Narrative:

During preflight, and as I taxied from the ramp towards the runway, I realized that the airport was busy, and getting busier. I taxied to the east run-up area to allow a taildragger, which was taxiing on runway 9, to taxi towards the ramp. I came to a full stop in the run-up area to wait for the taildragger and to allow it to exit the runway. Back on the ramp, an small aircraft B and an small aircraft C were waiting for the taildragger to clear the taxiway. I was still in the run-up area, aware of these aircraft behind me, but was more concerned with the traffic in the pattern. I saw and heard (on the radio) an small aircraft D on final for 9, and I had seen a twin in the pattern during my preflight. I neither saw nor heard the twin now. My plan was to wait until the small aircraft D completed its touch and go, perform my clearing turn, announce my intention to back-taxi runway 9, back-taxi to the run-up area at the west end of 9, and perform my run-up there. As the small aircraft D lifted off, the small aircraft B brazenly taxied past me and began back-taxiing 9. Only then did he announce that he was back-taxiing. This angered me somewhat, since I think that he should have 1) waited his turn behind me, and 2) announced his intentions first. A bit distracted, I made my clearing turn, I saw the small aircraft D climbing out, and I proceeded approximately 100 yards behind the small aircraft B. About halfway to the mid-field turn-off, I heard the twin announce that he was on a left base for 9. I was very surprised, as I believed he was no longer in the pattern. I had not seen him during the clearing turn, nor did I hear any position reports from him on CTAF/unicom. He was well into the base leg, and would be turning final soon. I knew that I needed to decide whether to continue taxiing towards the mid-field turn-off, taxi onto the very moist and soft ground to my right, or turn around and taxi back the on east run-up area. I knew that the small aircraft C was behind me somewhere so I decided to proceed forward to the mid-field turn-off, as the small aircraft B was doing. The twin was now on short final, the small aircraft B was turning off at mid-field, and I was still about 100 yards behind the small aircraft B. I realized that I had probably forced the twin into a go around. I prepared to taxi onto the soft ground on the right side of the runway if he did not go around. He began the go around at about the same time that I pulled into the turn-off area. The situation was resolved at this point, thanks to the alert twin pilot. In order to prevent a recurrence, I should work towards improving my scan during clearing turns. I did not expect to see the twin and this probably explains why I didn't see him. Another thing which I should have done after the small aircraft B cut in front of me was to remain in the run-up area and reassess the situation. When I saw him taxi past me, I let myself get 'lured' in behind him. Even though I made the clearing turn first, I didn't see the twin and I followed the small aircraft B into a potentially dangerous situation. Finally, extra vigilance was clearly called for. The airport was busy, and I knew it. This situation demonstrates how important it is to expect the unexpected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA BACK TAXI ON RWY FORCES GAR OF TWIN ON FINAL.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT, AND AS I TAXIED FROM THE RAMP TOWARDS THE RWY, I REALIZED THAT THE ARPT WAS BUSY, AND GETTING BUSIER. I TAXIED TO THE E RUN-UP AREA TO ALLOW A TAILDRAGGER, WHICH WAS TAXIING ON RWY 9, TO TAXI TOWARDS THE RAMP. I CAME TO A FULL STOP IN THE RUN-UP AREA TO WAIT FOR THE TAILDRAGGER AND TO ALLOW IT TO EXIT THE RWY. BACK ON THE RAMP, AN SMA B AND AN SMA C WERE WAITING FOR THE TAILDRAGGER TO CLR THE TAXIWAY. I WAS STILL IN THE RUN-UP AREA, AWARE OF THESE ACFT BEHIND ME, BUT WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH THE TFC IN THE PATTERN. I SAW AND HEARD (ON THE RADIO) AN SMA D ON FINAL FOR 9, AND I HAD SEEN A TWIN IN THE PATTERN DURING MY PREFLT. I NEITHER SAW NOR HEARD THE TWIN NOW. MY PLAN WAS TO WAIT UNTIL THE SMA D COMPLETED ITS TOUCH AND GO, PERFORM MY CLRING TURN, ANNOUNCE MY INTENTION TO BACK-TAXI RWY 9, BACK-TAXI TO THE RUN-UP AREA AT THE W END OF 9, AND PERFORM MY RUN-UP THERE. AS THE SMA D LIFTED OFF, THE SMA B BRAZENLY TAXIED PAST ME AND BEGAN BACK-TAXIING 9. ONLY THEN DID HE ANNOUNCE THAT HE WAS BACK-TAXIING. THIS ANGERED ME SOMEWHAT, SINCE I THINK THAT HE SHOULD HAVE 1) WAITED HIS TURN BEHIND ME, AND 2) ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTIONS FIRST. A BIT DISTRACTED, I MADE MY CLRING TURN, I SAW THE SMA D CLBING OUT, AND I PROCEEDED APPROX 100 YARDS BEHIND THE SMA B. ABOUT HALFWAY TO THE MID-FIELD TURN-OFF, I HEARD THE TWIN ANNOUNCE THAT HE WAS ON A L BASE FOR 9. I WAS VERY SURPRISED, AS I BELIEVED HE WAS NO LONGER IN THE PATTERN. I HAD NOT SEEN HIM DURING THE CLRING TURN, NOR DID I HEAR ANY POS RPTS FROM HIM ON CTAF/UNICOM. HE WAS WELL INTO THE BASE LEG, AND WOULD BE TURNING FINAL SOON. I KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO DECIDE WHETHER TO CONTINUE TAXIING TOWARDS THE MID-FIELD TURN-OFF, TAXI ONTO THE VERY MOIST AND SOFT GND TO MY R, OR TURN AROUND AND TAXI BACK THE ON E RUN-UP AREA. I KNEW THAT THE SMA C WAS BEHIND ME SOMEWHERE SO I DECIDED TO PROCEED FORWARD TO THE MID-FIELD TURN-OFF, AS THE SMA B WAS DOING. THE TWIN WAS NOW ON SHORT FINAL, THE SMA B WAS TURNING OFF AT MID-FIELD, AND I WAS STILL ABOUT 100 YARDS BEHIND THE SMA B. I REALIZED THAT I HAD PROBABLY FORCED THE TWIN INTO A GAR. I PREPARED TO TAXI ONTO THE SOFT GND ON THE R SIDE OF THE RWY IF HE DID NOT GAR. HE BEGAN THE GAR AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT I PULLED INTO THE TURN-OFF AREA. THE SITUATION WAS RESOLVED AT THIS POINT, THANKS TO THE ALERT TWIN PLT. IN ORDER TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, I SHOULD WORK TOWARDS IMPROVING MY SCAN DURING CLRING TURNS. I DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE THE TWIN AND THIS PROBABLY EXPLAINS WHY I DIDN'T SEE HIM. ANOTHER THING WHICH I SHOULD HAVE DONE AFTER THE SMA B CUT IN FRONT OF ME WAS TO REMAIN IN THE RUN-UP AREA AND REASSESS THE SITUATION. WHEN I SAW HIM TAXI PAST ME, I LET MYSELF GET 'LURED' IN BEHIND HIM. EVEN THOUGH I MADE THE CLRING TURN FIRST, I DIDN'T SEE THE TWIN AND I FOLLOWED THE SMA B INTO A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. FINALLY, EXTRA VIGILANCE WAS CLRLY CALLED FOR. THE ARPT WAS BUSY, AND I KNEW IT. THIS SITUATION DEMONSTRATES HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.

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.