Narrative:

Flight was refueled and passenger boarded normally. WX conditions were VFR; with calm winds and unrestr visibility. The aircraft taxied out for runway 25. A CTAF call was made to advise traffic of an rj taxiing for runway 25. The aircraft's transponder was selected on to activate the TCAS display on the pfd's. No traffic was observed on the displays. The second communication unit was tuned to center to coordination an IFR release to ZZZ1. During the taxi; the aircraft was stopped to facilitate a xbleed start of the #1 engine. A CTAF call was made to state this intention; and again no reply was heard. During this time; the airport lights deactivated; and were reactivated using CTAF. When all relevant checklists were complete pertaining to the engine start; the aircraft continued its taxi for runway 25. IFR clearance was received with aircraft holding short of runway 25 at hold short line. When clearance was received; FMS was loaded appropriately and before takeoff checklist completed. A CTAF call was made and the aircraft took runway 25 for departure. A second CTAF call was made as the aircraft began the takeoff roll runway 25. Late in the takeoff roll; a set of lights was observed at the other end of the airport/runway area. It was not immediately clear if the lights were from a vehicle on a nearby road or possibly another aircraft. Both pilots verbally remarked it could be an aircraft and the first officer (PNF) made another CTAF stating flight was on the takeoff roll. As lights from other aircraft appeared to begin to cross hold short line for runway 7; flight accelerated through V1 and rotated. As the aircraft rotated off the runway; first officer observed what appeared to be another aircraft stopping its progress onto the active runway and turning back (180 degrees) on the taxiway. It was not clear due to the distance involved if the other aircraft was 'legally' over the line and on the active runway for our departure; but it seemed to be very close. At no time was the other aircraft heard on CTAF during the takeoff roll. After rotation; we continued normally to destination without further irregularity. This course of events happened very quickly with little time for reaction. The entire episode began close to V1 speed and was over just as quickly. Both the first officer and I concurred that an abort at or above V1 would have been inappropriate; especially due to the unknown intention of the other aircraft; as well as its location on or off the runway. We later agreed that it appeared an aircraft had started to take the opposite direction runway for departure. Why he did not state his intentions; why he did not hear ours; or why we did not hear his is a mystery. Other aircraft were heard on 122.8 at other area airports; and both of our communication units functioned without any difficulties. I do not know if there was a 'dead spot' in radio communication from one end of the runway to the other. In also believe that the fact that it was night actually helped us identify the possible threat earlier; as the other aircraft's lights were immediately visible; whereas they might not have been in hazy day conditions. Certainly; an operating control tower would have eliminated this episode completely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 CREW ANNOUNCED DEPARTING ON CTAF AND INITIATED TKOF. CONFLICTING TFC WAS SEEN HOLDING RWY OPPOSITE END AS CREW DEPARTED.

Narrative: FLT WAS REFUELED AND PAX BOARDED NORMALLY. WX CONDITIONS WERE VFR; WITH CALM WINDS AND UNRESTR VISIBILITY. THE ACFT TAXIED OUT FOR RWY 25. A CTAF CALL WAS MADE TO ADVISE TFC OF AN RJ TAXIING FOR RWY 25. THE ACFT'S XPONDER WAS SELECTED ON TO ACTIVATE THE TCAS DISPLAY ON THE PFD'S. NO TFC WAS OBSERVED ON THE DISPLAYS. THE SECOND COM UNIT WAS TUNED TO CTR TO COORD AN IFR RELEASE TO ZZZ1. DURING THE TAXI; THE ACFT WAS STOPPED TO FACILITATE A XBLEED START OF THE #1 ENG. A CTAF CALL WAS MADE TO STATE THIS INTENTION; AND AGAIN NO REPLY WAS HEARD. DURING THIS TIME; THE ARPT LIGHTS DEACTIVATED; AND WERE REACTIVATED USING CTAF. WHEN ALL RELEVANT CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETE PERTAINING TO THE ENG START; THE ACFT CONTINUED ITS TAXI FOR RWY 25. IFR CLRNC WAS RECEIVED WITH ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 25 AT HOLD SHORT LINE. WHEN CLRNC WAS RECEIVED; FMS WAS LOADED APPROPRIATELY AND BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST COMPLETED. A CTAF CALL WAS MADE AND THE ACFT TOOK RWY 25 FOR DEP. A SECOND CTAF CALL WAS MADE AS THE ACFT BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL RWY 25. LATE IN THE TKOF ROLL; A SET OF LIGHTS WAS OBSERVED AT THE OTHER END OF THE ARPT/RWY AREA. IT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY CLR IF THE LIGHTS WERE FROM A VEHICLE ON A NEARBY ROAD OR POSSIBLY ANOTHER ACFT. BOTH PLTS VERBALLY REMARKED IT COULD BE AN ACFT AND THE FO (PNF) MADE ANOTHER CTAF STATING FLT WAS ON THE TKOF ROLL. AS LIGHTS FROM OTHER ACFT APPEARED TO BEGIN TO CROSS HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 7; FLT ACCELERATED THROUGH V1 AND ROTATED. AS THE ACFT ROTATED OFF THE RWY; FO OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE ANOTHER ACFT STOPPING ITS PROGRESS ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY AND TURNING BACK (180 DEGS) ON THE TXWY. IT WAS NOT CLR DUE TO THE DISTANCE INVOLVED IF THE OTHER ACFT WAS 'LEGALLY' OVER THE LINE AND ON THE ACTIVE RWY FOR OUR DEP; BUT IT SEEMED TO BE VERY CLOSE. AT NO TIME WAS THE OTHER ACFT HEARD ON CTAF DURING THE TKOF ROLL. AFTER ROTATION; WE CONTINUED NORMALLY TO DEST WITHOUT FURTHER IRREGULARITY. THIS COURSE OF EVENTS HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY WITH LITTLE TIME FOR REACTION. THE ENTIRE EPISODE BEGAN CLOSE TO V1 SPD AND WAS OVER JUST AS QUICKLY. BOTH THE FO AND I CONCURRED THAT AN ABORT AT OR ABOVE V1 WOULD HAVE BEEN INAPPROPRIATE; ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE UNKNOWN INTENTION OF THE OTHER ACFT; AS WELL AS ITS LOCATION ON OR OFF THE RWY. WE LATER AGREED THAT IT APPEARED AN ACFT HAD STARTED TO TAKE THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY FOR DEP. WHY HE DID NOT STATE HIS INTENTIONS; WHY HE DID NOT HEAR OURS; OR WHY WE DID NOT HEAR HIS IS A MYSTERY. OTHER ACFT WERE HEARD ON 122.8 AT OTHER AREA ARPTS; AND BOTH OF OUR COM UNITS FUNCTIONED WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTIES. I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE WAS A 'DEAD SPOT' IN RADIO COM FROM ONE END OF THE RWY TO THE OTHER. IN ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE FACT THAT IT WAS NIGHT ACTUALLY HELPED US IDENT THE POSSIBLE THREAT EARLIER; AS THE OTHER ACFT'S LIGHTS WERE IMMEDIATELY VISIBLE; WHEREAS THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN IN HAZY DAY CONDITIONS. CERTAINLY; AN OPERATING CTL TWR WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THIS EPISODE COMPLETELY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.