Narrative:

I returned from an afternoon helicopter flight to land at my airport, dvo, at novat O, ca. I got the AWOS a few mi out and when closer, announced that I would be landing at the helicopter landing pad (on the east side of the runway). I landed, remaining in a hover, and was satisfied that everything seemed to be normal at the airport. My intention was to cross the runway at about 100-200 ft altitude and proceed to the west side of the field (where my hangar was located). I did not notice any radio calls or any other aircraft activity at that time, although there had been regular activity throughout the afternoon. I made my radio call and scanned the airport. I took off and was soon surprised to see a single engine low wing airplane cross my flight path in front of me, from north to south (right to left). We missed each other by some 200 ft. While I was surprised, I was not alarmed, since it was clear that there was no danger of collision. I did not attempt any evasive action. However, I was rather shocked by this event, realizing what could have happened if conditions had been a little different. I was more concerned with finishing my flight across the field than I was with trying to make contact with the other aircraft. After a few seconds, an unidentified male voice appeared on the radio asking if anyone was on frequency. I replied, gave my call sign and stated that I was proceeding to the west side of the field. I did not know who had called. Just after I landed near my hangar, there was another call, saying 'that was pretty close.' I replied, 'I agree with you. Sorry about that.' nothing more was heard. I had decided to apologize into the blind immediately rather than try to figure out what happened or even to think of who might be at fault. I do not know where that plane came from. Although visibility was excellent, the sun was bright and low in the sky, making it difficult to look towards the west and northwest. In any event, I did not see the airplane on the ground or getting into the air. The fact that I was on the opposite end of the runway did not help. The plane may have been in the runup area when I took off, or perhaps it was even taking off at the very time I did. It may have been a touch-and-go. It is also possible that the airplane made its departure call at exactly the same time that I did, although I did not notice any unusual squealing 'stepped on' sound. The moral, as usual, is: check, doublechk, and check again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION BY A ROTARY WINGED TFC PLT ON AN AIR TAXI MANEUVER HAS AN NMAC WITH ANOTHER GA ACFT WHO WAS ON TKOF FROM RWY 31 AT DVO, CA.

Narrative: I RETURNED FROM AN AFTERNOON HELI FLT TO LAND AT MY ARPT, DVO, AT NOVAT O, CA. I GOT THE AWOS A FEW MI OUT AND WHEN CLOSER, ANNOUNCED THAT I WOULD BE LNDG AT THE HELI LNDG PAD (ON THE E SIDE OF THE RWY). I LANDED, REMAINING IN A HOVER, AND WAS SATISFIED THAT EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE NORMAL AT THE ARPT. MY INTENTION WAS TO CROSS THE RWY AT ABOUT 100-200 FT ALT AND PROCEED TO THE W SIDE OF THE FIELD (WHERE MY HANGAR WAS LOCATED). I DID NOT NOTICE ANY RADIO CALLS OR ANY OTHER ACFT ACTIVITY AT THAT TIME, ALTHOUGH THERE HAD BEEN REGULAR ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON. I MADE MY RADIO CALL AND SCANNED THE ARPT. I TOOK OFF AND WAS SOON SURPRISED TO SEE A SINGLE ENG LOW WING AIRPLANE CROSS MY FLT PATH IN FRONT OF ME, FROM N TO S (R TO L). WE MISSED EACH OTHER BY SOME 200 FT. WHILE I WAS SURPRISED, I WAS NOT ALARMED, SINCE IT WAS CLR THAT THERE WAS NO DANGER OF COLLISION. I DID NOT ATTEMPT ANY EVASIVE ACTION. HOWEVER, I WAS RATHER SHOCKED BY THIS EVENT, REALIZING WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF CONDITIONS HAD BEEN A LITTLE DIFFERENT. I WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH FINISHING MY FLT ACROSS THE FIELD THAN I WAS WITH TRYING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE OTHER ACFT. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, AN UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOICE APPEARED ON THE RADIO ASKING IF ANYONE WAS ON FREQ. I REPLIED, GAVE MY CALL SIGN AND STATED THAT I WAS PROCEEDING TO THE W SIDE OF THE FIELD. I DID NOT KNOW WHO HAD CALLED. JUST AFTER I LANDED NEAR MY HANGAR, THERE WAS ANOTHER CALL, SAYING 'THAT WAS PRETTY CLOSE.' I REPLIED, 'I AGREE WITH YOU. SORRY ABOUT THAT.' NOTHING MORE WAS HEARD. I HAD DECIDED TO APOLOGIZE INTO THE BLIND IMMEDIATELY RATHER THAN TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED OR EVEN TO THINK OF WHO MIGHT BE AT FAULT. I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THAT PLANE CAME FROM. ALTHOUGH VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT, THE SUN WAS BRIGHT AND LOW IN THE SKY, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO LOOK TOWARDS THE W AND NW. IN ANY EVENT, I DID NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE ON THE GND OR GETTING INTO THE AIR. THE FACT THAT I WAS ON THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY DID NOT HELP. THE PLANE MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE RUNUP AREA WHEN I TOOK OFF, OR PERHAPS IT WAS EVEN TAKING OFF AT THE VERY TIME I DID. IT MAY HAVE BEEN A TOUCH-AND-GO. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE AIRPLANE MADE ITS DEP CALL AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME THAT I DID, ALTHOUGH I DID NOT NOTICE ANY UNUSUAL SQUEALING 'STEPPED ON' SOUND. THE MORAL, AS USUAL, IS: CHK, DOUBLECHK, AND CHK AGAIN.

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.