Narrative:

I approached the airport from the nnw at pattern altitude. I saw no traffic on the ground or in the air. I called twice on CTAF for runway advisory. No answer, which was not unusual at that airport. Listening on different frequencys earlier indicated the local airports were using a traffic pattern favoring the wind, nne at 8 mph. I elected to land on runway 04 because of the wind. Entering a left downwind at mid-point of the field, I announced my intentions on CTAF. In the moni, side and rear vision is restr due to a low wing confign and on downwind I could not see any ground traffic on the north end. The north end of the runway is lower and hard to see from a low angle and as I was just off the south runway end about 50 ft AGL on final, I saw a single engine low wing plane taking off from the other end in a downwind takeoff. It was already well above the runway and turning to my left to avoid me. As I was almost to touchdown and well below its flight path, I completed the landing, as a pull up would have put us closer together. I turned off at the mid point of the runway which was well before the point at which the other plane had lifted off. Later, 2 of the instructors at the field made it a point to discuss it with me. The one who was in the opposing plane said he had heard no call from me. Before leaving the field about 2 hours later, I re-tightened the radio antenna connections and re-tuned the radio. It is an older hand held with tuning wheels that must be operated with a finger nail tip. On starting up to leave, the radio was working well and the FBO was advising that the runway direction had been reversed. I wonder why local pilots did not alert the FBO as to the wind direction rather than making downwind takeoffs. However, I should not have assumed so much and checked the situation closer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF HOME-BUILT ACFT APCHING TO LAND HAS LTSS WITH ACFT DEPARTING OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

Narrative: I APCHED THE ARPT FROM THE NNW AT PATTERN ALT. I SAW NO TFC ON THE GND OR IN THE AIR. I CALLED TWICE ON CTAF FOR RWY ADVISORY. NO ANSWER, WHICH WAS NOT UNUSUAL AT THAT ARPT. LISTENING ON DIFFERENT FREQS EARLIER INDICATED THE LCL ARPTS WERE USING A TFC PATTERN FAVORING THE WIND, NNE AT 8 MPH. I ELECTED TO LAND ON RWY 04 BECAUSE OF THE WIND. ENTERING A L DOWNWIND AT MID-POINT OF THE FIELD, I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS ON CTAF. IN THE MONI, SIDE AND REAR VISION IS RESTR DUE TO A LOW WING CONFIGN AND ON DOWNWIND I COULD NOT SEE ANY GND TFC ON THE N END. THE N END OF THE RWY IS LOWER AND HARD TO SEE FROM A LOW ANGLE AND AS I WAS JUST OFF THE S RWY END ABOUT 50 FT AGL ON FINAL, I SAW A SINGLE ENG LOW WING PLANE TAKING OFF FROM THE OTHER END IN A DOWNWIND TKOF. IT WAS ALREADY WELL ABOVE THE RWY AND TURNING TO MY L TO AVOID ME. AS I WAS ALMOST TO TOUCHDOWN AND WELL BELOW ITS FLT PATH, I COMPLETED THE LNDG, AS A PULL UP WOULD HAVE PUT US CLOSER TOGETHER. I TURNED OFF AT THE MID POINT OF THE RWY WHICH WAS WELL BEFORE THE POINT AT WHICH THE OTHER PLANE HAD LIFTED OFF. LATER, 2 OF THE INSTRUCTORS AT THE FIELD MADE IT A POINT TO DISCUSS IT WITH ME. THE ONE WHO WAS IN THE OPPOSING PLANE SAID HE HAD HEARD NO CALL FROM ME. BEFORE LEAVING THE FIELD ABOUT 2 HRS LATER, I RE-TIGHTENED THE RADIO ANTENNA CONNECTIONS AND RE-TUNED THE RADIO. IT IS AN OLDER HAND HELD WITH TUNING WHEELS THAT MUST BE OPERATED WITH A FINGER NAIL TIP. ON STARTING UP TO LEAVE, THE RADIO WAS WORKING WELL AND THE FBO WAS ADVISING THAT THE RWY DIRECTION HAD BEEN REVERSED. I WONDER WHY LCL PLTS DID NOT ALERT THE FBO AS TO THE WIND DIRECTION RATHER THAN MAKING DOWNWIND TKOFS. HOWEVER, I SHOULD NOT HAVE ASSUMED SO MUCH AND CHKED THE SIT CLOSER.

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.