A pilot was crossing an active runway at szp when he observed another aircraft on takeoff roll appro...

Attributes
ACN	812772
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : szp.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft Low Wing 1 Eng Retractable Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	812772
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 100 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I left the fuel pumps and announced crossing the runway. I looked for aircraft in both directions as the wind supported changing runways. I saw nothing and proceeded across at near mid-field of the 2300 ft runway. A single engine aircraft was taking off and I didn't see the aircraft until it was nearly 200 ft from me. I applied brakes and moved to parallel the runway near the center. The departing aircraft moved to the right onto a joining paved taxiway to prevent a collision. After the near miss; I asked the departing aircraft if he was on my frequency. No answer. I checked the operating frequency that I was on and I was on the correct frequency. I heard no departing aircraft; but I also thought that I had visually cleared the runway. I would like to humbly apologize for creating this situation. The departing aircraft was dark in color and I was looking at the takeoff end with a dirt hilled backgnd. I cleared the sky but missed the departing aircraft. I was also not doublechking; triplechking for any aircraft departing. I will attempt to find the pilot of the departing aircraft and express my apologies. At this airport; I will not cross the runway at midfield. I will proceed to the end of the runway before crossing. Another factor may have been the busy traffic on a wkend and I had been mostly flying during the week to avoid those busy days. I was not giving the traffic the attention it deserved. No excuses; I made the serious mistake.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PILOT WAS CROSSING AN ACTIVE RUNWAY AT SZP WHEN HE OBSERVED ANOTHER AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF ROLL APPROACHING HIM. THEY PASSED WITHIN 100 FT OF EACH OTHER AS BOTH TOOK EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: I LEFT THE FUEL PUMPS AND ANNOUNCED XING THE RWY. I LOOKED FOR ACFT IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AS THE WIND SUPPORTED CHANGING RWYS. I SAW NOTHING AND PROCEEDED ACROSS AT NEAR MID-FIELD OF THE 2300 FT RWY. A SINGLE ENG ACFT WAS TAKING OFF AND I DIDN'T SEE THE ACFT UNTIL IT WAS NEARLY 200 FT FROM ME. I APPLIED BRAKES AND MOVED TO PARALLEL THE RWY NEAR THE CENTER. THE DEPARTING ACFT MOVED TO THE R ONTO A JOINING PAVED TXWY TO PREVENT A COLLISION. AFTER THE NEAR MISS; I ASKED THE DEPARTING ACFT IF HE WAS ON MY FREQ. NO ANSWER. I CHKED THE OPERATING FREQ THAT I WAS ON AND I WAS ON THE CORRECT FREQ. I HEARD NO DEPARTING ACFT; BUT I ALSO THOUGHT THAT I HAD VISUALLY CLRED THE RWY. I WOULD LIKE TO HUMBLY APOLOGIZE FOR CREATING THIS SITUATION. THE DEPARTING ACFT WAS DARK IN COLOR AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE TKOF END WITH A DIRT HILLED BACKGND. I CLRED THE SKY BUT MISSED THE DEPARTING ACFT. I WAS ALSO NOT DOUBLECHKING; TRIPLECHKING FOR ANY ACFT DEPARTING. I WILL ATTEMPT TO FIND THE PLT OF THE DEPARTING ACFT AND EXPRESS MY APOLOGIES. AT THIS ARPT; I WILL NOT CROSS THE RWY AT MIDFIELD. I WILL PROCEED TO THE END OF THE RWY BEFORE XING. ANOTHER FACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN THE BUSY TFC ON A WKEND AND I HAD BEEN MOSTLY FLYING DURING THE WEEK TO AVOID THOSE BUSY DAYS. I WAS NOT GIVING THE TFC THE ATTN IT DESERVED. NO EXCUSES; I MADE THE SERIOUS MISTAKE.

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.

A pilot was crossing an active runway at szp when he observed another aircraft on takeoff roll approaching him. They passed within 100 ft of each other as both took evasive action.