Narrative:

The WX was unusually clear and pleasant (severe clear). Winds were light and variable. On a short (34 NM) VFR flight from vuo (pearson airfield; vancouver; wa) to mmv (mcminnville; or); I monitored the mmv ASOS and learned that the wind was 040 degrees at 3 KTS and chose runway 4 for my intended landing. Approaching mmv at about 15 mi out; I could see the field clearly. There was no visible use of the runways or txwys. I monitored the CTAF and heard xmissions from vuo (30+ NM away) and cvo (corvallis; or; 40+ NM away); as well as from mmv (all 3 airports use the same CTAF frequency). Some xmissions were 'stepped on;' since there seemed to be many aircraft in the area; probably because of the excellent WX. From mmv; I heard a helicopter announce 'ILS approach (garbled) far end of runway 22' and assumed there would be no conflict. I heard a separate 'stepped on' transmission about an ILS approach (location and runway unknown) and assumed it was the helicopter again. I announced my intentions on mmv CTAF on 45 degrees to downwind; on downwind; on base; and on final. During that time; I heard some garbled and 'stepped on' xmissions (sources unknown). The helicopter at mmv transmitted 'I have you in sight; I'm right above you.' I assumed that he was acknowledging me. While on short final (approximately 200 ft AGL); I observed a gulfstream turboprop headed toward me on runway 22. It departed mmv in a steep climbing turn to the left. A go around on my part was unwise at that point; and I proceeded to land and park in the tie-down area near the departure end of runway 22. A man drove up in an airport service cart and asked if he could be of help. I told him that I was only staying about 5 mins. He then advised me that on calm-wind days; runway 22 is the default runway at mmv (note: there was no indication of this in the airport directory when I checked it prior to commencing my flight nor when I rechked it after returning to vuo. Neither is there any indication of this in the AOPA 'members comments' section of their on-line airport directory). While parked for about 10 mins; there was one local taxi and departure from mmv and no visual evidence of either the helicopter or the gulfstream. I restarted; monitored mmv CTAF; and heard no xmissions except someone on '5 mi final to mcminnville.' I announced my intentions; and departed mmv on runway 22. As soon as I reached about 300 ft AGL; I began to hear xmissions from cvo and vuo again; including 'stepped on' xmissions. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. Factors and corrective action: 1) the unusual WX may have contributed to the reception of the xmissions over longer distances; 2) nevertheless; the use of the same CTAF frequency at multiple airports within reception range should be changed; to avoid 'stepped on' xmissions; 3) the airport directory should publish runway 22 as the default runway for calm-wind conditions at mmv; 4) arriving pilots should broadcast a blind request for runway/TA's; such as 'any mcminnville traffic; please advise runway in use' or words to that effect; rather than making an assumption based only on an automated WX announcement; 5) pilots should verify by exchanged xmissions that someone announcing use of the opposite end of a runway (even just a helicopter) is in fact; not a conflict; and 6) traffic in the pattern should clearly announce a warning when a potential conflict is suspected; such as 'mcminnville traffic; be advised runway 22 is in use; do not use runway 4' or words to that effect.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C150 PLT APCHED CTAF MMV RWY 4 VFR NOT KNOWING THE DEFAULT CALM WIND RWY WAS RWY 22. PLT AVOIDED A GULFSTREAM DEPARTING OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY 22.

Narrative: THE WX WAS UNUSUALLY CLR AND PLEASANT (SEVERE CLR). WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. ON A SHORT (34 NM) VFR FLT FROM VUO (PEARSON AIRFIELD; VANCOUVER; WA) TO MMV (MCMINNVILLE; OR); I MONITORED THE MMV ASOS AND LEARNED THAT THE WIND WAS 040 DEGS AT 3 KTS AND CHOSE RWY 4 FOR MY INTENDED LNDG. APCHING MMV AT ABOUT 15 MI OUT; I COULD SEE THE FIELD CLRLY. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE USE OF THE RWYS OR TXWYS. I MONITORED THE CTAF AND HEARD XMISSIONS FROM VUO (30+ NM AWAY) AND CVO (CORVALLIS; OR; 40+ NM AWAY); AS WELL AS FROM MMV (ALL 3 ARPTS USE THE SAME CTAF FREQ). SOME XMISSIONS WERE 'STEPPED ON;' SINCE THERE SEEMED TO BE MANY ACFT IN THE AREA; PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE EXCELLENT WX. FROM MMV; I HEARD A HELI ANNOUNCE 'ILS APCH (GARBLED) FAR END OF RWY 22' AND ASSUMED THERE WOULD BE NO CONFLICT. I HEARD A SEPARATE 'STEPPED ON' XMISSION ABOUT AN ILS APCH (LOCATION AND RWY UNKNOWN) AND ASSUMED IT WAS THE HELI AGAIN. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS ON MMV CTAF ON 45 DEGS TO DOWNWIND; ON DOWNWIND; ON BASE; AND ON FINAL. DURING THAT TIME; I HEARD SOME GARBLED AND 'STEPPED ON' XMISSIONS (SOURCES UNKNOWN). THE HELI AT MMV XMITTED 'I HAVE YOU IN SIGHT; I'M RIGHT ABOVE YOU.' I ASSUMED THAT HE WAS ACKNOWLEDGING ME. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL (APPROX 200 FT AGL); I OBSERVED A GULFSTREAM TURBOPROP HEADED TOWARD ME ON RWY 22. IT DEPARTED MMV IN A STEEP CLBING TURN TO THE L. A GAR ON MY PART WAS UNWISE AT THAT POINT; AND I PROCEEDED TO LAND AND PARK IN THE TIE-DOWN AREA NEAR THE DEP END OF RWY 22. A MAN DROVE UP IN AN ARPT SVC CART AND ASKED IF HE COULD BE OF HELP. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS ONLY STAYING ABOUT 5 MINS. HE THEN ADVISED ME THAT ON CALM-WIND DAYS; RWY 22 IS THE DEFAULT RWY AT MMV (NOTE: THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF THIS IN THE ARPT DIRECTORY WHEN I CHKED IT PRIOR TO COMMENCING MY FLT NOR WHEN I RECHKED IT AFTER RETURNING TO VUO. NEITHER IS THERE ANY INDICATION OF THIS IN THE AOPA 'MEMBERS COMMENTS' SECTION OF THEIR ON-LINE ARPT DIRECTORY). WHILE PARKED FOR ABOUT 10 MINS; THERE WAS ONE LCL TAXI AND DEP FROM MMV AND NO VISUAL EVIDENCE OF EITHER THE HELI OR THE GULFSTREAM. I RESTARTED; MONITORED MMV CTAF; AND HEARD NO XMISSIONS EXCEPT SOMEONE ON '5 MI FINAL TO MCMINNVILLE.' I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS; AND DEPARTED MMV ON RWY 22. AS SOON AS I REACHED ABOUT 300 FT AGL; I BEGAN TO HEAR XMISSIONS FROM CVO AND VUO AGAIN; INCLUDING 'STEPPED ON' XMISSIONS. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. FACTORS AND CORRECTIVE ACTION: 1) THE UNUSUAL WX MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE RECEPTION OF THE XMISSIONS OVER LONGER DISTANCES; 2) NEVERTHELESS; THE USE OF THE SAME CTAF FREQ AT MULTIPLE ARPTS WITHIN RECEPTION RANGE SHOULD BE CHANGED; TO AVOID 'STEPPED ON' XMISSIONS; 3) THE ARPT DIRECTORY SHOULD PUBLISH RWY 22 AS THE DEFAULT RWY FOR CALM-WIND CONDITIONS AT MMV; 4) ARRIVING PLTS SHOULD BROADCAST A BLIND REQUEST FOR RWY/TA'S; SUCH AS 'ANY MCMINNVILLE TFC; PLEASE ADVISE RWY IN USE' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT; RATHER THAN MAKING AN ASSUMPTION BASED ONLY ON AN AUTOMATED WX ANNOUNCEMENT; 5) PLTS SHOULD VERIFY BY EXCHANGED XMISSIONS THAT SOMEONE ANNOUNCING USE OF THE OPPOSITE END OF A RWY (EVEN JUST A HELI) IS IN FACT; NOT A CONFLICT; AND 6) TFC IN THE PATTERN SHOULD CLRLY ANNOUNCE A WARNING WHEN A POTENTIAL CONFLICT IS SUSPECTED; SUCH AS 'MCMINNVILLE TFC; BE ADVISED RWY 22 IS IN USE; DO NOT USE RWY 4' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT.

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.