Narrative:

During preparations for takeoff; I observed a baron land at AZ82 on runway 21. I taxied to runway 21 and ran up the aircraft; and called for departure; on unicom frequency. I did not hear any other aircraft on the frequency. Winds were virtually zero. After takeoff on runway 21; someone on the frequency said I had 'almost hit them;' and asked if I had announced my departure on runway 21. I answered affirmative. The lancair 235 I was flying has zero forward visibility after rotation and I later learned that the baron I had observed land on runway 21 had dropped off passenger at the opposite end of the airport; announced his departure on runway 3; and I passed approximately 10 ft over the top of that aircraft as he was on his takeoff roll. The runway at AZ82 has a very large hump in the middle blocking the view of the opposite ends. Both runways are uphill to the center; and the hill is high enough that it has been noted that aircraft on the ground on either end of the runway cannot communicate via radio. A third party who witnessed the incident with a ground radio in view of both runway ends heard both of us call in succession; demonstrating that we did not block each other; and that neither heard or answered the other. Because of this known problem; runway 21 has been designated the 'calm wind' runway; until winds are above 5 KTS; and this information was recorded with the FAA for AZ82 and has been viewable on line. Local pilots are concerned because of this incident and discussions have already taken place to redouble efforts to install an ATIS at the airport; that will have real time information on winds; and will repeat the runway 21 'calm wind' designation on the audible NOTAMS. Supplemental information from acn 714702: I had just arrived at mogollon airpark (AZ82); overgaard; az; landing on runway 21; to pick up a single passenger. AZ82 is a private airport as part of a residential airpark community. Pick-up area was adjacent to departure end of runway 3. Winds were light and variable. Preferred runway for wind under 5 KTS is runway 21. Unable to confirm whether winds were below 5 KTS. Runway has 'hump' in the middle; obstructing line-of-sight vision of opposite end of runway; as well as preventing direct line-of-sight radio communications. Passive 'repeater' is located at mid-field; and I believed that it was effective in allowing radio communications between aircraft at opposite ends of runway. As it turned out; I was wrong. I believed that it was safe to depart runway 3; which is a regular occurrence at the airport in calm or light wind conditions; and made several radio calls announcing my intention and location. During the takeoff roll; just before reaching rotation speed (80 KIAS) the passenger and I observed a single engine aircraft taking off in the opposite direction apparently just after rotation in front of us. I pushed forward on the yoke to remain on the ground and the other aircraft passed overhead an estimated 10-20 ft above us. It happened so fast that I did not even have time to react beyond pushing on the yoke and did not have time to pull back on the power before the other aircraft was past. We continued our departure and took off without further incident. We made radio calls on the CTAF and spoke to the other pilot; who reported that he had made appropriate radio calls from the opposite end of the runway in preparing to depart from runway 21. He had not heard our radio calls; just as we had not heard his. The airpark leadership is aware of the event; and is exploring measures to prevent similar events in the future; including an 'active' repeater to be sure radio calls are heard at both ends. For the time being; I will have someone on the ground with a handheld transceiver at midfield to confirm that the opposite end of the runway is clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF HIGH PERFORMANCE SMA EXPERIENCES NMAC WITH BE50 DEPARTING FROM OPPOSITE END OF RWY AT AN UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: DURING PREPARATIONS FOR TKOF; I OBSERVED A BARON LAND AT AZ82 ON RWY 21. I TAXIED TO RWY 21 AND RAN UP THE ACFT; AND CALLED FOR DEP; ON UNICOM FREQ. I DID NOT HEAR ANY OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ. WINDS WERE VIRTUALLY ZERO. AFTER TKOF ON RWY 21; SOMEONE ON THE FREQ SAID I HAD 'ALMOST HIT THEM;' AND ASKED IF I HAD ANNOUNCED MY DEP ON RWY 21. I ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE. THE LANCAIR 235 I WAS FLYING HAS ZERO FORWARD VISIBILITY AFTER ROTATION AND I LATER LEARNED THAT THE BARON I HAD OBSERVED LAND ON RWY 21 HAD DROPPED OFF PAX AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE ARPT; ANNOUNCED HIS DEP ON RWY 3; AND I PASSED APPROX 10 FT OVER THE TOP OF THAT ACFT AS HE WAS ON HIS TKOF ROLL. THE RWY AT AZ82 HAS A VERY LARGE HUMP IN THE MIDDLE BLOCKING THE VIEW OF THE OPPOSITE ENDS. BOTH RWYS ARE UPHILL TO THE CTR; AND THE HILL IS HIGH ENOUGH THAT IT HAS BEEN NOTED THAT ACFT ON THE GND ON EITHER END OF THE RWY CANNOT COMMUNICATE VIA RADIO. A THIRD PARTY WHO WITNESSED THE INCIDENT WITH A GND RADIO IN VIEW OF BOTH RWY ENDS HEARD BOTH OF US CALL IN SUCCESSION; DEMONSTRATING THAT WE DID NOT BLOCK EACH OTHER; AND THAT NEITHER HEARD OR ANSWERED THE OTHER. BECAUSE OF THIS KNOWN PROB; RWY 21 HAS BEEN DESIGNATED THE 'CALM WIND' RWY; UNTIL WINDS ARE ABOVE 5 KTS; AND THIS INFO WAS RECORDED WITH THE FAA FOR AZ82 AND HAS BEEN VIEWABLE ON LINE. LCL PLTS ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT AND DISCUSSIONS HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE TO REDOUBLE EFFORTS TO INSTALL AN ATIS AT THE ARPT; THAT WILL HAVE REAL TIME INFO ON WINDS; AND WILL REPEAT THE RWY 21 'CALM WIND' DESIGNATION ON THE AUDIBLE NOTAMS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 714702: I HAD JUST ARRIVED AT MOGOLLON AIRPARK (AZ82); OVERGAARD; AZ; LNDG ON RWY 21; TO PICK UP A SINGLE PAX. AZ82 IS A PVT ARPT AS PART OF A RESIDENTIAL AIRPARK COMMUNITY. PICK-UP AREA WAS ADJACENT TO DEP END OF RWY 3. WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. PREFERRED RWY FOR WIND UNDER 5 KTS IS RWY 21. UNABLE TO CONFIRM WHETHER WINDS WERE BELOW 5 KTS. RWY HAS 'HUMP' IN THE MIDDLE; OBSTRUCTING LINE-OF-SIGHT VISION OF OPPOSITE END OF RWY; AS WELL AS PREVENTING DIRECT LINE-OF-SIGHT RADIO COMS. PASSIVE 'REPEATER' IS LOCATED AT MID-FIELD; AND I BELIEVED THAT IT WAS EFFECTIVE IN ALLOWING RADIO COMS BTWN ACFT AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF RWY. AS IT TURNED OUT; I WAS WRONG. I BELIEVED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DEPART RWY 3; WHICH IS A REGULAR OCCURRENCE AT THE ARPT IN CALM OR LIGHT WIND CONDITIONS; AND MADE SEVERAL RADIO CALLS ANNOUNCING MY INTENTION AND LOCATION. DURING THE TKOF ROLL; JUST BEFORE REACHING ROTATION SPD (80 KIAS) THE PAX AND I OBSERVED A SINGLE ENG ACFT TAKING OFF IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION APPARENTLY JUST AFTER ROTATION IN FRONT OF US. I PUSHED FORWARD ON THE YOKE TO REMAIN ON THE GND AND THE OTHER ACFT PASSED OVERHEAD AN ESTIMATED 10-20 FT ABOVE US. IT HAPPENED SO FAST THAT I DID NOT EVEN HAVE TIME TO REACT BEYOND PUSHING ON THE YOKE AND DID NOT HAVE TIME TO PULL BACK ON THE PWR BEFORE THE OTHER ACFT WAS PAST. WE CONTINUED OUR DEP AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WE MADE RADIO CALLS ON THE CTAF AND SPOKE TO THE OTHER PLT; WHO RPTED THAT HE HAD MADE APPROPRIATE RADIO CALLS FROM THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY IN PREPARING TO DEPART FROM RWY 21. HE HAD NOT HEARD OUR RADIO CALLS; JUST AS WE HAD NOT HEARD HIS. THE AIRPARK LEADERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE EVENT; AND IS EXPLORING MEASURES TO PREVENT SIMILAR EVENTS IN THE FUTURE; INCLUDING AN 'ACTIVE' REPEATER TO BE SURE RADIO CALLS ARE HEARD AT BOTH ENDS. FOR THE TIME BEING; I WILL HAVE SOMEONE ON THE GND WITH A HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER AT MIDFIELD TO CONFIRM THAT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY IS CLR.

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.