Narrative:

On this day, I was a volunteer pilot for an event. The flight was to be an introductory flight for my 3 young passenger. During the taxi out to runway 18, I heard position reports of other traffic in the pattern and inbound for the airport. A king air was reported to be a few mins out from landing. I calculated that I would be holding at the departure end of the runway for a few mins in order to allow for a couple of planes to land. By the time I taxied to runway 18 from the ramp area, I had to hold for landing traffic as I had anticipated. While holding for the landing traffic, I noticed a gyrocopter overhead at approximately 500 ft AGL. I recalled from a previous flight approximately 1/2 hour earlier that another aircraft had reported that a gyrocopter was orbiting at the south end of runway 18 and had not been transmitting. I assumed that the reported gyrocopter was the same one I was observing. While the gyrocopter was circling overhead between the approach end of runway 18 and midfield, other aircraft were calling in position and landing. The duration of my wait for takeoff was approximately 3-5 mins. After watching 3 aircraft land, it was my turn for takeoff. About 1 min earlier, the gyrocopter flew to the east and the king air reported just south of the field. I announced my intentions for taxiing out into position and holding. As I taxied into position for takeoff, I heard a tail number along with 'back taxiing runway 18.' I observed that there was a C172 back-taxiing and about to exit the runway onto the taxiway. As the cessna got off the runway and onto the taxiway toward the ramp, I announced 'departing runway 18.' at approximately 10 seconds into my takeoff roll, I heard someone on the radio say 'cherokee departing, I am still back-taxiing.' I immediately aborted takeoff and then a cherokee came into view on the left side of the runway. As I was braking, I steered to the right, as did the oncoming cherokee. By the time we passed each other, I was slowed again to taxi speed. I was to the extreme far right of the runway and the other pilot was to the far left. Putnam county (4i7) runway 18 is 100 ft wide. Therefore, we had approximately 40-50 ft between wingtips. After passing the cherokee, I heard on the radio that the king air was now downwind for runway 18. I elected to continue to the midfield turnout versus attempting to beat the king air. I announced my intention of waiting for the king air. The king air stated that he had me in sight and thanked me for holding. The king air landed and back-taxied runway 18 then exited to the ramp. I followed the king air and made it clear that I was following the king air back-taxiing runway 18. I back-taxied to the beginning of runway 18, turned around and departed. Note regarding putnam county 4i7: there is a dip in runway 18 from about the 1000 ft point to the 2500 ft point which is approximately midfield. This condition does make for a 'blind spot' when positioned at the departure end of the runway. This 'blind spot' is where the other cherokee was that had landed prior to the C172. Evidently, the cherokee had landed long and pulled off runway 18 at the midfield turnout (hold area) to let the C172 land. I heard a tail number (but no aircraft type identify) and 'back taxiing runway 18' announced, and I saw only the C172 so assumed that this was the aircraft who had made the call. It was not, but rather the cherokee midfield. The cessna did not announce that he was back-taxiing. I believe there were several contributing factors to the situation that occurred. First, all the pilots that day were under pressure to hurry because we all had children waiting for a flight. Secondly, I believe that not everyone was consistently using proper procedures for an uncontrolled field. Third, the gyrocopter, who was not involved with the event, was not talking on the radio at any time and disregarded proper entry and departure procedures from the area. Finally, the low spot in the runway impaired my view of the entire runway. I believe this incident could have been prevented if the pilots had not been under pressure to return for a new load of passenger. This pressure contributed to pilots not taking the time to use proper procedures of announcing every movement and intention. I also believe that the low spot in the rwyis dangerous and could have been contributing factor to an accident. This low spot needs to be eliminated before an accident does occur.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT HAS RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: ON THIS DAY, I WAS A VOLUNTEER PLT FOR AN EVENT. THE FLT WAS TO BE AN INTRODUCTORY FLT FOR MY 3 YOUNG PAX. DURING THE TAXI OUT TO RWY 18, I HEARD POS RPTS OF OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN AND INBOUND FOR THE ARPT. A KING AIR WAS RPTED TO BE A FEW MINS OUT FROM LNDG. I CALCULATED THAT I WOULD BE HOLDING AT THE DEP END OF THE RWY FOR A FEW MINS IN ORDER TO ALLOW FOR A COUPLE OF PLANES TO LAND. BY THE TIME I TAXIED TO RWY 18 FROM THE RAMP AREA, I HAD TO HOLD FOR LNDG TFC AS I HAD ANTICIPATED. WHILE HOLDING FOR THE LNDG TFC, I NOTICED A GYROCOPTER OVERHEAD AT APPROX 500 FT AGL. I RECALLED FROM A PREVIOUS FLT APPROX 1/2 HR EARLIER THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD RPTED THAT A GYROCOPTER WAS ORBITING AT THE S END OF RWY 18 AND HAD NOT BEEN XMITTING. I ASSUMED THAT THE RPTED GYROCOPTER WAS THE SAME ONE I WAS OBSERVING. WHILE THE GYROCOPTER WAS CIRCLING OVERHEAD BTWN THE APCH END OF RWY 18 AND MIDFIELD, OTHER ACFT WERE CALLING IN POS AND LNDG. THE DURATION OF MY WAIT FOR TKOF WAS APPROX 3-5 MINS. AFTER WATCHING 3 ACFT LAND, IT WAS MY TURN FOR TKOF. ABOUT 1 MIN EARLIER, THE GYROCOPTER FLEW TO THE E AND THE KING AIR RPTED JUST S OF THE FIELD. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS FOR TAXIING OUT INTO POS AND HOLDING. AS I TAXIED INTO POS FOR TKOF, I HEARD A TAIL NUMBER ALONG WITH 'BACK TAXIING RWY 18.' I OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS A C172 BACK-TAXIING AND ABOUT TO EXIT THE RWY ONTO THE TXWY. AS THE CESSNA GOT OFF THE RWY AND ONTO THE TXWY TOWARD THE RAMP, I ANNOUNCED 'DEPARTING RWY 18.' AT APPROX 10 SECONDS INTO MY TKOF ROLL, I HEARD SOMEONE ON THE RADIO SAY 'CHEROKEE DEPARTING, I AM STILL BACK-TAXIING.' I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED TKOF AND THEN A CHEROKEE CAME INTO VIEW ON THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. AS I WAS BRAKING, I STEERED TO THE R, AS DID THE ONCOMING CHEROKEE. BY THE TIME WE PASSED EACH OTHER, I WAS SLOWED AGAIN TO TAXI SPD. I WAS TO THE EXTREME FAR R OF THE RWY AND THE OTHER PLT WAS TO THE FAR L. PUTNAM COUNTY (4I7) RWY 18 IS 100 FT WIDE. THEREFORE, WE HAD APPROX 40-50 FT BTWN WINGTIPS. AFTER PASSING THE CHEROKEE, I HEARD ON THE RADIO THAT THE KING AIR WAS NOW DOWNWIND FOR RWY 18. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO THE MIDFIELD TURNOUT VERSUS ATTEMPTING TO BEAT THE KING AIR. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION OF WAITING FOR THE KING AIR. THE KING AIR STATED THAT HE HAD ME IN SIGHT AND THANKED ME FOR HOLDING. THE KING AIR LANDED AND BACK-TAXIED RWY 18 THEN EXITED TO THE RAMP. I FOLLOWED THE KING AIR AND MADE IT CLR THAT I WAS FOLLOWING THE KING AIR BACK-TAXIING RWY 18. I BACK-TAXIED TO THE BEGINNING OF RWY 18, TURNED AROUND AND DEPARTED. NOTE REGARDING PUTNAM COUNTY 4I7: THERE IS A DIP IN RWY 18 FROM ABOUT THE 1000 FT POINT TO THE 2500 FT POINT WHICH IS APPROX MIDFIELD. THIS CONDITION DOES MAKE FOR A 'BLIND SPOT' WHEN POSITIONED AT THE DEP END OF THE RWY. THIS 'BLIND SPOT' IS WHERE THE OTHER CHEROKEE WAS THAT HAD LANDED PRIOR TO THE C172. EVIDENTLY, THE CHEROKEE HAD LANDED LONG AND PULLED OFF RWY 18 AT THE MIDFIELD TURNOUT (HOLD AREA) TO LET THE C172 LAND. I HEARD A TAIL NUMBER (BUT NO ACFT TYPE IDENT) AND 'BACK TAXIING RWY 18' ANNOUNCED, AND I SAW ONLY THE C172 SO ASSUMED THAT THIS WAS THE ACFT WHO HAD MADE THE CALL. IT WAS NOT, BUT RATHER THE CHEROKEE MIDFIELD. THE CESSNA DID NOT ANNOUNCE THAT HE WAS BACK-TAXIING. I BELIEVE THERE WERE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE SIT THAT OCCURRED. FIRST, ALL THE PLTS THAT DAY WERE UNDER PRESSURE TO HURRY BECAUSE WE ALL HAD CHILDREN WAITING FOR A FLT. SECONDLY, I BELIEVE THAT NOT EVERYONE WAS CONSISTENTLY USING PROPER PROCS FOR AN UNCTLED FIELD. THIRD, THE GYROCOPTER, WHO WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH THE EVENT, WAS NOT TALKING ON THE RADIO AT ANY TIME AND DISREGARDED PROPER ENTRY AND DEP PROCS FROM THE AREA. FINALLY, THE LOW SPOT IN THE RWY IMPAIRED MY VIEW OF THE ENTIRE RWY. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE PLTS HAD NOT BEEN UNDER PRESSURE TO RETURN FOR A NEW LOAD OF PAX. THIS PRESSURE CONTRIBUTED TO PLTS NOT TAKING THE TIME TO USE PROPER PROCS OF ANNOUNCING EVERY MOVEMENT AND INTENTION. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE LOW SPOT IN THE RWYIS DANGEROUS AND COULD HAVE BEEN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO AN ACCIDENT. THIS LOW SPOT NEEDS TO BE ELIMINATED BEFORE AN ACCIDENT DOES OCCUR.

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.