Narrative:

We transmitted our taxi intentions on CTAF and proceeded to runway 20. During taxi, we heard no other radio calls. We obtained our clearance and completed our taxi and pretkof checklists. We announced on CTAF that we were taxiing onto runway 20 for a south departure. We had still heard no calls whatsoever from any other aircraft. I was about to advance the throttles for takeoff, when to our total astonishment, we saw a light aircraft lifting off, coming straight at us on runway 2. Due to the lay of the land, we were unable to see him until he lifted off. We held our position on the runway, while we continued to watch in total amazement as he flew overhead and finally broke the silence by announcing that he was turning downwind for a touch-and-go. We immediately informed him that we would have appreciated a radio call prior to his taking off, since we were about to depart on runway 20. I don't believe he ever heard our xmissions or saw us at the opposite end of the runway. After he was well clear, we departed uneventfully. I have long held the belief that it is hazardous for scheduled acrs to operate into uncontrolled airports. Even though we may be following the rules to the letter, as we did here, all it takes is someone like the individual we encountered on this morning to cause a major disaster. It was just plain luck and fortunate timing that we did not meet head-on at high speed at mid field. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was very upset over this event. He stated the small aircraft was so small and sitting low to the ground that it just was not visible. They were approximately 8000 ft from one another and it just didn't make for good viewing. Reporter talked to his chief pilot about this and was hoping for some type of positive recommendation for safety. His chief pilot talked to the FAA and was told it was his fault for not seeing the small aircraft before taking off. This aggravated the reporter enough that the chief pilot did all the communication with the FAA. Chief pilot reported back that the FAA FSDO was talking with the small aircraft pilot. Reporter feels strongly that all aircraft operating in a CTAF environment, need to have and use radios. Otherwise, accidents will happen. This case was very aggravating as the small aircraft had a radio, he just did not use it, at an air carrier field. Supplemental information from acn 345209: B727 called on unicom taking runway 20 for takeoff. Advanced throttles, started roll, observed single engine low wing aircraft just airborne, opposite direction on runway 2. Heard no prior unicom calls. Aircraft broadcast intention to turn downwind and TCASII target appeared after light civil was airborne. B727 continued takeoff, departed normally and asked light civil what his call sign was.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 HAS A CONFLICT WITH AN SMA DURING DEP FROM KALISPELL, MT.

Narrative: WE XMITTED OUR TAXI INTENTIONS ON CTAF AND PROCEEDED TO RWY 20. DURING TAXI, WE HEARD NO OTHER RADIO CALLS. WE OBTAINED OUR CLRNC AND COMPLETED OUR TAXI AND PRETKOF CHKLISTS. WE ANNOUNCED ON CTAF THAT WE WERE TAXIING ONTO RWY 20 FOR A S DEP. WE HAD STILL HEARD NO CALLS WHATSOEVER FROM ANY OTHER ACFT. I WAS ABOUT TO ADVANCE THE THROTTLES FOR TKOF, WHEN TO OUR TOTAL ASTONISHMENT, WE SAW A LIGHT ACFT LIFTING OFF, COMING STRAIGHT AT US ON RWY 2. DUE TO THE LAY OF THE LAND, WE WERE UNABLE TO SEE HIM UNTIL HE LIFTED OFF. WE HELD OUR POS ON THE RWY, WHILE WE CONTINUED TO WATCH IN TOTAL AMAZEMENT AS HE FLEW OVERHEAD AND FINALLY BROKE THE SILENCE BY ANNOUNCING THAT HE WAS TURNING DOWNWIND FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO. WE IMMEDIATELY INFORMED HIM THAT WE WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED A RADIO CALL PRIOR TO HIS TAKING OFF, SINCE WE WERE ABOUT TO DEPART ON RWY 20. I DON'T BELIEVE HE EVER HEARD OUR XMISSIONS OR SAW US AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY. AFTER HE WAS WELL CLR, WE DEPARTED UNEVENTFULLY. I HAVE LONG HELD THE BELIEF THAT IT IS HAZARDOUS FOR SCHEDULED ACRS TO OPERATE INTO UNCTLED ARPTS. EVEN THOUGH WE MAY BE FOLLOWING THE RULES TO THE LETTER, AS WE DID HERE, ALL IT TAKES IS SOMEONE LIKE THE INDIVIDUAL WE ENCOUNTERED ON THIS MORNING TO CAUSE A MAJOR DISASTER. IT WAS JUST PLAIN LUCK AND FORTUNATE TIMING THAT WE DID NOT MEET HEAD-ON AT HIGH SPD AT MID FIELD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS VERY UPSET OVER THIS EVENT. HE STATED THE SMA WAS SO SMALL AND SITTING LOW TO THE GND THAT IT JUST WAS NOT VISIBLE. THEY WERE APPROX 8000 FT FROM ONE ANOTHER AND IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE FOR GOOD VIEWING. RPTR TALKED TO HIS CHIEF PLT ABOUT THIS AND WAS HOPING FOR SOME TYPE OF POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION FOR SAFETY. HIS CHIEF PLT TALKED TO THE FAA AND WAS TOLD IT WAS HIS FAULT FOR NOT SEEING THE SMA BEFORE TAKING OFF. THIS AGGRAVATED THE RPTR ENOUGH THAT THE CHIEF PLT DID ALL THE COM WITH THE FAA. CHIEF PLT RPTED BACK THAT THE FAA FSDO WAS TALKING WITH THE SMA PLT. RPTR FEELS STRONGLY THAT ALL ACFT OPERATING IN A CTAF ENVIRONMENT, NEED TO HAVE AND USE RADIOS. OTHERWISE, ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN. THIS CASE WAS VERY AGGRAVATING AS THE SMA HAD A RADIO, HE JUST DID NOT USE IT, AT AN ACR FIELD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 345209: B727 CALLED ON UNICOM TAKING RWY 20 FOR TKOF. ADVANCED THROTTLES, STARTED ROLL, OBSERVED SINGLE ENG LOW WING ACFT JUST AIRBORNE, OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON RWY 2. HEARD NO PRIOR UNICOM CALLS. ACFT BROADCAST INTENTION TO TURN DOWNWIND AND TCASII TARGET APPEARED AFTER LIGHT CIVIL WAS AIRBORNE. B727 CONTINUED TKOF, DEPARTED NORMALLY AND ASKED LIGHT CIVIL WHAT HIS CALL SIGN WAS.

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.