Narrative:

On 8/95 commuter flight XXX had boarded, started engines and began taxiing out for departure on time at xa:00 am from the gate at mtj. We had a full boat, 30 passenger and a company pilot in the jump seat of the EMB120. As we started to taxi, we turned around, and pointed eward towards the taxiway into the sun. My first officer and I attempted to call montrose unicom for an 'airport and traffic advisory,' and were a little perplexed when we got no response. The unicom worker had just finished fueling us, and they are really good at responding on the radio. (I have flown into mtj for over 5 yrs, and know the FBO employees well.) well, we assumed that they were unable to reach the radio, so we continued taxiing. My first officer had begun the before takeoff checklist, and as we approached the intersection of runway 13/31, I said 'clear left' (my side) and his response was of course 'clear right.' I had glanced over right, through his window and saw no traffic. So far, a normal slow morning. As we cleared the intersection on our taxi to runway 35 (needed it for weight) out of the corner of my right eye, I saw the gear retracting on what looked like a C210, very distinctive gear retracting sequence. I said 'holy ----!' my first officer said 'what an idiot, I heard no calls.' I immediately checked the frequency in use on the red digital radio communication 1 and confirmed 122.80. Checked squelch for volume, checked transmit buttons on both hand microphone and headset, and all operated normally. I ducked under the dash to block the sun and found the second digit on communication 1 had a line missing. What I thought was 122.80 was really 122.82! Sudden realization of what I had done and the potential catastrophe that had taken place had shaken me. Then I thought, even with 3 pilots up front, damn, we missed this. Did my first officer really clear the runway before crossing? Why didn't the 210 abort the takeoff? After we made the frequency correction, unicom was calling us for a radio check, and the 210 pilot was screaming at us. All I could say was 'sorry sir, we didn't see or hear you, I'll try to never let that happen again.' after our departure, I sort of had my tail between my legs. I don't believe accidents 'just happen,' and there are no real good excuses for anything. So I called back to 122.8 and reached the C210, he responded back. I said, 'sir, I just want to again apologize for what just happened. We had radio problems, and heard nothing upon our xmissions. We both cleared the runway, but your black/red plane blended in with the backgnd and the sun. All I can say is I'm sorry, but glad it turned out the way it did.' he replied, 'I'm sorry I was a little hot with you earlier, we're all human and can make mistakes, we'll just leave it at that.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC TAXIES IN FRONT OF ACFT TAKING OFF.

Narrative: ON 8/95 COMMUTER FLT XXX HAD BOARDED, STARTED ENGS AND BEGAN TAXIING OUT FOR DEP ON TIME AT XA:00 AM FROM THE GATE AT MTJ. WE HAD A FULL BOAT, 30 PAX AND A COMPANY PLT IN THE JUMP SEAT OF THE EMB120. AS WE STARTED TO TAXI, WE TURNED AROUND, AND POINTED EWARD TOWARDS THE TXWY INTO THE SUN. MY FO AND I ATTEMPTED TO CALL MONTROSE UNICOM FOR AN 'ARPT AND TFC ADVISORY,' AND WERE A LITTLE PERPLEXED WHEN WE GOT NO RESPONSE. THE UNICOM WORKER HAD JUST FINISHED FUELING US, AND THEY ARE REALLY GOOD AT RESPONDING ON THE RADIO. (I HAVE FLOWN INTO MTJ FOR OVER 5 YRS, AND KNOW THE FBO EMPLOYEES WELL.) WELL, WE ASSUMED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REACH THE RADIO, SO WE CONTINUED TAXIING. MY FO HAD BEGUN THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, AND AS WE APCHED THE INTXN OF RWY 13/31, I SAID 'CLR L' (MY SIDE) AND HIS RESPONSE WAS OF COURSE 'CLR R.' I HAD GLANCED OVER R, THROUGH HIS WINDOW AND SAW NO TFC. SO FAR, A NORMAL SLOW MORNING. AS WE CLRED THE INTXN ON OUR TAXI TO RWY 35 (NEEDED IT FOR WT) OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY R EYE, I SAW THE GEAR RETRACTING ON WHAT LOOKED LIKE A C210, VERY DISTINCTIVE GEAR RETRACTING SEQUENCE. I SAID 'HOLY ----!' MY FO SAID 'WHAT AN IDIOT, I HEARD NO CALLS.' I IMMEDIATELY CHKED THE FREQ IN USE ON THE RED DIGITAL RADIO COM 1 AND CONFIRMED 122.80. CHKED SQUELCH FOR VOLUME, CHKED XMIT BUTTONS ON BOTH HAND MIKE AND HEADSET, AND ALL OPERATED NORMALLY. I DUCKED UNDER THE DASH TO BLOCK THE SUN AND FOUND THE SECOND DIGIT ON COM 1 HAD A LINE MISSING. WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 122.80 WAS REALLY 122.82! SUDDEN REALIZATION OF WHAT I HAD DONE AND THE POTENTIAL CATASTROPHE THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE HAD SHAKEN ME. THEN I THOUGHT, EVEN WITH 3 PLTS UP FRONT, DAMN, WE MISSED THIS. DID MY FO REALLY CLR THE RWY BEFORE XING? WHY DIDN'T THE 210 ABORT THE TKOF? AFTER WE MADE THE FREQ CORRECTION, UNICOM WAS CALLING US FOR A RADIO CHK, AND THE 210 PLT WAS SCREAMING AT US. ALL I COULD SAY WAS 'SORRY SIR, WE DIDN'T SEE OR HEAR YOU, I'LL TRY TO NEVER LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN.' AFTER OUR DEP, I SORT OF HAD MY TAIL BTWN MY LEGS. I DON'T BELIEVE ACCIDENTS 'JUST HAPPEN,' AND THERE ARE NO REAL GOOD EXCUSES FOR ANYTHING. SO I CALLED BACK TO 122.8 AND REACHED THE C210, HE RESPONDED BACK. I SAID, 'SIR, I JUST WANT TO AGAIN APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT JUST HAPPENED. WE HAD RADIO PROBS, AND HEARD NOTHING UPON OUR XMISSIONS. WE BOTH CLRED THE RWY, BUT YOUR BLACK/RED PLANE BLENDED IN WITH THE BACKGND AND THE SUN. ALL I CAN SAY IS I'M SORRY, BUT GLAD IT TURNED OUT THE WAY IT DID.' HE REPLIED, 'I'M SORRY I WAS A LITTLE HOT WITH YOU EARLIER, WE'RE ALL HUMAN AND CAN MAKE MISTAKES, WE'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.'

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.