Narrative:

I would like to report an incident that occurred to me on 6/91 at imperial airport, an uncontrolled field, in southern california. I work for a commuter airline and my captain was ready to taxi to runway 22 for a straight-out departure to save both fuel and time as per company policy. We had received the winds from unicom before landing. Approximately southeast at 4 to 5 and verified similar winds again before taxiing. We knew this was a slight tailwind but company policy and aircraft performance permit up to 10 KTS direct tailwind. Runway 32 was a reasonable choice. Knowing that others may not make the same decision I was very prudent in announcing on CTAF that we were taxiing from the gate to runway 32. No one replied. Once we were done with the taxi checklist I made another broadcast on CTAF that we were taxiing to runway 32 and again no reply. A few mins later we were at the end of the runway with all checklist items complete and I announced for a third time on CTAF stating that we would be departing straight-out on runway 32, and for the third time, no reply. We proceeded to cross the hold lines and were almost in position when someone (later we decided must have been unicom) broadcast that there were two of us in position on opp runways. We had looked before crossing the hold line, but neither my captain nor myself had seen the other aircraft due to the glare off the runway in the desert heat. The other aircraft then turned his lights on and we watched it taxi clear of the opp runway. We then departed runway 32 west/O further incident. My captain and myself were perturbed that this had happened especially when I had been so diligent at making 3 xmissions on CTAF as to the runway we planned to use. Obviously both unicom and the other aircraft had been listening or they wouldn't have been able to announce the problem and taxi off the other runway. The only explanation I can think of besides negligence would be the possibility of a blind spot between the terminal and runway 14 or at the very least between the two runway ends. I wish I had a suggestion as to how this could be avoided in the future, but it seems that uncontrolled fields require more than diligence to be used safely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND INCIDENT WHERE TWO ACFT OCCUPY OPPOSITE ENDS OF A NON TWR ARPT UNICOM RWY IN PREPARATION FOR TKOF.

Narrative: I WOULD LIKE TO RPT AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED TO ME ON 6/91 AT IMPERIAL ARPT, AN UNCTLED FIELD, IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. I WORK FOR A COMMUTER AIRLINE AND MY CAPT WAS READY TO TAXI TO RWY 22 FOR A STRAIGHT-OUT DEP TO SAVE BOTH FUEL AND TIME AS PER COMPANY POLICY. WE HAD RECEIVED THE WINDS FROM UNICOM BEFORE LNDG. APPROX SE AT 4 TO 5 AND VERIFIED SIMILAR WINDS AGAIN BEFORE TAXIING. WE KNEW THIS WAS A SLIGHT TAILWIND BUT COMPANY POLICY AND ACFT PERFORMANCE PERMIT UP TO 10 KTS DIRECT TAILWIND. RWY 32 WAS A REASONABLE CHOICE. KNOWING THAT OTHERS MAY NOT MAKE THE SAME DECISION I WAS VERY PRUDENT IN ANNOUNCING ON CTAF THAT WE WERE TAXIING FROM THE GATE TO RWY 32. NO ONE REPLIED. ONCE WE WERE DONE WITH THE TAXI CHKLIST I MADE ANOTHER BROADCAST ON CTAF THAT WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 32 AND AGAIN NO REPLY. A FEW MINS LATER WE WERE AT THE END OF THE RWY WITH ALL CHKLIST ITEMS COMPLETE AND I ANNOUNCED FOR A THIRD TIME ON CTAF STATING THAT WE WOULD BE DEPARTING STRAIGHT-OUT ON RWY 32, AND FOR THE THIRD TIME, NO REPLY. WE PROCEEDED TO CROSS THE HOLD LINES AND WERE ALMOST IN POS WHEN SOMEONE (LATER WE DECIDED MUST HAVE BEEN UNICOM) BROADCAST THAT THERE WERE TWO OF US IN POS ON OPP RWYS. WE HAD LOOKED BEFORE XING THE HOLD LINE, BUT NEITHER MY CAPT NOR MYSELF HAD SEEN THE OTHER ACFT DUE TO THE GLARE OFF THE RWY IN THE DESERT HEAT. THE OTHER ACFT THEN TURNED HIS LIGHTS ON AND WE WATCHED IT TAXI CLR OF THE OPP RWY. WE THEN DEPARTED RWY 32 W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. MY CAPT AND MYSELF WERE PERTURBED THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAD BEEN SO DILIGENT AT MAKING 3 XMISSIONS ON CTAF AS TO THE RWY WE PLANNED TO USE. OBVIOUSLY BOTH UNICOM AND THE OTHER ACFT HAD BEEN LISTENING OR THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THE PROB AND TAXI OFF THE OTHER RWY. THE ONLY EXPLANATION I CAN THINK OF BESIDES NEGLIGENCE WOULD BE THE POSSIBILITY OF A BLIND SPOT BTWN THE TERMINAL AND RWY 14 OR AT THE VERY LEAST BTWN THE TWO RWY ENDS. I WISH I HAD A SUGGESTION AS TO HOW THIS COULD BE AVOIDED IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT SEEMS THAT UNCTLED FIELDS REQUIRE MORE THAN DILIGENCE TO BE USED SAFELY.

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.