Narrative:

I was preparing for my first cross country solo. The airport was busier today than any day I had yet seen. And I was nervous to make sure that I did everything correctly. The intercom in my aircraft was inoperable. Radio transmission was fine. Radio reception was broadcast over the in-cabin speaker. With the volume on the speaker turned up all the way, I could hear the CTAF traffic. However, in retrospect, it wasn't as clear or discernable as I was used to having through the headset. I was waiting on the taxiway behind the runway marker for other traffic to clear. The other aircraft announced 'short final.' I thought I heard 'short final' announced at another airport that uses the same CTAF. I announced my intention to enter the runway to take off to the southeast. I looked to my left to see if there were any aircraft on final, but I didn't see any. Of course, it is difficult to see with the wing of the C172 masking much of what is above me. I then entered the runway and began my takeoff roll. Almost immediately I heard something garbled on the radio. About 5 seconds into my takeoff roll, the other aircraft was flying just north of the runway parallel to my aircraft about 25 ft off the ground. Knowing immediately that I had nearly caused an accident, I aborted my takeoff roll and exited the runway. The other aircraft executed a go around. Clearly, I was at fault. I have no excuse for not having completely understandable communications in the cockpit. Even though my instructor said it would be ok for me to use my headset and have my microphone pick up what was coming over the speaker, I could have taken off my headset and used the handheld microphone instead. I should have shown more patience after hearing 'short final,' even though I thought this was taking place somewhere else instead. I am very upset about the whole incident and have learned many valuable lessons. I am grateful the PIC of the other aircraft was in control and acted appropriately. I tried to also react appropriately once I realized my error. Even though I thought I had done all of the right things: closely monitoring the CTAF for traffic and building a mental image where various aircraft were, looking for traffic before going onto the runway, announcing my intentions over CTAF. I still didn't hear a crucial piece of information. I hope to be allowed to learn from this incident and will be even more cautious in these sits. I will apply better listening skills to all communication sits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT OF C172 STARTS TKOF ROLL AT WATKINS, CO, WITH ACFT ON SHORT FINAL. CONFLICT RESULTS IN GAR FOR INBOUND ACFT AND REJECTED TKOF BY RPTR.

Narrative: I WAS PREPARING FOR MY FIRST XCOUNTRY SOLO. THE ARPT WAS BUSIER TODAY THAN ANY DAY I HAD YET SEEN. AND I WAS NERVOUS TO MAKE SURE THAT I DID EVERYTHING CORRECTLY. THE INTERCOM IN MY ACFT WAS INOPERABLE. RADIO XMISSION WAS FINE. RADIO RECEPTION WAS BROADCAST OVER THE IN-CABIN SPEAKER. WITH THE VOLUME ON THE SPEAKER TURNED UP ALL THE WAY, I COULD HEAR THE CTAF TFC. HOWEVER, IN RETROSPECT, IT WASN'T AS CLR OR DISCERNABLE AS I WAS USED TO HAVING THROUGH THE HEADSET. I WAS WAITING ON THE TXWY BEHIND THE RWY MARKER FOR OTHER TFC TO CLR. THE OTHER ACFT ANNOUNCED 'SHORT FINAL.' I THOUGHT I HEARD 'SHORT FINAL' ANNOUNCED AT ANOTHER ARPT THAT USES THE SAME CTAF. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION TO ENTER THE RWY TO TAKE OFF TO THE SE. I LOOKED TO MY L TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY ACFT ON FINAL, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANY. OF COURSE, IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE WITH THE WING OF THE C172 MASKING MUCH OF WHAT IS ABOVE ME. I THEN ENTERED THE RWY AND BEGAN MY TKOF ROLL. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY I HEARD SOMETHING GARBLED ON THE RADIO. ABOUT 5 SECONDS INTO MY TKOF ROLL, THE OTHER ACFT WAS FLYING JUST N OF THE RWY PARALLEL TO MY ACFT ABOUT 25 FT OFF THE GND. KNOWING IMMEDIATELY THAT I HAD NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, I ABORTED MY TKOF ROLL AND EXITED THE RWY. THE OTHER ACFT EXECUTED A GAR. CLRLY, I WAS AT FAULT. I HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR NOT HAVING COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE COMS IN THE COCKPIT. EVEN THOUGH MY INSTRUCTOR SAID IT WOULD BE OK FOR ME TO USE MY HEADSET AND HAVE MY MIKE PICK UP WHAT WAS COMING OVER THE SPEAKER, I COULD HAVE TAKEN OFF MY HEADSET AND USED THE HANDHELD MIKE INSTEAD. I SHOULD HAVE SHOWN MORE PATIENCE AFTER HEARING 'SHORT FINAL,' EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT THIS WAS TAKING PLACE SOMEWHERE ELSE INSTEAD. I AM VERY UPSET ABOUT THE WHOLE INCIDENT AND HAVE LEARNED MANY VALUABLE LESSONS. I AM GRATEFUL THE PIC OF THE OTHER ACFT WAS IN CTL AND ACTED APPROPRIATELY. I TRIED TO ALSO REACT APPROPRIATELY ONCE I REALIZED MY ERROR. EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT I HAD DONE ALL OF THE RIGHT THINGS: CLOSELY MONITORING THE CTAF FOR TFC AND BUILDING A MENTAL IMAGE WHERE VARIOUS ACFT WERE, LOOKING FOR TFC BEFORE GOING ONTO THE RWY, ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS OVER CTAF. I STILL DIDN'T HEAR A CRUCIAL PIECE OF INFO. I HOPE TO BE ALLOWED TO LEARN FROM THIS INCIDENT AND WILL BE EVEN MORE CAUTIOUS IN THESE SITS. I WILL APPLY BETTER LISTENING SKILLS TO ALL COM SITS.

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.