Narrative:

At bfl, I was cleared for takeoff on runway 30R. Just when I began to rotate, I saw what I thought to be conflict, head-on traffic in the vicinity of the threshold. I continued to rotate and turned off to my right slightly. Just before crossing over the threshold, I saw the other aircraft under me, 30-50 ft and off to my l-hand side. The tower confirmed what I had seen and asked if I would like to file a report. I chose to continue with my flight to fresno where I called the bfl tower and spoke to a controller. He told me that the aircraft was a C120 that had lost communications and chose to land at bfl. Several things led to the close encounter. The first thing the pilot of the C120 did was circle directly overhead the tower putting him in a position that could not be seen by any controllers. The C120 was also not equipped with a landing light making it almost impossible to identify as an aircraft on the runway. Then he entered straight down for runway 12L based on what he determined the winds to be (0803, I believe). After he had landed and slowed, I believe he saw me and moved off to his right to avoid me. Several things led to this encounter that I believe could have been avoided. By the C120 entering a normal pattern, he may have been spotted, thus avoiding the situation. By having a landing light, I also believe that the aircraft would have been spotted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the runway is 10857 ft long. The C120 apparently landed on the arrival end of runway 12L and was still rolling out. The reporter began his takeoff at the end of runway 30R and became airborne in the vicinity of the displaced threshold. The tower told the reporter that he did not have the cessna displayed on radar.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LNDG C120 WITHOUT RADIOS AND A DEPARTING PIPER WITH TKOF CLRNC MEET AT THE APPROX MIDPOINT OF RWY 30R-12L AT BFL. EVASIVE ACTION ON THE PART OF THE PIPER GIVES A MISS DISTANCE OF 30 FT VERT AND 10 FT HORIZ.

Narrative: AT BFL, I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 30R. JUST WHEN I BEGAN TO ROTATE, I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE CONFLICT, HEAD-ON TFC IN THE VICINITY OF THE THRESHOLD. I CONTINUED TO ROTATE AND TURNED OFF TO MY R SLIGHTLY. JUST BEFORE XING OVER THE THRESHOLD, I SAW THE OTHER ACFT UNDER ME, 30-50 FT AND OFF TO MY L-HAND SIDE. THE TWR CONFIRMED WHAT I HAD SEEN AND ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A RPT. I CHOSE TO CONTINUE WITH MY FLT TO FRESNO WHERE I CALLED THE BFL TWR AND SPOKE TO A CTLR. HE TOLD ME THAT THE ACFT WAS A C120 THAT HAD LOST COMS AND CHOSE TO LAND AT BFL. SEVERAL THINGS LED TO THE CLOSE ENCOUNTER. THE FIRST THING THE PLT OF THE C120 DID WAS CIRCLE DIRECTLY OVERHEAD THE TWR PUTTING HIM IN A POS THAT COULD NOT BE SEEN BY ANY CTLRS. THE C120 WAS ALSO NOT EQUIPPED WITH A LNDG LIGHT MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENT AS AN ACFT ON THE RWY. THEN HE ENTERED STRAIGHT DOWN FOR RWY 12L BASED ON WHAT HE DETERMINED THE WINDS TO BE (0803, I BELIEVE). AFTER HE HAD LANDED AND SLOWED, I BELIEVE HE SAW ME AND MOVED OFF TO HIS R TO AVOID ME. SEVERAL THINGS LED TO THIS ENCOUNTER THAT I BELIEVE COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. BY THE C120 ENTERING A NORMAL PATTERN, HE MAY HAVE BEEN SPOTTED, THUS AVOIDING THE SIT. BY HAVING A LNDG LIGHT, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN SPOTTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RWY IS 10857 FT LONG. THE C120 APPARENTLY LANDED ON THE ARR END OF RWY 12L AND WAS STILL ROLLING OUT. THE RPTR BEGAN HIS TKOF AT THE END OF RWY 30R AND BECAME AIRBORNE IN THE VICINITY OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. THE TWR TOLD THE RPTR THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE CESSNA DISPLAYED ON RADAR.

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.