Narrative:

On jul/wed/94 at XX00, I took off in VFR conditions from hvn on an IFR flight plan to gon. As I neared gon, I was able to pick up the lights of the electric boat company, pfizer, and hess oil, which are extremely bright, and a few mins later, the airport beacon just beyond gon. During this time, my GPS (VFR) range to the field was between 8 and 10 mi, so I considered canceling IFR but then decided to make an approach for practice. After requesting a VOR runway 23 approach, I received a vector to 050 degrees and a descent to 3000 ft. This took me within about 1/2 mi of the tv 26 tower. I could still see the gon beacon, which confirmed the 8-10 NM visibility. I also started to pick up an undercast to the east, below 1000 ft. Pvd was vectoring a navy C-12 for the VOR runway 23 approach to gon at this time. After a vector to 070 degrees, pvd turned me to 090 degrees and cleared me to 2000 ft while still about 9 NM west of soney intersection. Pvd then told the C-12 it was 3 NM east of soney, cleared it for the VOR runway 23 approach, and told it to call back on 118.55 or 119.45 as soon as it landed because there was another plane waiting to make the same approach (me). After a vector to 200 degrees, pvd asked me to attempt to contact the C-12 on gon CTAF to see if they had landed. I tried both the secondary radio (already set to 125.6) and then the primary (a FLIP-flop radio set to 125.75 and 125.6), but received no answer. After checking back in with pvd, I was vectored to 360 degrees. A few mins later, pvd vectored me to 210 degrees, cleared me for the VOR runway 23 approach, terminated radar services and asked that I contact them if I was able to complete the approach. Visibility east of the airport was still poor, probably 1 mi or less, and as I descended to minimum descent altitude at 740 ft I was just skimming the top of the fog. I was able to pick up the lights of mystic as I neared the airport, and then the lights if I-95. At about 3 NM from the airport (by GPS) I regained the lights of electric boat, pfizer, and hess. I picked up the REIL for runway 23 at about a mile and a half from the runway (though I didn't realize it at first) and maneuvered right to line up for landing. As I did, the runway lights and then all the airport and city lights came into view. I called pvd, told them that I had the airport in sight, canceled IFR, and then switched over to CTAF on my primary radio. I made a normal landing near the numbers at approximately XX47. As I followed out past taxiway D, probably at about 20-30 KTS, I saw what I at first thought were the approach lights for runway 5. Within a second or 2, I realized that not only should I not be able to see the approach lights. But that the light I did see was getting brighter and also moving. Realizing that it was an oncoming plane, I immediately turned to the right to drive off the runway. The oncoming plane lifted off as I reached the runway edge and passed over me by what I would estimate was no more than 150 ft. At no time did I hear the other plane make any calls on CTAF. I believe it was the same navy C-12 that had landed just prior to me, since there were no navy C-12 type aircraft parked at the terminal or by the FBO ramp, and after I reached the ramp switched the radio back to pvd and heard a navy plane. I tied down the plane, and because the FBO's were closed, I contacted pvd by telephone from my home and made a report to the approach supervisor. The next day, I reported the incident to the FBO/flying club manager and the tower supervisor at gon. I do not believe that the plane was on the runway when I first gained sight of the runway, since I had tried to sight the REIL. If he was, I would have seen his landing light, and he would have seen my landing light and beacon descending onto the runway visibility at the airport and to the north and west was good, while visibility closer to me -- probably airborne -- by the time I touched down. I am alarmed because these pilots decided to take off using runway 5 even though they had been told there was another aircraft following them to runway 23. Had I been a min or 2 later on the approach, I would have been airborne on the runway centerline at 500-700 ft, making a collision more likely. Also, I don't think he was ever tuned into the CTAF, since I never heard him on either of my radios and he apparently didn't hear me. This was irresponsible and dangerous, since the pilots had been told that there was another plane in the area, inbound to the same runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TAKES OFF IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF LNDG ACFT.

Narrative: ON JUL/WED/94 AT XX00, I TOOK OFF IN VFR CONDITIONS FROM HVN ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO GON. AS I NEARED GON, I WAS ABLE TO PICK UP THE LIGHTS OF THE ELECTRIC BOAT COMPANY, PFIZER, AND HESS OIL, WHICH ARE EXTREMELY BRIGHT, AND A FEW MINS LATER, THE ARPT BEACON JUST BEYOND GON. DURING THIS TIME, MY GPS (VFR) RANGE TO THE FIELD WAS BTWN 8 AND 10 MI, SO I CONSIDERED CANCELING IFR BUT THEN DECIDED TO MAKE AN APCH FOR PRACTICE. AFTER REQUESTING A VOR RWY 23 APCH, I RECEIVED A VECTOR TO 050 DEGS AND A DSCNT TO 3000 FT. THIS TOOK ME WITHIN ABOUT 1/2 MI OF THE TV 26 TWR. I COULD STILL SEE THE GON BEACON, WHICH CONFIRMED THE 8-10 NM VISIBILITY. I ALSO STARTED TO PICK UP AN UNDERCAST TO THE E, BELOW 1000 FT. PVD WAS VECTORING A NAVY C-12 FOR THE VOR RWY 23 APCH TO GON AT THIS TIME. AFTER A VECTOR TO 070 DEGS, PVD TURNED ME TO 090 DEGS AND CLRED ME TO 2000 FT WHILE STILL ABOUT 9 NM W OF SONEY INTXN. PVD THEN TOLD THE C-12 IT WAS 3 NM E OF SONEY, CLRED IT FOR THE VOR RWY 23 APCH, AND TOLD IT TO CALL BACK ON 118.55 OR 119.45 AS SOON AS IT LANDED BECAUSE THERE WAS ANOTHER PLANE WAITING TO MAKE THE SAME APCH (ME). AFTER A VECTOR TO 200 DEGS, PVD ASKED ME TO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE C-12 ON GON CTAF TO SEE IF THEY HAD LANDED. I TRIED BOTH THE SECONDARY RADIO (ALREADY SET TO 125.6) AND THEN THE PRIMARY (A FLIP-FLOP RADIO SET TO 125.75 AND 125.6), BUT RECEIVED NO ANSWER. AFTER CHKING BACK IN WITH PVD, I WAS VECTORED TO 360 DEGS. A FEW MINS LATER, PVD VECTORED ME TO 210 DEGS, CLRED ME FOR THE VOR RWY 23 APCH, TERMINATED RADAR SVCS AND ASKED THAT I CONTACT THEM IF I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE THE APCH. VISIBILITY E OF THE ARPT WAS STILL POOR, PROBABLY 1 MI OR LESS, AND AS I DSNDED TO MINIMUM DSCNT ALT AT 740 FT I WAS JUST SKIMMING THE TOP OF THE FOG. I WAS ABLE TO PICK UP THE LIGHTS OF MYSTIC AS I NEARED THE ARPT, AND THEN THE LIGHTS IF I-95. AT ABOUT 3 NM FROM THE ARPT (BY GPS) I REGAINED THE LIGHTS OF ELECTRIC BOAT, PFIZER, AND HESS. I PICKED UP THE REIL FOR RWY 23 AT ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF FROM THE RWY (THOUGH I DIDN'T REALIZE IT AT FIRST) AND MANEUVERED RIGHT TO LINE UP FOR LNDG. AS I DID, THE RWY LIGHTS AND THEN ALL THE ARPT AND CITY LIGHTS CAME INTO VIEW. I CALLED PVD, TOLD THEM THAT I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, CANCELED IFR, AND THEN SWITCHED OVER TO CTAF ON MY PRIMARY RADIO. I MADE A NORMAL LNDG NEAR THE NUMBERS AT APPROX XX47. AS I FOLLOWED OUT PAST TXWY D, PROBABLY AT ABOUT 20-30 KTS, I SAW WHAT I AT FIRST THOUGHT WERE THE APCH LIGHTS FOR RWY 5. WITHIN A SECOND OR 2, I REALIZED THAT NOT ONLY SHOULD I NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE APCH LIGHTS. BUT THAT THE LIGHT I DID SEE WAS GETTING BRIGHTER AND ALSO MOVING. REALIZING THAT IT WAS AN ONCOMING PLANE, I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO THE R TO DRIVE OFF THE RWY. THE ONCOMING PLANE LIFTED OFF AS I REACHED THE RWY EDGE AND PASSED OVER ME BY WHAT I WOULD ESTIMATE WAS NO MORE THAN 150 FT. AT NO TIME DID I HEAR THE OTHER PLANE MAKE ANY CALLS ON CTAF. I BELIEVE IT WAS THE SAME NAVY C-12 THAT HAD LANDED JUST PRIOR TO ME, SINCE THERE WERE NO NAVY C-12 TYPE ACFT PARKED AT THE TERMINAL OR BY THE FBO RAMP, AND AFTER I REACHED THE RAMP SWITCHED THE RADIO BACK TO PVD AND HEARD A NAVY PLANE. I TIED DOWN THE PLANE, AND BECAUSE THE FBO'S WERE CLOSED, I CONTACTED PVD BY TELEPHONE FROM MY HOME AND MADE A RPT TO THE APCH SUPVR. THE NEXT DAY, I RPTED THE INCIDENT TO THE FBO/FLYING CLUB MGR AND THE TWR SUPVR AT GON. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE PLANE WAS ON THE RWY WHEN I FIRST GAINED SIGHT OF THE RWY, SINCE I HAD TRIED TO SIGHT THE REIL. IF HE WAS, I WOULD HAVE SEEN HIS LNDG LIGHT, AND HE WOULD HAVE SEEN MY LNDG LIGHT AND BEACON DSNDING ONTO THE RWY VISIBILITY AT THE ARPT AND TO THE N AND W WAS GOOD, WHILE VISIBILITY CLOSER TO ME -- PROBABLY AIRBORNE -- BY THE TIME I TOUCHED DOWN. I AM ALARMED BECAUSE THESE PLTS DECIDED TO TAKE OFF USING RWY 5 EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD BEEN TOLD THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT FOLLOWING THEM TO RWY 23. HAD I BEEN A MIN OR 2 LATER ON THE APCH, I WOULD HAVE BEEN AIRBORNE ON THE RWY CTRLINE AT 500-700 FT, MAKING A COLLISION MORE LIKELY. ALSO, I DON'T THINK HE WAS EVER TUNED INTO THE CTAF, SINCE I NEVER HEARD HIM ON EITHER OF MY RADIOS AND HE APPARENTLY DIDN'T HEAR ME. THIS WAS IRRESPONSIBLE AND DANGEROUS, SINCE THE PLTS HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER PLANE IN THE AREA, INBOUND TO THE SAME RWY.

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.