Narrative:

I observed a situation at cedar city airport on oct/mon/00, at about XA00 local time. I arrived IFR from ogden and, after refueling, taxied out to depart IFR for el monte, ca, in my comanche. A mooney taxied out ahead of me to depart. I was communicating with the FSS to get my clearance. The mooney also talked to FSS. I then observed the mooney taxi onto runway 20 and stop. He sat there for what must have been a good 5 mins, during which a cessna approached runway 20 for landing, and aborted, flying upwind parallel to runway 20 because of the mooney sitting there. I recall asking FSS at the time if they were in radio contact with the cessna, forgetting he was probably on CTAF. The mooney taxied and I waited for my clearance, in the runway 20 run-up area. The mooney then asked on FSS if I was ready to depart because he wanted to take off on runway 2. I said I was not ready to depart and would hold for him. He then took off on runway 2, only to find himself face to face with the cessna, again attempting to land on runway 20. The mooney diverted to the right and the cessna diverted again. I received my clearance, announced my departure on FSS frequency and took off on runway 20, only to find myself face to face with the cessna coming in to land on runway 2. I diverted to the right and departed. In thinking about this situation, I have come to the realization that I played a role in the whole thing by not announcing my intentions and communicating about my flight on CTAF. The mooney, likewise, did not communicate on CTAF, to the best of my knowledge, although, as I said, I was on the FSS frequency. It dawned on me that the cessna must have thought he was dealing with a flight of fools because no one was talking to him on CTAF, which he rightfully thought everyone would be using. Seen from his perspective, he announces his intentions on CTAF, then encounters a plane, which has said nothing, parked on runway 20. He diverts, announces his intentions on CTAF and attempts to land again on runway 20 only to find himself face to face with the same plane departing runway 2, without a word on the radio, so he has to divert again. He tries to land on runway 2 after announcing his intentions again, only to find himself face to face with me departing runway 20, without communicating, according to his view. In my concern over my IFR clearance and flight, I clearly forgot to announce my actions on CTAF. I can see how this could happen to others, and that's why I wanted to write. One obvious solution would be for personnel in FSS to remind pilots to use CTAF. I know I am responsible for not using CTAF and am sorry I did not. At the same time, I can see in my situation, how I could have forgotten the other frequency after dealing with FSS for clearance, then announcing my intentions and falsely feeling ok. Complicating the picture, even though it's a common phenomenon, is the fact that pilots deal with ASOS, CTAF, FSS, and unicom frequencys and entities at that field, each with their separate, and somewhat overlapping roles.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A PIPER PA24, COMANCHE, TAKING OFF AND A CESSNA APCHING TO LAND FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AT THE CDC NON TWR ARPT. EACH ACFT MADE AN EVASIVE ACTION TURN.

Narrative: I OBSERVED A SIT AT CEDAR CITY ARPT ON OCT/MON/00, AT ABOUT XA00 LCL TIME. I ARRIVED IFR FROM OGDEN AND, AFTER REFUELING, TAXIED OUT TO DEPART IFR FOR EL MONTE, CA, IN MY COMANCHE. A MOONEY TAXIED OUT AHEAD OF ME TO DEPART. I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH THE FSS TO GET MY CLRNC. THE MOONEY ALSO TALKED TO FSS. I THEN OBSERVED THE MOONEY TAXI ONTO RWY 20 AND STOP. HE SAT THERE FOR WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN A GOOD 5 MINS, DURING WHICH A CESSNA APCHED RWY 20 FOR LNDG, AND ABORTED, FLYING UPWIND PARALLEL TO RWY 20 BECAUSE OF THE MOONEY SITTING THERE. I RECALL ASKING FSS AT THE TIME IF THEY WERE IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE CESSNA, FORGETTING HE WAS PROBABLY ON CTAF. THE MOONEY TAXIED AND I WAITED FOR MY CLRNC, IN THE RWY 20 RUN-UP AREA. THE MOONEY THEN ASKED ON FSS IF I WAS READY TO DEPART BECAUSE HE WANTED TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 2. I SAID I WAS NOT READY TO DEPART AND WOULD HOLD FOR HIM. HE THEN TOOK OFF ON RWY 2, ONLY TO FIND HIMSELF FACE TO FACE WITH THE CESSNA, AGAIN ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RWY 20. THE MOONEY DIVERTED TO THE R AND THE CESSNA DIVERTED AGAIN. I RECEIVED MY CLRNC, ANNOUNCED MY DEP ON FSS FREQ AND TOOK OFF ON RWY 20, ONLY TO FIND MYSELF FACE TO FACE WITH THE CESSNA COMING IN TO LAND ON RWY 2. I DIVERTED TO THE R AND DEPARTED. IN THINKING ABOUT THIS SIT, I HAVE COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT I PLAYED A ROLE IN THE WHOLE THING BY NOT ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS AND COMMUNICATING ABOUT MY FLT ON CTAF. THE MOONEY, LIKEWISE, DID NOT COMMUNICATE ON CTAF, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, ALTHOUGH, AS I SAID, I WAS ON THE FSS FREQ. IT DAWNED ON ME THAT THE CESSNA MUST HAVE THOUGHT HE WAS DEALING WITH A FLT OF FOOLS BECAUSE NO ONE WAS TALKING TO HIM ON CTAF, WHICH HE RIGHTFULLY THOUGHT EVERYONE WOULD BE USING. SEEN FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE, HE ANNOUNCES HIS INTENTIONS ON CTAF, THEN ENCOUNTERS A PLANE, WHICH HAS SAID NOTHING, PARKED ON RWY 20. HE DIVERTS, ANNOUNCES HIS INTENTIONS ON CTAF AND ATTEMPTS TO LAND AGAIN ON RWY 20 ONLY TO FIND HIMSELF FACE TO FACE WITH THE SAME PLANE DEPARTING RWY 2, WITHOUT A WORD ON THE RADIO, SO HE HAS TO DIVERT AGAIN. HE TRIES TO LAND ON RWY 2 AFTER ANNOUNCING HIS INTENTIONS AGAIN, ONLY TO FIND HIMSELF FACE TO FACE WITH ME DEPARTING RWY 20, WITHOUT COMMUNICATING, ACCORDING TO HIS VIEW. IN MY CONCERN OVER MY IFR CLRNC AND FLT, I CLRLY FORGOT TO ANNOUNCE MY ACTIONS ON CTAF. I CAN SEE HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN TO OTHERS, AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO WRITE. ONE OBVIOUS SOLUTION WOULD BE FOR PERSONNEL IN FSS TO REMIND PLTS TO USE CTAF. I KNOW I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT USING CTAF AND AM SORRY I DID NOT. AT THE SAME TIME, I CAN SEE IN MY SIT, HOW I COULD HAVE FORGOTTEN THE OTHER FREQ AFTER DEALING WITH FSS FOR CLRNC, THEN ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS AND FALSELY FEELING OK. COMPLICATING THE PICTURE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A COMMON PHENOMENON, IS THE FACT THAT PLTS DEAL WITH ASOS, CTAF, FSS, AND UNICOM FREQS AND ENTITIES AT THAT FIELD, EACH WITH THEIR SEPARATE, AND SOMEWHAT OVERLAPPING ROLES.

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.