Narrative:

Waiting to take off at south end of taxiway for runway 35 at montrose, co (mtj). A citation landed opposite direction (to traffic flow and wind conditions) on runway 17. The citation got off the runway, but had to situation and wait for us to take off before they could get by us and the gulfstream behind us. Due to taxiway design at montrose, all traffic departing or arriving on both runway 17 and runway 35 is channeled past a singular point at the south end of runway 35, which not only backs up traffic, but also prevents aircraft departing runway 35 from making a 360 degree turn on the ground to check for other traffic in the pattern. We waited about 10 mins, with no other traffic landing or departing, for a landing aircraft to cancel before we could get our clearance, a dhc-8 landed on runway 35, then back taxied before canceling. As it back taxied, the first officer received a clearance while I monitored CTAF and heard a bonanza that reported entering on a midfield downwind. When the first officer finished with center, I briefed him on the bonanza that reported downwind as the dhc-8 cleared the runway. I asked the first officer if he could see the bonanza out his window, to which he said 'negative.' we then made our departure announcement, and began moving onto runway 35. As we taxied onto the runway proper, the bonanza reported on a left base, and I queried the first officer if he could see him yet, to which he again responded, 'negative.' I was reassured by this (falsely) as we were almost in takeoff position, and an aircraft just turning base should allow a generous amount of time for us to depart without conflicting with them, especially when verified by the aircraft not being visible on base or final. Almost 3-4 seconds later though, as we began our turn onto centerline, the bonanza announced he was on final, and that we 'better move, you better get going!' I asked my first officer 'can you see him now?' to which he said 'yeah! I got him now. He's real tight on base still and turning final.' 'what, is he on about a 1/4 mi base?' I asked. 'Yep,' the first officer said. I lined up on centerline and brought the power levers forward and we took off while the bonanza landed. Factors contributing to this conflict were the taxiway arrangement of the airport, inability of us being able to see the downwind portion of the pattern, incorrect perception of time left available after the bonanza reported turning base, and the cowboy style pattern by the bonanza along with a lack of communicating his intention of a highly non standard approach. Separation was not lost. The bonanza did not have to do a go around, but we felt extremely uncomfortable with this event. While this is the first situation I've personally been involved in at montrose, this crew has witnessed many other close calls and potential near misses due to the combination of poor taxiway/runway design, opposite direction operations in low/calm winds, uncontrolled airport, and lack of radar coverage.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND CONFLICT OCCURS DURING AN EXPEDITED TKOF BY AN EMB120 FLC AS A BONANZA LANDS ON OCCUPIED RWY 35 AT MTJ, CO.

Narrative: WAITING TO TAKE OFF AT S END OF TXWY FOR RWY 35 AT MONTROSE, CO (MTJ). A CITATION LANDED OPPOSITE DIRECTION (TO TFC FLOW AND WIND CONDITIONS) ON RWY 17. THE CITATION GOT OFF THE RWY, BUT HAD TO SIT AND WAIT FOR US TO TAKE OFF BEFORE THEY COULD GET BY US AND THE GULFSTREAM BEHIND US. DUE TO TXWY DESIGN AT MONTROSE, ALL TFC DEPARTING OR ARRIVING ON BOTH RWY 17 AND RWY 35 IS CHANNELED PAST A SINGULAR POINT AT THE S END OF RWY 35, WHICH NOT ONLY BACKS UP TFC, BUT ALSO PREVENTS ACFT DEPARTING RWY 35 FROM MAKING A 360 DEG TURN ON THE GND TO CHK FOR OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN. WE WAITED ABOUT 10 MINS, WITH NO OTHER TFC LNDG OR DEPARTING, FOR A LNDG ACFT TO CANCEL BEFORE WE COULD GET OUR CLRNC, A DHC-8 LANDED ON RWY 35, THEN BACK TAXIED BEFORE CANCELING. AS IT BACK TAXIED, THE FO RECEIVED A CLRNC WHILE I MONITORED CTAF AND HEARD A BONANZA THAT RPTED ENTERING ON A MIDFIELD DOWNWIND. WHEN THE FO FINISHED WITH CTR, I BRIEFED HIM ON THE BONANZA THAT RPTED DOWNWIND AS THE DHC-8 CLRED THE RWY. I ASKED THE FO IF HE COULD SEE THE BONANZA OUT HIS WINDOW, TO WHICH HE SAID 'NEGATIVE.' WE THEN MADE OUR DEP ANNOUNCEMENT, AND BEGAN MOVING ONTO RWY 35. AS WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY PROPER, THE BONANZA RPTED ON A L BASE, AND I QUERIED THE FO IF HE COULD SEE HIM YET, TO WHICH HE AGAIN RESPONDED, 'NEGATIVE.' I WAS REASSURED BY THIS (FALSELY) AS WE WERE ALMOST IN TKOF POS, AND AN ACFT JUST TURNING BASE SHOULD ALLOW A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF TIME FOR US TO DEPART WITHOUT CONFLICTING WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN VERIFIED BY THE ACFT NOT BEING VISIBLE ON BASE OR FINAL. ALMOST 3-4 SECONDS LATER THOUGH, AS WE BEGAN OUR TURN ONTO CTRLINE, THE BONANZA ANNOUNCED HE WAS ON FINAL, AND THAT WE 'BETTER MOVE, YOU BETTER GET GOING!' I ASKED MY FO 'CAN YOU SEE HIM NOW?' TO WHICH HE SAID 'YEAH! I GOT HIM NOW. HE'S REAL TIGHT ON BASE STILL AND TURNING FINAL.' 'WHAT, IS HE ON ABOUT A 1/4 MI BASE?' I ASKED. 'YEP,' THE FO SAID. I LINED UP ON CTRLINE AND BROUGHT THE PWR LEVERS FORWARD AND WE TOOK OFF WHILE THE BONANZA LANDED. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS CONFLICT WERE THE TXWY ARRANGEMENT OF THE ARPT, INABILITY OF US BEING ABLE TO SEE THE DOWNWIND PORTION OF THE PATTERN, INCORRECT PERCEPTION OF TIME LEFT AVAILABLE AFTER THE BONANZA RPTED TURNING BASE, AND THE COWBOY STYLE PATTERN BY THE BONANZA ALONG WITH A LACK OF COMMUNICATING HIS INTENTION OF A HIGHLY NON STANDARD APCH. SEPARATION WAS NOT LOST. THE BONANZA DID NOT HAVE TO DO A GAR, BUT WE FELT EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS EVENT. WHILE THIS IS THE FIRST SIT I'VE PERSONALLY BEEN INVOLVED IN AT MONTROSE, THIS CREW HAS WITNESSED MANY OTHER CLOSE CALLS AND POTENTIAL NEAR MISSES DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF POOR TXWY/RWY DESIGN, OPPOSITE DIRECTION OPS IN LOW/CALM WINDS, UNCTLED ARPT, AND LACK OF RADAR COVERAGE.

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.