Narrative:

As operator of mooney I taxied out to departure end of runway 32 at sts to use runway 32 since wind was 010 degrees/11 KTS. I had noticed another aircraft taxiing to runway 14 and was concerned that aircraft would be taking off opposite my direction. I announced my intentions over radio to taxi runway 32 and I heard no responses. While taxiing to departure end of runway 32; I did not check carefully for any aircraft arriving runway 32 and did not notice a twin engine aircraft was on final approach. Instead I was focusing all my attention on the position and activity of the aircraft at the runway 14 end of runways 14/32. I quickly completed my pretkof checklist; checked that the other aircraft at runway 14 was not on the runway and then announced my intention to depart runway 32. I later discovered (after the incident) that my radio was set to 121.9 (normal ground frequency at sts) and not to the correct CTAF of 118.5. At this point; I started to accelerate onto the departure end of runway 32 intending to keep rolling onto main part of runway for my takeoff. I failed (again) to check for aircraft arriving at runway 32 and as I accelerated from side of runway I suddenly saw the king air twin touching down to my left and in front of me. The pilot of that aircraft had had no time to react to my sudden move on to the runway; and had not heard me because I was broadcasting on the wrong frequency anyway. I veered sharply to the right side of this 150 ft wide runway and went right off the side of the runway onto taxiway Z which is about 200 ft from the approach end of runway 32. However; it was the pilot of the king air twin who managed to avoid me by where he touched down (on the centerline); beyond where I had come on to the runway. As I reviewed what had happened I discovered that my radio was not on CTAF 118.5; which is another reason I was not aware of the arriving aircraft. Contributing factors to this near accident were my failure to check and rechk for aircraft arriving the same runway I was using. I did not check my communication radio carefully enough. I should have at least talked with the other airplane on the ground to verify proper operation of my radio. I was in too much of a hurry to complete my checklist and get on my way and therefore inadvertently skipped some key checklist items (look for traffic; check radios). I was fixated on the other aircraft on the ground to the extent I did not consider or look for arriving aircraft. I was thinking ahead about downwind departure and getting out before the other guy and not paying close attention to the immediate situation; clearing my area and ensuring no other planes landing. Thankfully; no accident occurred; no damage was done and no one was hurt. I learned a very important lesson today and will be more careful to complete checklist and take my time to ensure I have checked for traffic in all directions before I move onto a runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENTERING THE RWY FOR TKOF; PLT OF M20 HAS CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH LNDG TWIN AFTER HE TRANSMITS HIS INTENTIONS ON THE WRONG CTAF FREQUENCY.

Narrative: AS OPERATOR OF MOONEY I TAXIED OUT TO DEP END OF RWY 32 AT STS TO USE RWY 32 SINCE WIND WAS 010 DEGS/11 KTS. I HAD NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT TAXIING TO RWY 14 AND WAS CONCERNED THAT ACFT WOULD BE TAKING OFF OPPOSITE MY DIRECTION. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS OVER RADIO TO TAXI RWY 32 AND I HEARD NO RESPONSES. WHILE TAXIING TO DEP END OF RWY 32; I DID NOT CHK CAREFULLY FOR ANY ACFT ARRIVING RWY 32 AND DID NOT NOTICE A TWIN ENG ACFT WAS ON FINAL APCH. INSTEAD I WAS FOCUSING ALL MY ATTN ON THE POS AND ACTIVITY OF THE ACFT AT THE RWY 14 END OF RWYS 14/32. I QUICKLY COMPLETED MY PRETKOF CHKLIST; CHKED THAT THE OTHER ACFT AT RWY 14 WAS NOT ON THE RWY AND THEN ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION TO DEPART RWY 32. I LATER DISCOVERED (AFTER THE INCIDENT) THAT MY RADIO WAS SET TO 121.9 (NORMAL GND FREQ AT STS) AND NOT TO THE CORRECT CTAF OF 118.5. AT THIS POINT; I STARTED TO ACCELERATE ONTO THE DEP END OF RWY 32 INTENDING TO KEEP ROLLING ONTO MAIN PART OF RWY FOR MY TKOF. I FAILED (AGAIN) TO CHK FOR ACFT ARRIVING AT RWY 32 AND AS I ACCELERATED FROM SIDE OF RWY I SUDDENLY SAW THE KING AIR TWIN TOUCHING DOWN TO MY L AND IN FRONT OF ME. THE PLT OF THAT ACFT HAD HAD NO TIME TO REACT TO MY SUDDEN MOVE ON TO THE RWY; AND HAD NOT HEARD ME BECAUSE I WAS BROADCASTING ON THE WRONG FREQ ANYWAY. I VEERED SHARPLY TO THE R SIDE OF THIS 150 FT WIDE RWY AND WENT RIGHT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY ONTO TXWY Z WHICH IS ABOUT 200 FT FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 32. HOWEVER; IT WAS THE PLT OF THE KING AIR TWIN WHO MANAGED TO AVOID ME BY WHERE HE TOUCHED DOWN (ON THE CTRLINE); BEYOND WHERE I HAD COME ON TO THE RWY. AS I REVIEWED WHAT HAD HAPPENED I DISCOVERED THAT MY RADIO WAS NOT ON CTAF 118.5; WHICH IS ANOTHER REASON I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE ARRIVING ACFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS NEAR ACCIDENT WERE MY FAILURE TO CHK AND RECHK FOR ACFT ARRIVING THE SAME RWY I WAS USING. I DID NOT CHK MY COM RADIO CAREFULLY ENOUGH. I SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST TALKED WITH THE OTHER AIRPLANE ON THE GND TO VERIFY PROPER OP OF MY RADIO. I WAS IN TOO MUCH OF A HURRY TO COMPLETE MY CHKLIST AND GET ON MY WAY AND THEREFORE INADVERTENTLY SKIPPED SOME KEY CHKLIST ITEMS (LOOK FOR TFC; CHK RADIOS). I WAS FIXATED ON THE OTHER ACFT ON THE GND TO THE EXTENT I DID NOT CONSIDER OR LOOK FOR ARRIVING ACFT. I WAS THINKING AHEAD ABOUT DOWNWIND DEP AND GETTING OUT BEFORE THE OTHER GUY AND NOT PAYING CLOSE ATTN TO THE IMMEDIATE SIT; CLRING MY AREA AND ENSURING NO OTHER PLANES LNDG. THANKFULLY; NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED; NO DAMAGE WAS DONE AND NO ONE WAS HURT. I LEARNED A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON TODAY AND WILL BE MORE CAREFUL TO COMPLETE CHKLIST AND TAKE MY TIME TO ENSURE I HAVE CHKED FOR TFC IN ALL DIRECTIONS BEFORE I MOVE ONTO A RWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.