Narrative:

Arriving at the airport, I studied the computer radar, received a flight briefing, and filed a flight plan to mvn, a 45 min flight. My plane was topped off and pulled near the FBO for boarding. There was little or no activity at the airport. I asked the FBO which runway they were using and she pointed to runway 3. The windsock seemed to agree with this choice, although the wind was light and almost 90 degrees to the runway. I started the plane, listened to the ASOS, which did not mention the active runway, and called departure control for my clearance. After copying my clearance, departure controller informed me that there was 1 plane in the area on a long final and I would wait for him to land. I was instructed to taxi to the active and advise when ready, which I did. I stayed on departure controller frequency and did not use unicom as I was under the mistaken impression that this was procedure departing IFR. The controller wanted to know my 'on course' heading to mvn and I was flustered that I could not easily find that information on my new garmin 530's. I spent too much time trying to figure out that simple request while the answer sat there for me on the EFIS. I was confused by my inability to respond to such a simple request. (This is my second tbm, with garmin versus king radios and even though I have about 75 hours in the new plane, the garmins are not as intuitive as the kings I was used to.) the departure controller told me the other plane was about a mi out and if I could do an immediate takeoff, that would be approved. I acknowledged immediate takeoff, taxied onto runway, began my takeoff roll and was astonished that the heading indicated 030 degrees and not 210 degrees. Had the slaved gyroscope done a 180 degrees being moved on the ground. No, the compass agreed. I was, in fact, at the wrong end of the runway, which I reported as I lifted off. Just then the plane on final broke out, flashed his lights at me and veered off to the right. That was certainly the worst moment of my flying career, and the dumbest mistake I have ever made! I believe that I acknowledged to the departure controller that I was at runway 21, the active runway, because I thought that I was at the active runway. Strange airports are sometimes very difficult to find your way around -- this is a simple straight forward non-controled field with 1 runway. Your chances of being at the right spot should be good. There was some discussion between the other plane and the departure controller about what an idiot I was -- rightfully so! In retrospect, I had way too much on my mind that morning to apply the total concentration needed to perform the job. Flying is a very big part of my life and most of it is done at controled fields where I either know my way around, or ask for progressive instructions from the ground controllers. 99% of my flying is IFR. I think I experienced 'spatial disorientation' on the ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TBM700 DEPARTING EYE ARPT HAS NEAR MISS WITH ARRIVING ACFT.

Narrative: ARRIVING AT THE ARPT, I STUDIED THE COMPUTER RADAR, RECEIVED A FLT BRIEFING, AND FILED A FLT PLAN TO MVN, A 45 MIN FLT. MY PLANE WAS TOPPED OFF AND PULLED NEAR THE FBO FOR BOARDING. THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO ACTIVITY AT THE ARPT. I ASKED THE FBO WHICH RWY THEY WERE USING AND SHE POINTED TO RWY 3. THE WINDSOCK SEEMED TO AGREE WITH THIS CHOICE, ALTHOUGH THE WIND WAS LIGHT AND ALMOST 90 DEGS TO THE RWY. I STARTED THE PLANE, LISTENED TO THE ASOS, WHICH DID NOT MENTION THE ACTIVE RWY, AND CALLED DEP CTL FOR MY CLRNC. AFTER COPYING MY CLRNC, DEP CTLR INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS 1 PLANE IN THE AREA ON A LONG FINAL AND I WOULD WAIT FOR HIM TO LAND. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO THE ACTIVE AND ADVISE WHEN READY, WHICH I DID. I STAYED ON DEP CTLR FREQ AND DID NOT USE UNICOM AS I WAS UNDER THE MISTAKEN IMPRESSION THAT THIS WAS PROC DEPARTING IFR. THE CTLR WANTED TO KNOW MY 'ON COURSE' HEADING TO MVN AND I WAS FLUSTERED THAT I COULD NOT EASILY FIND THAT INFO ON MY NEW GARMIN 530'S. I SPENT TOO MUCH TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THAT SIMPLE REQUEST WHILE THE ANSWER SAT THERE FOR ME ON THE EFIS. I WAS CONFUSED BY MY INABILITY TO RESPOND TO SUCH A SIMPLE REQUEST. (THIS IS MY SECOND TBM, WITH GARMIN VERSUS KING RADIOS AND EVEN THOUGH I HAVE ABOUT 75 HRS IN THE NEW PLANE, THE GARMINS ARE NOT AS INTUITIVE AS THE KINGS I WAS USED TO.) THE DEP CTLR TOLD ME THE OTHER PLANE WAS ABOUT A MI OUT AND IF I COULD DO AN IMMEDIATE TKOF, THAT WOULD BE APPROVED. I ACKNOWLEDGED IMMEDIATE TKOF, TAXIED ONTO RWY, BEGAN MY TKOF ROLL AND WAS ASTONISHED THAT THE HEADING INDICATED 030 DEGS AND NOT 210 DEGS. HAD THE SLAVED GYROSCOPE DONE A 180 DEGS BEING MOVED ON THE GND. NO, THE COMPASS AGREED. I WAS, IN FACT, AT THE WRONG END OF THE RWY, WHICH I RPTED AS I LIFTED OFF. JUST THEN THE PLANE ON FINAL BROKE OUT, FLASHED HIS LIGHTS AT ME AND VEERED OFF TO THE R. THAT WAS CERTAINLY THE WORST MOMENT OF MY FLYING CAREER, AND THE DUMBEST MISTAKE I HAVE EVER MADE! I BELIEVE THAT I ACKNOWLEDGED TO THE DEP CTLR THAT I WAS AT RWY 21, THE ACTIVE RWY, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT I WAS AT THE ACTIVE RWY. STRANGE ARPTS ARE SOMETIMES VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND YOUR WAY AROUND -- THIS IS A SIMPLE STRAIGHT FORWARD NON-CTLED FIELD WITH 1 RWY. YOUR CHANCES OF BEING AT THE RIGHT SPOT SHOULD BE GOOD. THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION BTWN THE OTHER PLANE AND THE DEP CTLR ABOUT WHAT AN IDIOT I WAS -- RIGHTFULLY SO! IN RETROSPECT, I HAD WAY TOO MUCH ON MY MIND THAT MORNING TO APPLY THE TOTAL CONCENTRATION NEEDED TO PERFORM THE JOB. FLYING IS A VERY BIG PART OF MY LIFE AND MOST OF IT IS DONE AT CTLED FIELDS WHERE I EITHER KNOW MY WAY AROUND, OR ASK FOR PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE GND CTLRS. 99% OF MY FLYING IS IFR. I THINK I EXPERIENCED 'SPATIAL DISORIENTATION' ON THE GND.

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.