Narrative:

Some time before sunrise, I taxied to the usual departure end of visibility airport, which is runway 30. I did a runup, held short of runway 30, looked for landing traffic, announced my departure straight out on runway 30. As I began my takeoff run, I noticed bright lights at the other end of the runway. These turned out to be an airplane taking off on runway 12. I aborted the takeoff, stopping about 300 ft down the runway, did a 180 degree turn and began to taxi back to the taxiway. The conflicting traffic (which took off successfully) passed what I estimate to be 300 ft overhead and made a right turnout. At no time did I hear any radio announcements from the other aircraft, during my 6500 ft taxi to the runup area, during my runup, during, or after the incident. I am certain I was on the correct frequency 123.05 as it was the same active frequency I had entered in communication #1 on my arrival the previous afternoon. How it was discovered: I saw the landing lights of the aircraft which was taking off toward me. Contributing factors: I think that it being predawn was a contributing factor. I did not have a landing light on, only a taxi light. There are bright hotel and park lights toward the far end of the runway and it took me several seconds to realize the opposing airplane's lights were, in fact, an airplane, not bright ballpark/park/hotel lights. The radio silence of the other airplane was a major factor. My looking primarily for landing traffic, not primarily opposing taking off traffic, assuming I was definitively on the active runway was also a factor. Because the prevailing winds in visibility so often make runway 30 the runway in use, I was not adequately alert to the possibility of another aircraft departing on runway 12. The 6500 ft length of the visibility runway contributed positively by giving the other aircraft distance to successfully take off, in the end keeping both of us well separated horizontally and vertically. I aborted my takeoff and turned to exit the runway. I assume that if the other aircraft saw me (I am not sure) and that the pilot may have climbed at best angle. When I saw the aircraft overhead it was in a right turnout, possibly part of corrective action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ANNOUNCES HIS TKOF INTENTIONS AT VIS ON CTAF AND ON STARTING HIS ROLL SEES THE LIGHTS OF AN ACFT DEPARTING THE OPPOSITE END.

Narrative: SOME TIME BEFORE SUNRISE, I TAXIED TO THE USUAL DEP END OF VIS ARPT, WHICH IS RWY 30. I DID A RUNUP, HELD SHORT OF RWY 30, LOOKED FOR LNDG TFC, ANNOUNCED MY DEP STRAIGHT OUT ON RWY 30. AS I BEGAN MY TKOF RUN, I NOTICED BRIGHT LIGHTS AT THE OTHER END OF THE RWY. THESE TURNED OUT TO BE AN AIRPLANE TAKING OFF ON RWY 12. I ABORTED THE TKOF, STOPPING ABOUT 300 FT DOWN THE RWY, DID A 180 DEG TURN AND BEGAN TO TAXI BACK TO THE TXWY. THE CONFLICTING TFC (WHICH TOOK OFF SUCCESSFULLY) PASSED WHAT I ESTIMATE TO BE 300 FT OVERHEAD AND MADE A R TURNOUT. AT NO TIME DID I HEAR ANY RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE OTHER ACFT, DURING MY 6500 FT TAXI TO THE RUNUP AREA, DURING MY RUNUP, DURING, OR AFTER THE INCIDENT. I AM CERTAIN I WAS ON THE CORRECT FREQ 123.05 AS IT WAS THE SAME ACTIVE FREQ I HAD ENTERED IN COM #1 ON MY ARR THE PREVIOUS AFTERNOON. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: I SAW THE LNDG LIGHTS OF THE ACFT WHICH WAS TAKING OFF TOWARD ME. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I THINK THAT IT BEING PREDAWN WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. I DID NOT HAVE A LNDG LIGHT ON, ONLY A TAXI LIGHT. THERE ARE BRIGHT HOTEL AND PARK LIGHTS TOWARD THE FAR END OF THE RWY AND IT TOOK ME SEVERAL SECONDS TO REALIZE THE OPPOSING AIRPLANE'S LIGHTS WERE, IN FACT, AN AIRPLANE, NOT BRIGHT BALLPARK/PARK/HOTEL LIGHTS. THE RADIO SILENCE OF THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS A MAJOR FACTOR. MY LOOKING PRIMARILY FOR LNDG TFC, NOT PRIMARILY OPPOSING TAKING OFF TFC, ASSUMING I WAS DEFINITIVELY ON THE ACTIVE RWY WAS ALSO A FACTOR. BECAUSE THE PREVAILING WINDS IN VIS SO OFTEN MAKE RWY 30 THE RWY IN USE, I WAS NOT ADEQUATELY ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER ACFT DEPARTING ON RWY 12. THE 6500 FT LENGTH OF THE VIS RWY CONTRIBUTED POSITIVELY BY GIVING THE OTHER ACFT DISTANCE TO SUCCESSFULLY TAKE OFF, IN THE END KEEPING BOTH OF US WELL SEPARATED HORIZLY AND VERTLY. I ABORTED MY TKOF AND TURNED TO EXIT THE RWY. I ASSUME THAT IF THE OTHER ACFT SAW ME (I AM NOT SURE) AND THAT THE PLT MAY HAVE CLBED AT BEST ANGLE. WHEN I SAW THE ACFT OVERHEAD IT WAS IN A R TURNOUT, POSSIBLY PART OF CORRECTIVE ACTION.

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.