Narrative:

Crossing runway 23 at wdr. On taxi out, came to runway crossing point. No observed traffic, visual or radio, and no response to crossing announced. Other pilot was taxiing while I did radio calls and settings. As we turned into the crossing I noticed that FLIP-flop was on wrong frequency, and reselected it to unicom. We entered the runway area with no visible traffic, but then I heard a sudden announcement of an aircraft on 'short final!' I looked again (with full view of the area due to our being in a low wing) and saw no traffic on final -- we are crossing. I am looking. As we began to clear the runway, a twin (baron) 'appeared' at the runway end (about 1900 ft away) about wingspan high. He had been invisible against the tree-line backgnd in a head-on profile. Surprise! As we cleared the runway, other aircraft then initiated a go around from beginning of flare. It seemed to be a 2-PLTS mind change, rather than a delayed response by same individual who had made the 'short final' announcement as they continued the approach. I made a radio apology for the event and the baron landed with no comment or further announcements I could hear. As we prepared for takeoff, he remained stopped on taxiway at midfield and we departed. Human factor: limits of vision to see aircraft against a mottled backgnd. Pilot's reliance on radio xmissions to 'ensure' no traffic, or that their presence is known. (I have dubbed this 'the radio cloak of collision immunity' and lots of pilots are wearing it.) the fault was mine, technically, but a landing light 'on' the baron would have made it visible at all times on final. I won't be caught dead without mine on in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT TAXIING ACROSS MAIN RWY AT AN UNCTLED ARPT DID NOT SEE ANOTHER ACFT APCHING TO LAND UNTIL STARTING ACROSS THE RWY. UNICOM RADIO CALLS MISSED BECAUSE RPTR DID NOT HAVE THE COM SELECTOR ON THE UNICOM FREQ.

Narrative: XING RWY 23 AT WDR. ON TAXI OUT, CAME TO RWY XING POINT. NO OBSERVED TFC, VISUAL OR RADIO, AND NO RESPONSE TO XING ANNOUNCED. OTHER PLT WAS TAXIING WHILE I DID RADIO CALLS AND SETTINGS. AS WE TURNED INTO THE XING I NOTICED THAT FLIP-FLOP WAS ON WRONG FREQ, AND RESELECTED IT TO UNICOM. WE ENTERED THE RWY AREA WITH NO VISIBLE TFC, BUT THEN I HEARD A SUDDEN ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN ACFT ON 'SHORT FINAL!' I LOOKED AGAIN (WITH FULL VIEW OF THE AREA DUE TO OUR BEING IN A LOW WING) AND SAW NO TFC ON FINAL -- WE ARE XING. I AM LOOKING. AS WE BEGAN TO CLR THE RWY, A TWIN (BARON) 'APPEARED' AT THE RWY END (ABOUT 1900 FT AWAY) ABOUT WINGSPAN HIGH. HE HAD BEEN INVISIBLE AGAINST THE TREE-LINE BACKGND IN A HEAD-ON PROFILE. SURPRISE! AS WE CLRED THE RWY, OTHER ACFT THEN INITIATED A GAR FROM BEGINNING OF FLARE. IT SEEMED TO BE A 2-PLTS MIND CHANGE, RATHER THAN A DELAYED RESPONSE BY SAME INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD MADE THE 'SHORT FINAL' ANNOUNCEMENT AS THEY CONTINUED THE APCH. I MADE A RADIO APOLOGY FOR THE EVENT AND THE BARON LANDED WITH NO COMMENT OR FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS I COULD HEAR. AS WE PREPARED FOR TKOF, HE REMAINED STOPPED ON TXWY AT MIDFIELD AND WE DEPARTED. HUMAN FACTOR: LIMITS OF VISION TO SEE ACFT AGAINST A MOTTLED BACKGND. PLT'S RELIANCE ON RADIO XMISSIONS TO 'ENSURE' NO TFC, OR THAT THEIR PRESENCE IS KNOWN. (I HAVE DUBBED THIS 'THE RADIO CLOAK OF COLLISION IMMUNITY' AND LOTS OF PLTS ARE WEARING IT.) THE FAULT WAS MINE, TECHNICALLY, BUT A LNDG LIGHT 'ON' THE BARON WOULD HAVE MADE IT VISIBLE AT ALL TIMES ON FINAL. I WON'T BE CAUGHT DEAD WITHOUT MINE ON IN THE FUTURE.

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.