Narrative:

I was planning a departure from runway 32 at mtn. The control tower was not yet in operation, so the field was uncontrolled. The winds were reported over the ATIS frequency at 290/6 KTS. Company traffic was planning a takeoff from runway 14. Due to a lack of communication between myself and the other pilot and the fact that his aircraft never stopped as it taxied through the hold short lines and onto 14, the fact that he was taking off with a tail wind instead of using 32 and that he didn't do an engine runup or magnetic test and the fact that I was stepped on when I called rolling for takeoff 32 by him who from my vantage point appeared like a bat out of hell both our aircraft were on the runway at the same time. This was obviously a potentially dangerous situation. It was further enhanced by both the darkness of the hour and the fact that the runway lights were accidently turned on high, masking our acfts lights from one another. Fortunately, the other company aircraft was off the ground and climbing out before evasive action became necessary for either aircraft. Even so, both myself and the pilot of the other company aircraft were startled by the situation and recognize potential danger and the need to take steps to ensure that such events will not occur in the future. Safety is of paramount importance to both myself and the other pilot. We have decided that to improve safety and coordination as follows. #1: we will now depart only the runway the winds favor regardless of how light they may be. #2: we will not take the runway unless we have the other aircraft in sight or have auditory confirmation as to our relative position. #3: we will slow down, listen and then communicate with greater care. What took place had made me more aware and more concerned. It has given me a chance to reflect on the events and to plan to prevent such a situation in the future. I have written a similar letter to be filed at martin state airport for the hope that such a letter will be confidentially filled out and yet document how a potentially dangerous situation may be used to actually improve safety awareness and proper operation at an uncontrolled field.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 TFC WATCH ACFT TKOF SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SAME RWY. CONFLICT RESULTS.

Narrative: I WAS PLANNING A DEP FROM RWY 32 AT MTN. THE CTL TWR WAS NOT YET IN OP, SO THE FIELD WAS UNCTLED. THE WINDS WERE RPTED OVER THE ATIS FREQ AT 290/6 KTS. COMPANY TFC WAS PLANNING A TKOF FROM RWY 14. DUE TO A LACK OF COM BTWN MYSELF AND THE OTHER PLT AND THE FACT THAT HIS ACFT NEVER STOPPED AS IT TAXIED THROUGH THE HOLD SHORT LINES AND ONTO 14, THE FACT THAT HE WAS TAKING OFF WITH A TAIL WIND INSTEAD OF USING 32 AND THAT HE DIDN'T DO AN ENG RUNUP OR MAG TEST AND THE FACT THAT I WAS STEPPED ON WHEN I CALLED ROLLING FOR TKOF 32 BY HIM WHO FROM MY VANTAGE POINT APPEARED LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL BOTH OUR ACFT WERE ON THE RWY AT THE SAME TIME. THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT WAS FURTHER ENHANCED BY BOTH THE DARKNESS OF THE HOUR AND THE FACT THAT THE RWY LIGHTS WERE ACCIDENTLY TURNED ON HIGH, MASKING OUR ACFTS LIGHTS FROM ONE ANOTHER. FORTUNATELY, THE OTHER COMPANY ACFT WAS OFF THE GND AND CLBING OUT BEFORE EVASIVE ACTION BECAME NECESSARY FOR EITHER ACFT. EVEN SO, BOTH MYSELF AND THE PLT OF THE OTHER COMPANY ACFT WERE STARTLED BY THE SITUATION AND RECOGNIZE POTENTIAL DANGER AND THE NEED TO TAKE STEPS TO ENSURE THAT SUCH EVENTS WILL NOT OCCUR IN THE FUTURE. SAFETY IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO BOTH MYSELF AND THE OTHER PLT. WE HAVE DECIDED THAT TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND COORD AS FOLLOWS. #1: WE WILL NOW DEPART ONLY THE RWY THE WINDS FAVOR REGARDLESS OF HOW LIGHT THEY MAY BE. #2: WE WILL NOT TAKE THE RWY UNLESS WE HAVE THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT OR HAVE AUDITORY CONFIRMATION AS TO OUR RELATIVE POS. #3: WE WILL SLOW DOWN, LISTEN AND THEN COMMUNICATE WITH GREATER CARE. WHAT TOOK PLACE HAD MADE ME MORE AWARE AND MORE CONCERNED. IT HAS GIVEN ME A CHANCE TO REFLECT ON THE EVENTS AND TO PLAN TO PREVENT SUCH A SITUATION IN THE FUTURE. I HAVE WRITTEN A SIMILAR LETTER TO BE FILED AT MARTIN STATE ARPT FOR THE HOPE THAT SUCH A LETTER WILL BE CONFIDENTIALLY FILLED OUT AND YET DOCUMENT HOW A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION MAY BE USED TO ACTUALLY IMPROVE SAFETY AWARENESS AND PROPER OP AT AN UNCTLED FIELD.

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.