Narrative:

After runup and receiving IFR clearance at runup area off runway 12 at visalia municipal, I switched back to CTAF 123.05 and announced my departure on runway 12 visibility. Taxied on to the runway and departed. No aircraft were heard on the CTAF or seen on the runway. Runway 12 was used because AWOS winds were 6-7 KTS and my route direction was south on V-23 to ehf. Approximately 5-6 mins after takeoff I heard an aircraft inquiring to ATC if they had talked to a cherokee that had departed visibility 5 min before because the cherokee could have caused a serious incident. ATC stated no cherokee but had talked to a grumman about that time. My passenger and I both stated we had neither heard an aircraft on the CTAF before or after my departure announcement, nor did we see another aircraft on the runway or after takeoff. We wondered what could have happened. Later that day, upon returning to our home, there was a message on our answering machine to call the FAA in fresno. Upon contacting him, he told me a mail service caravan was on the end of runway 30 and that he had tried to contact the other aircraft and that it had flown over him on takeoff. I repeated the details from my viewpoint as detailed above. This situation could be avoided if the takeoff runway used was always the prevailing wind regardless of wind level or desired direction of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH TKOF ON OCCUPIED RWY.

Narrative: AFTER RUNUP AND RECEIVING IFR CLRNC AT RUNUP AREA OFF RWY 12 AT VISALIA MUNI, I SWITCHED BACK TO CTAF 123.05 AND ANNOUNCED MY DEP ON RWY 12 VISIBILITY. TAXIED ON TO THE RWY AND DEPARTED. NO ACFT WERE HEARD ON THE CTAF OR SEEN ON THE RWY. RWY 12 WAS USED BECAUSE AWOS WINDS WERE 6-7 KTS AND MY RTE DIRECTION WAS S ON V-23 TO EHF. APPROX 5-6 MINS AFTER TKOF I HEARD AN ACFT INQUIRING TO ATC IF THEY HAD TALKED TO A CHEROKEE THAT HAD DEPARTED VISIBILITY 5 MIN BEFORE BECAUSE THE CHEROKEE COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS INCIDENT. ATC STATED NO CHEROKEE BUT HAD TALKED TO A GRUMMAN ABOUT THAT TIME. MY PAX AND I BOTH STATED WE HAD NEITHER HEARD AN ACFT ON THE CTAF BEFORE OR AFTER MY DEP ANNOUNCEMENT, NOR DID WE SEE ANOTHER ACFT ON THE RWY OR AFTER TKOF. WE WONDERED WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. LATER THAT DAY, UPON RETURNING TO OUR HOME, THERE WAS A MESSAGE ON OUR ANSWERING MACHINE TO CALL THE FAA IN FRESNO. UPON CONTACTING HIM, HE TOLD ME A MAIL SVC CARAVAN WAS ON THE END OF RWY 30 AND THAT HE HAD TRIED TO CONTACT THE OTHER ACFT AND THAT IT HAD FLOWN OVER HIM ON TKOF. I REPEATED THE DETAILS FROM MY VIEWPOINT AS DETAILED ABOVE. THIS SIT COULD BE AVOIDED IF THE TKOF RWY USED WAS ALWAYS THE PREVAILING WIND REGARDLESS OF WIND LEVEL OR DESIRED DIRECTION OF FLT.

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.