Narrative:

A special interest activity was being held at the auburn airport. Pilots were giving rides to children as part of our young eagles program. The result was very heavy traffic in the auburn traffic pattern. All morning the wind had favored the right traffic runway 16. I loaded 3 young eagles in the plane, and on taxi-out, I noted that the windsock and the automatically activated wind tee had changed to indicate runway 34, so I announced on 122.8 (CTAF) that the wind tee now indicated runway 34. As I taxied south, I noted that some of the 5 or 6 planes in the pattern had changed direction. Just before my run-up, I announced again that the wind tee indicated runway 34. I waited for several airplanes to finish landing on runway 16. As I saw the last plane complete his landing rollout and turn off the runway, I announced my runway 34 departure, swung onto the runway, and applied takeoff power. At this point I checked my manifold pressure and RPM gauges to assure adequate takeoff power. Simultaneously with this, an airplane in the pattern announced that there was an airplane on the runway, I assumed that it was the high wing airplane that I had seen turn off the runway. It was, except the pilot discovered orange cones blocking the entrance to the sbound taxiway, so he turned back onto the runway. By this time I was committed for takeoff, so I veered to the left, and horsed it off as soon as I could. I missed the plane on the runway vertically by 10-20 ft, and horizontally by 5 ft. I believe the airplane on the runway was a vintage yellow and orange aeronca champ with no radio. Undoubtedly I should have waited until the aeronca was traveling on the sbound taxiway, but neither of us knew that it was blocked by the orange cones. (Placed there by airport management to facilitate fly-in and event displays.) published exits from operational runways should not be indiscriminately blocked. A separate problem arises on reversing traffic flow at auburn, since traffic patterns coincide in both directions, a procedure is needed to safely avoid conflicts with opposite traffic during a runway change. Regarding active runway awareness: I suggest that airports having automatically-operated wind tees and VASI-lights, that the wind tee be programmed to flash the white and red VASI-lights on and off at the inactive approach end of the runway.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A MOONEY M20C TOOK OFF OVER AN AERONCA 7AC WHICH WAS ON THE RWY TAXIING AFTER LNDG AT AN UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: A SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIVITY WAS BEING HELD AT THE AUBURN ARPT. PLTS WERE GIVING RIDES TO CHILDREN AS PART OF OUR YOUNG EAGLES PROGRAM. THE RESULT WAS VERY HVY TFC IN THE AUBURN TFC PATTERN. ALL MORNING THE WIND HAD FAVORED THE R TFC RWY 16. I LOADED 3 YOUNG EAGLES IN THE PLANE, AND ON TAXI-OUT, I NOTED THAT THE WINDSOCK AND THE AUTOMATICALLY ACTIVATED WIND TEE HAD CHANGED TO INDICATE RWY 34, SO I ANNOUNCED ON 122.8 (CTAF) THAT THE WIND TEE NOW INDICATED RWY 34. AS I TAXIED S, I NOTED THAT SOME OF THE 5 OR 6 PLANES IN THE PATTERN HAD CHANGED DIRECTION. JUST BEFORE MY RUN-UP, I ANNOUNCED AGAIN THAT THE WIND TEE INDICATED RWY 34. I WAITED FOR SEVERAL AIRPLANES TO FINISH LNDG ON RWY 16. AS I SAW THE LAST PLANE COMPLETE HIS LNDG ROLLOUT AND TURN OFF THE RWY, I ANNOUNCED MY RWY 34 DEP, SWUNG ONTO THE RWY, AND APPLIED TKOF PWR. AT THIS POINT I CHKED MY MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND RPM GAUGES TO ASSURE ADEQUATE TKOF PWR. SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THIS, AN AIRPLANE IN THE PATTERN ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE ON THE RWY, I ASSUMED THAT IT WAS THE HIGH WING AIRPLANE THAT I HAD SEEN TURN OFF THE RWY. IT WAS, EXCEPT THE PLT DISCOVERED ORANGE CONES BLOCKING THE ENTRANCE TO THE SBOUND TXWY, SO HE TURNED BACK ONTO THE RWY. BY THIS TIME I WAS COMMITTED FOR TKOF, SO I VEERED TO THE L, AND HORSED IT OFF AS SOON AS I COULD. I MISSED THE PLANE ON THE RWY VERTLY BY 10-20 FT, AND HORIZLY BY 5 FT. I BELIEVE THE AIRPLANE ON THE RWY WAS A VINTAGE YELLOW AND ORANGE AERONCA CHAMP WITH NO RADIO. UNDOUBTEDLY I SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL THE AERONCA WAS TRAVELING ON THE SBOUND TXWY, BUT NEITHER OF US KNEW THAT IT WAS BLOCKED BY THE ORANGE CONES. (PLACED THERE BY ARPT MGMNT TO FACILITATE FLY-IN AND EVENT DISPLAYS.) PUBLISHED EXITS FROM OPERATIONAL RWYS SHOULD NOT BE INDISCRIMINATELY BLOCKED. A SEPARATE PROB ARISES ON REVERSING TFC FLOW AT AUBURN, SINCE TFC PATTERNS COINCIDE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, A PROC IS NEEDED TO SAFELY AVOID CONFLICTS WITH OPPOSITE TFC DURING A RWY CHANGE. REGARDING ACTIVE RWY AWARENESS: I SUGGEST THAT ARPTS HAVING AUTOMATICALLY-OPERATED WIND TEES AND VASI-LIGHTS, THAT THE WIND TEE BE PROGRAMMED TO FLASH THE WHITE AND RED VASI-LIGHTS ON AND OFF AT THE INACTIVE APCH END OF THE 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.