Narrative:

Owner/pilot dropped off all installed radios for upgrade. As we taxied out to depart he attempted to call unicom on his handheld, with headset plugged into it, for active runway. Although charged and tested, the previous night, it did not work. He stopped taxiing and we vainly tried to troubleshoot it. I got my handheld and called unicom for radio check -- okay. Pilot did runup at end of runway facing into wind, then did a 180 degree turn in front of hold-line to check for traffic. We both looked up final and both base legs -- no traffic and none reported on unicom. I transmitted we were taking runway 7 and departing. As we entered runway and turned left, an unannounced airplane at midfield began to slowly cross the runway. (I noticed the pilot of my plane was lined up about 8 ft to the left of the runway centerline). We waited about 20 seconds for the other plane to clear the runway, then began our takeoff roll. We were a few seconds before liftoff when a biplane appeared about 10-15 ft above us and slight to the right of the runway centerline. He landed in front of us about 50-75 ft as my pilot chopped power and applied brakes. (Later we found it was a transient airplane that picked up an unknown passenger and departed. None of the lcls could identify the airplane). I believe the NORDO biplane made a hotdog, low, close-in approach, without any s-turns on final. If he had made a normal approach, at least one of us would have seen him because of our excellent, low-wing visibility. We had multiple distrs, but I know we both looked properly for traffic before we entered runway environment. I made the proper radio calls and did not hear any conflicting traffic calls. In the future, if I'm PIC, I'll do a 360 degree (to look for traffic) if I'm delayed on the runway (a la lax), but in this case, I still don't think it was warranted. I hope that is the closest I ever come to another aircraft!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC OR NEAR COLLISION ON RWY AT NON TWR ARPT UNICOM.

Narrative: OWNER/PLT DROPPED OFF ALL INSTALLED RADIOS FOR UPGRADE. AS WE TAXIED OUT TO DEPART HE ATTEMPTED TO CALL UNICOM ON HIS HANDHELD, WITH HEADSET PLUGGED INTO IT, FOR ACTIVE RWY. ALTHOUGH CHARGED AND TESTED, THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, IT DID NOT WORK. HE STOPPED TAXIING AND WE VAINLY TRIED TO TROUBLESHOOT IT. I GOT MY HANDHELD AND CALLED UNICOM FOR RADIO CHK -- OKAY. PLT DID RUNUP AT END OF RWY FACING INTO WIND, THEN DID A 180 DEG TURN IN FRONT OF HOLD-LINE TO CHK FOR TFC. WE BOTH LOOKED UP FINAL AND BOTH BASE LEGS -- NO TFC AND NONE RPTED ON UNICOM. I XMITTED WE WERE TAKING RWY 7 AND DEPARTING. AS WE ENTERED RWY AND TURNED L, AN UNANNOUNCED AIRPLANE AT MIDFIELD BEGAN TO SLOWLY CROSS THE RWY. (I NOTICED THE PLT OF MY PLANE WAS LINED UP ABOUT 8 FT TO THE L OF THE RWY CTRLINE). WE WAITED ABOUT 20 SECONDS FOR THE OTHER PLANE TO CLR THE RWY, THEN BEGAN OUR TKOF ROLL. WE WERE A FEW SECONDS BEFORE LIFTOFF WHEN A BIPLANE APPEARED ABOUT 10-15 FT ABOVE US AND SLIGHT TO THE R OF THE RWY CTRLINE. HE LANDED IN FRONT OF US ABOUT 50-75 FT AS MY PLT CHOPPED PWR AND APPLIED BRAKES. (LATER WE FOUND IT WAS A TRANSIENT AIRPLANE THAT PICKED UP AN UNKNOWN PAX AND DEPARTED. NONE OF THE LCLS COULD IDENT THE AIRPLANE). I BELIEVE THE NORDO BIPLANE MADE A HOTDOG, LOW, CLOSE-IN APCH, WITHOUT ANY S-TURNS ON FINAL. IF HE HAD MADE A NORMAL APCH, AT LEAST ONE OF US WOULD HAVE SEEN HIM BECAUSE OF OUR EXCELLENT, LOW-WING VISIBILITY. WE HAD MULTIPLE DISTRS, BUT I KNOW WE BOTH LOOKED PROPERLY FOR TFC BEFORE WE ENTERED RWY ENVIRONMENT. I MADE THE PROPER RADIO CALLS AND DID NOT HEAR ANY CONFLICTING TFC CALLS. IN THE FUTURE, IF I'M PIC, I'LL DO A 360 DEG (TO LOOK FOR TFC) IF I'M DELAYED ON THE RWY (A LA LAX), BUT IN THIS CASE, I STILL DON'T THINK IT WAS WARRANTED. I HOPE THAT IS THE CLOSEST I EVER COME TO ANOTHER ACFT!

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.