Narrative:

I was departing ocf, a non twred airport. Upon engine start, and while completing my post start checklist, I monitored the CTAF. There was a cessna in the pattern in closed traffic. There was a piper aztec that started up at about the same time. The AWOS indicated the preferred runway was runway 36. I taxied to the run-up area of runway 36 with the aztec following. When at the runway 36 run-up area, the windsock indicated that the wind had switched and the preferred runway was now runway 18. I turned around on the taxiway and proceeded to runway 18 and the aztec did likewise. During taxi, I continuously monitored the CTAF and watched the downwind for traffic. The only aircraft in the pattern that I saw and heard was the cessna in closed traffic. I completed my run-up, announced taking runway 18 on the CTAF, and checked the portion of the downwind. I could see the base leg and final for traffic. Seeing and hearing no other traffic, I crossed the hold short line and while still looking at final, I took runway 18. I did not stop on the runway, but rather continued my roll and accelerated on the centerline of runway 18. I rotated and at about 50 ft AGL, I looked to my right (west) and saw a boeing stearman off my right wing about 75 ft away. The stearman was paralleling the runway and appeared to be in level flight after several seconds, the stearman turned west and disappeared from my sight. I called the aztec and asked where the stearman came from and the aztec pilot could not tell me. The stearman was not talking on the radio, assuming he had a radio. I do not know how this could have been avoided by me. I monitored the CTAF, checked the downwind, base and final for traffic before taking the runway. It is obvious that something was not done right or this event would have never happened. I believe it is poor judgement to operate any aircraft without radio equipment or fail to monitor that equipment. I understand that radios are not required at a non twred airport and there are many aircraft that are not radio equipped. These aircraft need to stay away from busy airports and airspace. I do not see how I could have failed to see the stearman if he had flown a conventional downwind, base and final. My action of taking the runway when there was an aircraft in the pattern somewhere and unknown to me and the stearman's action of flying to a busy non twred airport without a radio and apparently flying unconventional pattern were factors.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A VFR DEP BE23 AND A LNDG STEARMAN AT A NON TWR ARPT AT OCF, FL.

Narrative: I WAS DEPARTING OCF, A NON TWRED ARPT. UPON ENG START, AND WHILE COMPLETING MY POST START CHKLIST, I MONITORED THE CTAF. THERE WAS A CESSNA IN THE PATTERN IN CLOSED TFC. THERE WAS A PIPER AZTEC THAT STARTED UP AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. THE AWOS INDICATED THE PREFERRED RWY WAS RWY 36. I TAXIED TO THE RUN-UP AREA OF RWY 36 WITH THE AZTEC FOLLOWING. WHEN AT THE RWY 36 RUN-UP AREA, THE WINDSOCK INDICATED THAT THE WIND HAD SWITCHED AND THE PREFERRED RWY WAS NOW RWY 18. I TURNED AROUND ON THE TXWY AND PROCEEDED TO RWY 18 AND THE AZTEC DID LIKEWISE. DURING TAXI, I CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED THE CTAF AND WATCHED THE DOWNWIND FOR TFC. THE ONLY ACFT IN THE PATTERN THAT I SAW AND HEARD WAS THE CESSNA IN CLOSED TFC. I COMPLETED MY RUN-UP, ANNOUNCED TAKING RWY 18 ON THE CTAF, AND CHKED THE PORTION OF THE DOWNWIND. I COULD SEE THE BASE LEG AND FINAL FOR TFC. SEEING AND HEARING NO OTHER TFC, I CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND WHILE STILL LOOKING AT FINAL, I TOOK RWY 18. I DID NOT STOP ON THE RWY, BUT RATHER CONTINUED MY ROLL AND ACCELERATED ON THE CTRLINE OF RWY 18. I ROTATED AND AT ABOUT 50 FT AGL, I LOOKED TO MY R (W) AND SAW A BOEING STEARMAN OFF MY R WING ABOUT 75 FT AWAY. THE STEARMAN WAS PARALLELING THE RWY AND APPEARED TO BE IN LEVEL FLT AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS, THE STEARMAN TURNED W AND DISAPPEARED FROM MY SIGHT. I CALLED THE AZTEC AND ASKED WHERE THE STEARMAN CAME FROM AND THE AZTEC PLT COULD NOT TELL ME. THE STEARMAN WAS NOT TALKING ON THE RADIO, ASSUMING HE HAD A RADIO. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY ME. I MONITORED THE CTAF, CHKED THE DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL FOR TFC BEFORE TAKING THE RWY. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT DONE RIGHT OR THIS EVENT WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. I BELIEVE IT IS POOR JUDGEMENT TO OPERATE ANY ACFT WITHOUT RADIO EQUIP OR FAIL TO MONITOR THAT EQUIP. I UNDERSTAND THAT RADIOS ARE NOT REQUIRED AT A NON TWRED ARPT AND THERE ARE MANY ACFT THAT ARE NOT RADIO EQUIPPED. THESE ACFT NEED TO STAY AWAY FROM BUSY ARPTS AND AIRSPACE. I DO NOT SEE HOW I COULD HAVE FAILED TO SEE THE STEARMAN IF HE HAD FLOWN A CONVENTIONAL DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL. MY ACTION OF TAKING THE RWY WHEN THERE WAS AN ACFT IN THE PATTERN SOMEWHERE AND UNKNOWN TO ME AND THE STEARMAN'S ACTION OF FLYING TO A BUSY NON TWRED ARPT WITHOUT A RADIO AND APPARENTLY FLYING UNCONVENTIONAL PATTERN WERE FACTORS.

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.