Narrative:

This was the captain's first trip into the fca airport. Company policy is that only (airline domicile) based crews will fly the B-757 into fca, and that the special pages and video tapes will be used to prepare for this airport. The XXX based captain reviewed the special pages and video as required. The XXX based first officer had called in sick for the trip and was replaced by an xyz based first officer who had not been into fca before. He also studied the special pages for the airport before and during the trip from slc to fca. The entry into fca was made at night and was made as a full ILS, including the procedure turn since the crew was unfamiliar with the area and took a very conservative approach to this 1ST entry. The approach and landing were uneventful. The next day the crew arrived at the airport approximately 1 hour prior to the actual departure time. The aircraft had been delayed and did not arrive until approximately 30 mins prior to departure. The aircraft came in with a maintenance carry over condition that required some research into the MEL to determine performance restrs. This time spent lessened the normal pre-takeoff time available for normal duties and review of special departure procedures. Fca is an uncontrolled airport and requires coordination and communications with both ZLC and the unicom at the airport. The crew was aware that another air carrier aircraft was on the ILS approach to runway 02 and that a citation was also inbound and planning on runway 02. Prior to taxi, radio calls were made to both center and to unicom that flight XXXX was preparing to taxi for departure on runway 02. As the aircraft taxied onto the parallel taxiway, the previously issued IFR release was canceled as the other air carrier flight was on approach. The inbound citation also called to state its position and intentions. After it landed and called center, the IFR release for flight XXX was again given. The crew called both center and unicom and visually cleared the base and final approach areas for runway 02 before taxiing onto the runway for takeoff. As the aircraft was stopped in position, the crew noticed a light plane on base leg for runway 20, and heard the 1ST radio call that there was conflicting traffic. Since there was no taxiway available to clear the runway, the aircraft was stopped and a radio call was made for the aircraft on final for runway 20 to 'go around.' the aircraft did not respond and proceeded to land on runway 20. Flight XXXX was prepared to taxi onto the grass area if necessary to avoid a collision. The light plane made a full stop landing and turned off the runway at the 1ST taxiway, well short of flight XXXX. It is my opinion that the primary reason for this situation was poor communications, and the mix of IFR and light VFR aircraft at an uncontrolled airport. The situation was also probably due partially, to some human performance deficiencies. The crew was in a rushed situation, with a less than perfect aircraft and although familiar with operations at uncontrolled airports in general, was not familiar with the individual character and idiosyncrasies of the traffic at this particular airport. Supplemental information from acn 309774: we visually cleared the base and final and called CTAF that we were taking the runway (02) for takeoff. While we were finishing up our checklist we heard and saw a light aircraft turning base for runway 20.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LIGHT ACFT LANDED AT A NON TWR FIELD IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF DEPARTING ACR TFC.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE CAPT'S FIRST TRIP INTO THE FCA ARPT. COMPANY POLICY IS THAT ONLY (AIRLINE DOMICILE) BASED CREWS WILL FLY THE B-757 INTO FCA, AND THAT THE SPECIAL PAGES AND VIDEO TAPES WILL BE USED TO PREPARE FOR THIS ARPT. THE XXX BASED CAPT REVIEWED THE SPECIAL PAGES AND VIDEO AS REQUIRED. THE XXX BASED FO HAD CALLED IN SICK FOR THE TRIP AND WAS REPLACED BY AN XYZ BASED FO WHO HAD NOT BEEN INTO FCA BEFORE. HE ALSO STUDIED THE SPECIAL PAGES FOR THE ARPT BEFORE AND DURING THE TRIP FROM SLC TO FCA. THE ENTRY INTO FCA WAS MADE AT NIGHT AND WAS MADE AS A FULL ILS, INCLUDING THE PROC TURN SINCE THE CREW WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND TOOK A VERY CONSERVATIVE APCH TO THIS 1ST ENTRY. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. THE NEXT DAY THE CREW ARRIVED AT THE ARPT APPROX 1 HR PRIOR TO THE ACTUAL DEP TIME. THE ACFT HAD BEEN DELAYED AND DID NOT ARRIVE UNTIL APPROX 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. THE ACFT CAME IN WITH A MAINT CARRY OVER CONDITION THAT REQUIRED SOME RESEARCH INTO THE MEL TO DETERMINE PERFORMANCE RESTRS. THIS TIME SPENT LESSENED THE NORMAL PRE-TKOF TIME AVAILABLE FOR NORMAL DUTIES AND REVIEW OF SPECIAL DEP PROCS. FCA IS AN UNCTLED ARPT AND REQUIRES COORD AND COMS WITH BOTH ZLC AND THE UNICOM AT THE ARPT. THE CREW WAS AWARE THAT ANOTHER ACR ACFT WAS ON THE ILS APCH TO RWY 02 AND THAT A CITATION WAS ALSO INBOUND AND PLANNING ON RWY 02. PRIOR TO TAXI, RADIO CALLS WERE MADE TO BOTH CTR AND TO UNICOM THAT FLT XXXX WAS PREPARING TO TAXI FOR DEP ON RWY 02. AS THE ACFT TAXIED ONTO THE PARALLEL TXWY, THE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED IFR RELEASE WAS CANCELED AS THE OTHER ACR FLT WAS ON APCH. THE INBOUND CITATION ALSO CALLED TO STATE ITS POS AND INTENTIONS. AFTER IT LANDED AND CALLED CTR, THE IFR RELEASE FOR FLT XXX WAS AGAIN GIVEN. THE CREW CALLED BOTH CTR AND UNICOM AND VISUALLY CLRED THE BASE AND FINAL APCH AREAS FOR RWY 02 BEFORE TAXIING ONTO THE RWY FOR TKOF. AS THE ACFT WAS STOPPED IN POS, THE CREW NOTICED A LIGHT PLANE ON BASE LEG FOR RWY 20, AND HEARD THE 1ST RADIO CALL THAT THERE WAS CONFLICTING TFC. SINCE THERE WAS NO TXWY AVAILABLE TO CLR THE RWY, THE ACFT WAS STOPPED AND A RADIO CALL WAS MADE FOR THE ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 20 TO 'GAR.' THE ACFT DID NOT RESPOND AND PROCEEDED TO LAND ON RWY 20. FLT XXXX WAS PREPARED TO TAXI ONTO THE GRASS AREA IF NECESSARY TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE LIGHT PLANE MADE A FULL STOP LNDG AND TURNED OFF THE RWY AT THE 1ST TXWY, WELL SHORT OF FLT XXXX. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THIS SIT WAS POOR COMS, AND THE MIX OF IFR AND LIGHT VFR ACFT AT AN UNCTLED ARPT. THE SIT WAS ALSO PROBABLY DUE PARTIALLY, TO SOME HUMAN PERFORMANCE DEFICIENCIES. THE CREW WAS IN A RUSHED SIT, WITH A LESS THAN PERFECT ACFT AND ALTHOUGH FAMILIAR WITH OPS AT UNCTLED ARPTS IN GENERAL, WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER AND IDIOSYNCRASIES OF THE TFC AT THIS PARTICULAR ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 309774: WE VISUALLY CLRED THE BASE AND FINAL AND CALLED CTAF THAT WE WERE TAKING THE RWY (02) FOR TKOF. WHILE WE WERE FINISHING UP OUR CHKLIST WE HEARD AND SAW A LIGHT ACFT TURNING BASE FOR RWY 20.

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.