Narrative:

This incident took place at hayden, co, an uncontrolled airport using unicom, conditions were VFR. We were #3 for departure behind a B727 and a king air, the active runway was 10. Procedures have you obtain your clearance during taxi-out from den center. We received our clearance and were told there would be a 10-15 mins delay for departing traffic. After only about 5 mins, center released us and advised that there was an inbound commuter flight that had canceled IFR. Aware of the inbound aircraft, but not sure of it's position, we cleared the traffic pattern and announced taking the runway in the blind on unicom frequency. Right after making our call on unicom, den center came on the radio and asked if we were departing at this time. We advised center that we were indeed taking the runway for departure. (We believe that it was during this time that we missed a call from the inbound commuter aircraft giving his position and intended runway.) once again we cleared the traffic pattern and taxied onto the runway. (Keep in mind that one must back-taxi for takeoff on runway 10. As we turned around to line up for departure, the commuter flight gave his position as being on a 3 mi final for runway 28 and would have to make a go around. The commuter flight then broke off the approach and entered downwind for runway 10. We then made an uneventful departure. The lessons to be learned here is to always have someone monitor unicom, even if you are interrupted by another frequency. Second, don't assume that all aircraft will be using the active runway, someone else might decide to be different and make a straight-in approach to the opposite runway. Corrective actions that would prevent this from occurring again would be to have at least a level one tower operating during the peak travel season (during our brief stopover two B727's, a B757, and numerous commuter and GA aircraft arrived and departed). In addition, a parallel taxiway should be constructed to preclude the need to back-taxi for departure on runway 10.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TFC PATTERN PROC DEV NON TWR ARPT UNICOM.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT HAYDEN, CO, AN UNCTLED ARPT USING UNICOM, CONDITIONS WERE VFR. WE WERE #3 FOR DEP BEHIND A B727 AND A KING AIR, THE ACTIVE RWY WAS 10. PROCS HAVE YOU OBTAIN YOUR CLRNC DURING TAXI-OUT FROM DEN CTR. WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC AND WERE TOLD THERE WOULD BE A 10-15 MINS DELAY FOR DEPARTING TFC. AFTER ONLY ABOUT 5 MINS, CTR RELEASED US AND ADVISED THAT THERE WAS AN INBOUND COMMUTER FLT THAT HAD CANCELED IFR. AWARE OF THE INBOUND ACFT, BUT NOT SURE OF IT'S POS, WE CLRED THE TFC PATTERN AND ANNOUNCED TAKING THE RWY IN THE BLIND ON UNICOM FREQ. RIGHT AFTER MAKING OUR CALL ON UNICOM, DEN CTR CAME ON THE RADIO AND ASKED IF WE WERE DEPARTING AT THIS TIME. WE ADVISED CTR THAT WE WERE INDEED TAKING THE RWY FOR DEP. (WE BELIEVE THAT IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT WE MISSED A CALL FROM THE INBOUND COMMUTER ACFT GIVING HIS POS AND INTENDED RWY.) ONCE AGAIN WE CLRED THE TFC PATTERN AND TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. (KEEP IN MIND THAT ONE MUST BACK-TAXI FOR TKOF ON RWY 10. AS WE TURNED AROUND TO LINE UP FOR DEP, THE COMMUTER FLT GAVE HIS POS AS BEING ON A 3 MI FINAL FOR RWY 28 AND WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A GAR. THE COMMUTER FLT THEN BROKE OFF THE APCH AND ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 10. WE THEN MADE AN UNEVENTFUL DEP. THE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED HERE IS TO ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE MONITOR UNICOM, EVEN IF YOU ARE INTERRUPTED BY ANOTHER FREQ. SECOND, DON'T ASSUME THAT ALL ACFT WILL BE USING THE ACTIVE RWY, SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT DECIDE TO BE DIFFERENT AND MAKE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO THE OPPOSITE RWY. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS THAT WOULD PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN WOULD BE TO HAVE AT LEAST A LEVEL ONE TWR OPERATING DURING THE PEAK TRAVEL SEASON (DURING OUR BRIEF STOPOVER TWO B727'S, A B757, AND NUMEROUS COMMUTER AND GA ACFT ARRIVED AND DEPARTED). IN ADDITION, A PARALLEL TXWY SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED TO PRECLUDE THE NEED TO BACK-TAXI FOR DEP ON RWY 10.

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.