Narrative:

Had landed at the airport (golden triangle, columbus, ms) for fuel. Unicom had advised of runway painting operations in progress, and had crew evacuate/evacuation runway before landing. After refueling, while taxiing out, I made reports on what I believed to be the unicom frequency. I reported taking off, began the takeoff roll, and as I approached the crest of the runway (it has a slight crest in the center), I saw a pickup truck on the left margin of the runway at the far end. As I approached rotation speed, I saw the paint crew hurriedly leaving the end of the runway. Apparently they had been painting on the far end and had not seen or heard me begin my takeoff. I had not seen them or the pickup until topping the crest. After I was airborne, I checked my radio, saw that I was set to transmit on the radio tuned to ATC (the #2 radio was set to unicom). I changed to unicom, and asked if anyone had heard my takeoff report. A man responded with 'we did not.' apparently he was a member of the paint crew with a handheld radio. The runway is long enough that at the time I saw the pickup, and because it was well to one side, I continued the takeoff because I was near rotation speed. By the time I overflew the far end of the runway where the crew had been working, I was a good 150 ft above the ground. Additionally, I had been talking to what I thought was ATC clearance on the #2 radio. This led me to the assumption that I was on #2. I must have been in fact talking to columbus approach on the #1 radio. When I switched to unicom (back to unicom, that is) I assumed I was still on #2. I don't know for certain if columbus approach can be reached from the ground at gtr airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEPARTING GTR, BE9L MISCHANNELS UNICOM FREQ AND FLIES OVER GND CREW RWY PAINTING.

Narrative: HAD LANDED AT THE ARPT (GOLDEN TRIANGLE, COLUMBUS, MS) FOR FUEL. UNICOM HAD ADVISED OF RWY PAINTING OPS IN PROGRESS, AND HAD CREW EVAC RWY BEFORE LNDG. AFTER REFUELING, WHILE TAXIING OUT, I MADE RPTS ON WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE THE UNICOM FREQ. I RPTED TAKING OFF, BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL, AND AS I APCHED THE CREST OF THE RWY (IT HAS A SLIGHT CREST IN THE CTR), I SAW A PICKUP TRUCK ON THE L MARGIN OF THE RWY AT THE FAR END. AS I APCHED ROTATION SPD, I SAW THE PAINT CREW HURRIEDLY LEAVING THE END OF THE RWY. APPARENTLY THEY HAD BEEN PAINTING ON THE FAR END AND HAD NOT SEEN OR HEARD ME BEGIN MY TKOF. I HAD NOT SEEN THEM OR THE PICKUP UNTIL TOPPING THE CREST. AFTER I WAS AIRBORNE, I CHKED MY RADIO, SAW THAT I WAS SET TO XMIT ON THE RADIO TUNED TO ATC (THE #2 RADIO WAS SET TO UNICOM). I CHANGED TO UNICOM, AND ASKED IF ANYONE HAD HEARD MY TKOF RPT. A MAN RESPONDED WITH 'WE DID NOT.' APPARENTLY HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE PAINT CREW WITH A HANDHELD RADIO. THE RWY IS LONG ENOUGH THAT AT THE TIME I SAW THE PICKUP, AND BECAUSE IT WAS WELL TO ONE SIDE, I CONTINUED THE TKOF BECAUSE I WAS NEAR ROTATION SPD. BY THE TIME I OVERFLEW THE FAR END OF THE RWY WHERE THE CREW HAD BEEN WORKING, I WAS A GOOD 150 FT ABOVE THE GND. ADDITIONALLY, I HAD BEEN TALKING TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ATC CLRNC ON THE #2 RADIO. THIS LED ME TO THE ASSUMPTION THAT I WAS ON #2. I MUST HAVE BEEN IN FACT TALKING TO COLUMBUS APCH ON THE #1 RADIO. WHEN I SWITCHED TO UNICOM (BACK TO UNICOM, THAT IS) I ASSUMED I WAS STILL ON #2. I DON'T KNOW FOR CERTAIN IF COLUMBUS APCH CAN BE REACHED FROM THE GND AT GTR ARPT.

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.