Narrative:

My wife and young son accompanied me to the local airport to enjoy a late afternoon flight in our piper warrior PA28-151. A stop at the automated FSS revealed only scattered clouds and 12 mi visibility, more than adequate for a brief VFR flight in the area. After our preflight we boarded the plane, contacted the FSS for the local advisory and taxied to the favored runway. We parked short of the runway on the run-up area and did our magneto check. While progressing through our pre takeoff checklist, we watched a twin engine plane complete its final and land a few hundred yards down the runway. After completing the checklist I throttled the engine to taxi onto the runway and watched the twin turn left to exit the active. The runway appeared clear but shortly after commencing our takeoff roll I saw movement at some distance ahead. At first I thought another plane had landed on the intersecting runway and was crossing the intersection. As we got closer, it appeared to be the same twin that had just landed. By now, an airspeed had been reached to execute a safe rotation and we climbed briskly over the other aircraft by a few hundred ft. Apparently, the twin engine craft had rolled past the available taxi exits and had turned around near the edge of the runway or on the intersecting runway. From my vantage point it appeared that the twin had turned off of the runway. In either case, when I realized the situation, I felt it was better to takeoff than to try to brake to a stop. My experience with aircraft brakes is that they are great when a dead stop during runup, but are nothing like automobile brakes when moving. In retrospect, this event taught me that looking doesn't necessarily mean seeing. Had I given myself more time to study the runway situation I might have seen and understood what the intentions of the other pilot were. It also serves as an example that events like this don't always happen to the other guy. I have been flying since 1967 and have prided myself on the level of self vigilance I have exercised. In 30 yrs of flying, I have no horror stories to tell about past experiences. Our family even observes a sterile cabin policy in the plane during ground and takeoff operations to avoid distrs. The events described above go to show how quickly things can go wrong. The disturbing fact is that my family, as well as another pilot, were exposed to a hazardous situation. Fortunately, it did not lead to an accident. This experience has not turned me against flying, but when it comes to safety I am determined to crank it up a notch, whatever it takes. Perhaps sharing this experience with others will help prevent this happening to anyone else ever again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PA28 TAXIING INTO POS FOR TKOF DOES NOT REALIZE A TWIN THAT JUST LANDED IS STILL ON THE RWY. HE DEPARTS AND IS ABLE TO LIFTOFF BUT JUST CLRS THE OTHER ACFT AS HE DOES.

Narrative: MY WIFE AND YOUNG SON ACCOMPANIED ME TO THE LCL ARPT TO ENJOY A LATE AFTERNOON FLT IN OUR PIPER WARRIOR PA28-151. A STOP AT THE AUTOMATED FSS REVEALED ONLY SCATTERED CLOUDS AND 12 MI VISIBILITY, MORE THAN ADEQUATE FOR A BRIEF VFR FLT IN THE AREA. AFTER OUR PREFLT WE BOARDED THE PLANE, CONTACTED THE FSS FOR THE LCL ADVISORY AND TAXIED TO THE FAVORED RWY. WE PARKED SHORT OF THE RWY ON THE RUN-UP AREA AND DID OUR MAGNETO CHK. WHILE PROGRESSING THROUGH OUR PRE TKOF CHKLIST, WE WATCHED A TWIN ENG PLANE COMPLETE ITS FINAL AND LAND A FEW HUNDRED YARDS DOWN THE RWY. AFTER COMPLETING THE CHKLIST I THROTTLED THE ENG TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY AND WATCHED THE TWIN TURN L TO EXIT THE ACTIVE. THE RWY APPEARED CLR BUT SHORTLY AFTER COMMENCING OUR TKOF ROLL I SAW MOVEMENT AT SOME DISTANCE AHEAD. AT FIRST I THOUGHT ANOTHER PLANE HAD LANDED ON THE INTERSECTING RWY AND WAS XING THE INTXN. AS WE GOT CLOSER, IT APPEARED TO BE THE SAME TWIN THAT HAD JUST LANDED. BY NOW, AN AIRSPD HAD BEEN REACHED TO EXECUTE A SAFE ROTATION AND WE CLBED BRISKLY OVER THE OTHER ACFT BY A FEW HUNDRED FT. APPARENTLY, THE TWIN ENG CRAFT HAD ROLLED PAST THE AVAILABLE TAXI EXITS AND HAD TURNED AROUND NEAR THE EDGE OF THE RWY OR ON THE INTERSECTING RWY. FROM MY VANTAGE POINT IT APPEARED THAT THE TWIN HAD TURNED OFF OF THE RWY. IN EITHER CASE, WHEN I REALIZED THE SIT, I FELT IT WAS BETTER TO TKOF THAN TO TRY TO BRAKE TO A STOP. MY EXPERIENCE WITH ACFT BRAKES IS THAT THEY ARE GREAT WHEN A DEAD STOP DURING RUNUP, BUT ARE NOTHING LIKE AUTOMOBILE BRAKES WHEN MOVING. IN RETROSPECT, THIS EVENT TAUGHT ME THAT LOOKING DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN SEEING. HAD I GIVEN MYSELF MORE TIME TO STUDY THE RWY SIT I MIGHT HAVE SEEN AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE INTENTIONS OF THE OTHER PLT WERE. IT ALSO SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE THAT EVENTS LIKE THIS DON'T ALWAYS HAPPEN TO THE OTHER GUY. I HAVE BEEN FLYING SINCE 1967 AND HAVE PRIDED MYSELF ON THE LEVEL OF SELF VIGILANCE I HAVE EXERCISED. IN 30 YRS OF FLYING, I HAVE NO HORROR STORIES TO TELL ABOUT PAST EXPERIENCES. OUR FAMILY EVEN OBSERVES A STERILE CABIN POLICY IN THE PLANE DURING GND AND TKOF OPS TO AVOID DISTRS. THE EVENTS DESCRIBED ABOVE GO TO SHOW HOW QUICKLY THINGS CAN GO WRONG. THE DISTURBING FACT IS THAT MY FAMILY, AS WELL AS ANOTHER PLT, WERE EXPOSED TO A HAZARDOUS SIT. FORTUNATELY, IT DID NOT LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. THIS EXPERIENCE HAS NOT TURNED ME AGAINST FLYING, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY I AM DETERMINED TO CRANK IT UP A NOTCH, WHATEVER IT TAKES. PERHAPS SHARING THIS EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS WILL HELP PREVENT THIS HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE EVER AGAIN.

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.