BE50 pilot takes off at 34G airport below VMC speed to miss mower conducting maintenance on runway.

Attributes
ACN	523856
Time
Date	200109
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 25
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Twin Bonanza 50
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : takeoff roll
Route In Use	departure : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 21200 flight time type : 645
ASRS Report	523856
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle ground encounters : person non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 20 vertical : 25
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I started up at XA20 and was departing at XA24, at 34G with a no wind condition on runway 18. Made a radio call on the CTAF and had taxi, navigation, beacon and wing ice lights on. Runway 18 is on the back side of the hill and you can only see about 800 ft down the runway at that point. As I proceeded with the takeoff, I noticed the upper part of a person on the east side mid runway and I assumed it was the person who normally walks his dogs and always gets clear when aircraft are taking off. As I crested the hill, the remainder of the runway was in full sight and the person on the runway was actually someone walking behind a walk behind mower, and he was proceeding from east to west across the runway. The sod runway was covered with a heavy dew and I would be unable to stop the aircraft before I reached his position. I rotated the aircraft 30 mph below VMC to avoid a possible collision. I passed over him about 25 ft and 20 ft to the west of him. This runway used to be longer to the north at one point which put the takeoff position on top of a hill. It had been shortened in 1996 to a position on the back side of a hill which blocks view of the south end of the runway. Conversely someone taking off from the south runway 36 cannot see someone taking off on runway 18. It happens to be a man and a lawnmower this time, but it could have just as easily been 2 aircraft taking off in opposite directions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE50 PLT TAKES OFF AT 34G ARPT BELOW VMC SPD TO MISS MOWER CONDUCTING MAINT ON RWY.

Narrative: I STARTED UP AT XA20 AND WAS DEPARTING AT XA24, AT 34G WITH A NO WIND CONDITION ON RWY 18. MADE A RADIO CALL ON THE CTAF AND HAD TAXI, NAV, BEACON AND WING ICE LIGHTS ON. RWY 18 IS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE HILL AND YOU CAN ONLY SEE ABOUT 800 FT DOWN THE RWY AT THAT POINT. AS I PROCEEDED WITH THE TKOF, I NOTICED THE UPPER PART OF A PERSON ON THE E SIDE MID RWY AND I ASSUMED IT WAS THE PERSON WHO NORMALLY WALKS HIS DOGS AND ALWAYS GETS CLR WHEN ACFT ARE TAKING OFF. AS I CRESTED THE HILL, THE REMAINDER OF THE RWY WAS IN FULL SIGHT AND THE PERSON ON THE RWY WAS ACTUALLY SOMEONE WALKING BEHIND A WALK BEHIND MOWER, AND HE WAS PROCEEDING FROM E TO W ACROSS THE RWY. THE SOD RWY WAS COVERED WITH A HVY DEW AND I WOULD BE UNABLE TO STOP THE ACFT BEFORE I REACHED HIS POS. I ROTATED THE ACFT 30 MPH BELOW VMC TO AVOID A POSSIBLE COLLISION. I PASSED OVER HIM ABOUT 25 FT AND 20 FT TO THE W OF HIM. THIS RWY USED TO BE LONGER TO THE N AT ONE POINT WHICH PUT THE TKOF POS ON TOP OF A HILL. IT HAD BEEN SHORTENED IN 1996 TO A POS ON THE BACK SIDE OF A HILL WHICH BLOCKS VIEW OF THE S END OF THE RWY. CONVERSELY SOMEONE TAKING OFF FROM THE S RWY 36 CANNOT SEE SOMEONE TAKING OFF ON RWY 18. IT HAPPENS TO BE A MAN AND A LAWNMOWER THIS TIME, BUT IT COULD HAVE JUST AS EASILY BEEN 2 ACFT TAKING OFF IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.

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.