Narrative:

On jan/xa/00 at san marcos, tx, I was engaged in the flight testing of a new stc for the installation of brakes manufactured by xyz on an sa-227 while the aircraft was temporarily in the experimental category. Testing parameters required that the aircraft be flown on runway 12 ILS to 50 ft above the runway threshold, landed and stopped within a specific distance. San marcos is an uncontrolled field and I broadcasted all aircraft movements both on the ground and in the air on the CTAF frequency (123.05). Prior to start we had calculated and came to the conclusion that we would utilize runway 26 for takeoff. I taxied down to runway 35 enroute to runway 26 and stated my actions on CTAF. I stopped short of runway 26 and performed all necessary checks. I taxied into position and stated my takeoff and intentions on CTAF. A visual check indicated a clear runway and I started my takeoff roll. Full power was immediately utilized as takeoff was near mgtow. At approximately 100 KTS and about 2000 ft into my takeoff roll I saw another aircraft on opposite end of the runway, rapidly increasing in size. I immediately pulled the engines into full reverse and applied maximum braking. I was moving slowly and nearly at a full stop when the other aircraft, a T34, flew overhead at very close range. I contacted the T34 and asked him why he did not broadcast his intentions. He responded that he did and asked me why I had not broadcast mine, as he did not hear my xmissions. I stated that I did, and that I had witnesses to that fact. I was properly set up and broadcasting on frequency. Conversation with one of the principals at the company indicated that they could hear the T34 on the end of runway 8 (the principal had a handheld receiver). He stated that my broadcasts broke up as I approached runway 35 during taxi, which after that point he could not hear any further xmissions from me. Interestingly enough, after talking to test personnel that were located near the midpoint of the runway, they stated that they could only hear my xmissions and they never heard anything from the T34. One other contributing factor is that there is small rise in the middle of the airport that obscures the view of the opposite end of the runway. That is why I was not able to see the other aircraft until I was further down the runway. This rise might also affect the ability to transmit/receive on the CTAF while on the ground. There should be a NOTAM posted at this field indicating radio xmissions/reception anomalies present at this airport. Aircraft management might want to consider the installation of a low wattage radio repeater at the center of the field to alleviate this problem. Callback conversation with the reporter revealed the following information: reporter felt that something should be done about the situation but hadn't known where to start.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SA227 ABORTS ITS TKOF WHEN A T34 IS NOTED ON TKOF ROLL, OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAME RWY AT SAN MARCOS, HYI, TX. BOTH ACFT XMITTED TKOF INTENTIONS, NEITHER ONE HEARD THE OTHER.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/00 AT SAN MARCOS, TX, I WAS ENGAGED IN THE FLT TESTING OF A NEW STC FOR THE INSTALLATION OF BRAKES MANUFACTURED BY XYZ ON AN SA-227 WHILE THE ACFT WAS TEMPORARILY IN THE EXPERIMENTAL CATEGORY. TESTING PARAMETERS REQUIRED THAT THE ACFT BE FLOWN ON RWY 12 ILS TO 50 FT ABOVE THE RWY THRESHOLD, LANDED AND STOPPED WITHIN A SPECIFIC DISTANCE. SAN MARCOS IS AN UNCONTROLLED FIELD AND I BROADCASTED ALL ACFT MOVEMENTS BOTH ON THE GND AND IN THE AIR ON THE CTAF FREQ (123.05). PRIOR TO START WE HAD CALCULATED AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE WOULD UTILIZE RWY 26 FOR TKOF. I TAXIED DOWN TO RWY 35 ENROUTE TO RWY 26 AND STATED MY ACTIONS ON CTAF. I STOPPED SHORT OF RWY 26 AND PERFORMED ALL NECESSARY CHECKS. I TAXIED INTO POS AND STATED MY TKOF AND INTENTIONS ON CTAF. A VISUAL CHECK INDICATED A CLR RWY AND I STARTED MY TKOF ROLL. FULL PWR WAS IMMEDIATELY UTILIZED AS TKOF WAS NEAR MGTOW. AT APPROX 100 KTS AND ABOUT 2000 FT INTO MY TKOF ROLL I SAW ANOTHER ACFT ON OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY, RAPIDLY INCREASING IN SIZE. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE ENGS INTO FULL REVERSE AND APPLIED MAX BRAKING. I WAS MOVING SLOWLY AND NEARLY AT A FULL STOP WHEN THE OTHER ACFT, A T34, FLEW OVERHEAD AT VERY CLOSE RANGE. I CONTACTED THE T34 AND ASKED HIM WHY HE DID NOT BROADCAST HIS INTENTIONS. HE RESPONDED THAT HE DID AND ASKED ME WHY I HAD NOT BROADCAST MINE, AS HE DID NOT HEAR MY XMISSIONS. I STATED THAT I DID, AND THAT I HAD WITNESSES TO THAT FACT. I WAS PROPERLY SET UP AND BROADCASTING ON FREQ. CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS AT THE COMPANY INDICATED THAT THEY COULD HEAR THE T34 ON THE END OF RWY 8 (THE PRINCIPAL HAD A HANDHELD RECEIVER). HE STATED THAT MY BROADCASTS BROKE UP AS I APPROACHED RWY 35 DURING TAXI, WHICH AFTER THAT POINT HE COULD NOT HEAR ANY FURTHER XMISSIONS FROM ME. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, AFTER TALKING TO TEST PERSONNEL THAT WERE LOCATED NEAR THE MIDPOINT OF THE RWY, THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD ONLY HEAR MY XMISSIONS AND THEY NEVER HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE T34. ONE OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT THERE IS SMALL RISE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ARPT THAT OBSCURES THE VIEW OF THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY. THAT IS WHY I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE THE OTHER ACFT UNTIL I WAS FURTHER DOWN THE RWY. THIS RISE MIGHT ALSO AFFECT THE ABILITY TO XMIT/RECEIVE ON THE CTAF WHILE ON THE GND. THERE SHOULD BE A NOTAM POSTED AT THIS FIELD INDICATING RADIO XMISSIONS/RECEPTION ANOMALIES PRESENT AT THIS ARPT. ACFT MANAGEMENT MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER THE INSTALLATION OF A LOW WATTAGE RADIO REPEATER AT THE CTR OF THE FIELD TO ALLEVIATE THIS PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH THE RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR FELT THAT SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THE SIT BUT HADN'T KNOWN WHERE TO START.

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.