Narrative:

I was flying from pickens county airport, jasper, georgia. I was taxiing out from the uncontrolled ramp area to back taxi on runway 34 for a northbound takeoff. Holding short of runway 34/16 I announced my intentions to take the active and if there was any aircraft in the traffic area. There was no reply. Holding short of runway 34/16 you cannot see the runway identification markings because the grass is too high and not only covers the markings, but the runway lights as well. This is the first item to report that is very dangerous and is a constant problem on this airport with no consideration by the county to keep the grass cut. We have had bird strikes, near misses, obstructed runway and VASI lights at night, and increased rodent populations because the grass is hardly cut or kept up with. You cannot see traffic rolling on runway 34 when the grass is too long as was the case for me. As I started into the runway environment, I saw another aircraft rolling on runway 34 for takeoff without making intentions known, but probably on a touch and go. I abruptly stopped short of the runway environment as the other aircraft rolled past the intersection and rotated for takeoff. If I had been sitting lower in my seat, flying a lower aircraft, or had not been taxiing very conservatively, I would have pulled right in front of the other aircraft. The lack of a taxiway for runway 34 along with very high and unkept grass could have caused a fatal ground collision. Fortunately, no serious incident happened this time. The last issue is that there is no fire hydrant or fire station near the airport and the little water pressure is incapable of putting out a fire. Trying to work with the county on these issues is of no use and the pilots using jzp desperately need help.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT HAS GND CRITICAL INCIDENT WITH AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACFT DEP DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL VISUAL OBSTRUCTION AT JZP ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM PICKENS COUNTY ARPT, JASPER, GEORGIA. I WAS TAXIING OUT FROM THE UNCTLED RAMP AREA TO BACK TAXI ON RWY 34 FOR A NBND TKOF. HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 34/16 I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO TAKE THE ACTIVE AND IF THERE WAS ANY ACFT IN THE TFC AREA. THERE WAS NO REPLY. HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 34/16 YOU CANNOT SEE THE RWY IDENTIFICATION MARKINGS BECAUSE THE GRASS IS TOO HIGH AND NOT ONLY COVERS THE MARKINGS, BUT THE RWY LIGHTS AS WELL. THIS IS THE FIRST ITEM TO RPT THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM ON THIS ARPT WITH NO CONSIDERATION BY THE COUNTY TO KEEP THE GRASS CUT. WE HAVE HAD BIRD STRIKES, NEAR MISSES, OBSTRUCTED RWY AND VASI LIGHTS AT NIGHT, AND INCREASED RODENT POPULATIONS BECAUSE THE GRASS IS HARDLY CUT OR KEPT UP WITH. YOU CANNOT SEE TFC ROLLING ON RWY 34 WHEN THE GRASS IS TOO LONG AS WAS THE CASE FOR ME. AS I STARTED INTO THE RWY ENVIRONMENT, I SAW ANOTHER ACFT ROLLING ON RWY 34 FOR TKOF WITHOUT MAKING INTENTIONS KNOWN, BUT PROBABLY ON A TOUCH AND GO. I ABRUPTLY STOPPED SHORT OF THE RWY ENVIRONMENT AS THE OTHER ACFT ROLLED PAST THE INTXN AND ROTATED FOR TKOF. IF I HAD BEEN SITTING LOWER IN MY SEAT, FLYING A LOWER ACFT, OR HAD NOT BEEN TAXIING VERY CONSERVATIVELY, I WOULD HAVE PULLED RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER ACFT. THE LACK OF A TXWY FOR RWY 34 ALONG WITH VERY HIGH AND UNKEPT GRASS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL GND COLLISION. FORTUNATELY, NO SERIOUS INCIDENT HAPPENED THIS TIME. THE LAST ISSUE IS THAT THERE IS NO FIRE HYDRANT OR FIRE STATION NEAR THE ARPT AND THE LITTLE WATER PRESSURE IS INCAPABLE OF PUTTING OUT A FIRE. TRYING TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY ON THESE ISSUES IS OF NO USE AND THE PLTS USING JZP DESPERATELY NEED HELP.

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.