the cross runway. An uneventful landing and taxi to the end of the runway toward the fuel pumps. I was surprised to find the ramp to be full of people blocking the ramp. I announced my intentions to back taxi on the UNICOM. I turned around to back taxi only to find the laggard plane taking off while I was still on the runway. I quickly pulled into the tall grass along the runway to allow the departing plane to pass me. As I continued to back taxi I was again surprised to find a plane on short final; I quickly exited onto the cross runway to avoid the landing aircraft. My real surprise was to learn that 10 planes had lined up to drop bowling balls on the spot I had just been on! I cannot make this stuff up! No NOTAM; no announcements other than 'having fun'. Not sure how I would do things differently in the future. Assume less is all I can think of. I will never assume that my fellow pilots are going to communicate their intentions. My assumption was that when they said they were departing I thought they meant to another airport not departing the ground with a return trip to drop 10 bowling balls onto the runway I announced I was landing on. I do know the organizers of events like this would be well served issuing a NOTAM; having an air boss on the radio and over-communicating to other pilots in the vicinity of their impromptu air show.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.