This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
I was on the RNAV 5 approach into Moore County Airport (KSOP) in North Carolina. Announced my position at 10, 5 and 3 miles.
Aircraft Y called on UNICOM, taxiing from the ramp to Runway 5.
I told Aircraft Y I was on a 2 mile final full stop. Aircraft Y approached the hold short line for Runway 5 and I told Aircraft Y I was on short final.
Aircraft Y did not stop, said “We’ll hustle,” and proceeded to take off.
I had full flaps and gear down, stabilized at 105 kts so I was too low and slow to do a steep turn. Also I didn’t know if Aircraft Y would go straight out, turn right or turn left on take off.
Ordinarily, I would have performed a go-around in this situation straight ahead to sidestepped to the right but I didn’t know where this jackass was going to go.
I reduced power to idle, pulled up into a near stall to slow down and used the rapidly increasing sink rate to land as short as I could. I touched down around the time Aircraft Y rotated.
Sure enough Aircraft Y climbed straight briefly then turned right, right where I would have been if I had gone around straight ahead or to the right side of the runway.
Aircraft Y belongs to a fractional according to FlightAware and was on a nonstop flight from KSOP.
The Aircraft Y cowboys seem to think this kind of behavior is normal and acceptable. It isn’t. Landing or taking off into opposing traffic, overtaking and passing on downwind, using non-standard procedures at a one runway non-towered airport, cutting off traffic on final all have been all too frequent at KSOP.
Someone is going to get killed if this doesn’t stop.
Primary Problem: Airport
ACN: 1922679
Just curious, “ I had full flaps and gear down, stabilized at 105 kts” . What aircraft were you flying? Certainly seems fast for a SEL. When this happens to me I generally hold my speed may increase some if possible until my propeller is chewing at the rudder to make sure they get the hint.
I have instructed for years and have seen every bone head situation that pilots cause each other. It is always the moron who thinks he is special and screw everyone else.
The Y aircraft is wrong and i could only imagine how he operates his aircraft.
This is the reason the FAA came out with it risk management program. DPEs are required to grill new applicants on how to get killed and knowing the risks that there are in aviation. The FAA program was designed IMO to expose macho pilots that cause accidents. The Y pilot in this example was so wrong to cut off this aircraft that he deserves to have his Certificate suspended for reckless flying and be reevaluated by FAA.
Had an accident occurred he would be held responsible .>>>>
What I see here (in the words of Paul Newman) is a failure to communicate. Position reports are not communication. They let others know where you think you are (not where you really are). There was no negotiation as to who will do what and when (just assumptions). This is an uncontrolled airport so its up to pilots to figure things out not ASS U ME.
Trivia Question:
According to 14 CFR Part 91.113 Right-of-Way Rules: Except Water Operations.
When does an aircraft (any category) that’s preparing to takeoff (including taxiing out, holding short, on the runway, already rolling…), from any airport, have the right-of-way over ANYBODY else? (Answer below.)
Some very interesting, wide-ranging opinions and perspectives on this event, and a couple other recent GA News “landing” scenarios. Some are in earnest; some are in jest…some are entertaining. Some are informed, and a couple others are just a “WAG”.
I sure hope any student pilots reading these will know the difference.
Answer: Never.
Several wrong or mistaken comments here. Most importantly, the FAA WILL investigate dangerous flying at non-towered airports—but they need the information, and that means it has to be reported in detail. That is one of the functions of Inspectors. But they’re not going to sit there all day, waiting for something to happen.
I don’t know what the reporting pilot was flying, but being prepared to go around is part of being a good pilot. Whether pilot Y was in the wrong or not is hard to tell from the rather angry way the reporting pilot wrote his narrative. I can think of several times over the last 5 decades in which a pilot pulled out in front of me. A couple times that required a go around. The other times the “offending pilot” got out of the way soon enough that I could still land. In some cases I was flying at 172 speeds; in others I was on a stabilized instrument approach at 105 knots in a high performance single.
Incidentally, that the reporting pilot may have been on an instrument flight plan does NOT give him the right of way over departing VFR traffic. He may have had the right of way because of being on short final—but then, 2 miles isn’t necessarily short final—too many variables to say so definitively.
I don’t see the problem. You were on a 2 mile final and communicating with Y. That’s a big key, communicating so both pilots understand what each is doing. Y did an immediate takeoff so once he rolled he is basically out of your way. If he aborted then you perform a go-around and watch his flight path to avoid Y. One should always be prepared to go-around. I’ve been instructing for 45 years and have witness this same scenario many times. Again, communicating is the key so the pilots know each other’s plan and intentions.
I assume that the weather VFR. If not then aircraft Y was illegal. If it was VFR the 105 kt aircraft should have been watching and see the aircraft on the runway and make a decision early enough to avoid aircraft Y.
The original poster needs some additional training in whatever aircraft he is flying. He also could benefit from some ground instruction in making rational decisions.
105kts on final. Contemplating a steep turn. Reduced power to idle and pulled up into a near stall. Yes – his own flying skills appear to be less than desirable. Was his judgement of the circumstances really reasonable?
It’s You, Mr. Mike, with that comment that are a (big) mole hill of wrongfully and inconsideration, because those words encourage jerks to do what could lead to a great disaster.
Aircraft Y is wrong and inconsiderate. Non towered fields all over the country have these problems and the FAA looks the other way because they can not do anything unless there is an accident.
The accident rate around non-towered airports is high and getting higher.
The FAA keeps records of runway incursions at towered fields. They are classified as A,B,and C. A is the most serious and it means an accident did not happen but is as close as it come. Every year the FAA has 300+ A runway incursion at the 300 towered fields around the country. JFK just had one where two airliner missed each other by 1000 feet. Both were fully loaded and 600 people could have died.
This non-towered incident here would be an A runway incursion. Unfortunately the FAA keeps no records of these incursion primarily because they are just not reported. If I had to give an educated guess as to how many incursion there would be at non-towered fields, it would be in the thousands around the country.
We have to do better and FAA only reacts when there is an accident…………….!
Sounds to me you’re making a mountain out of a mole hill.
2 mile final and your doing 105 knots full flaps, worried about a turn?
What are you flying?
Then you over react “Pull up into a near stall”.
The other pilot decided to depart before you, he expedited and got out of your way.
Get over it.
It was not a near death experience.
Work on your own skills.
In a perfect world departing traffic would have waited for your arrival!
I disagree. Aircraft Y seems like the same jerk that cuts you off in traffic because he can. They are rude and impatient, and get away with it on the roadways. In the air they are likely to get someone hurt. How hard would it have been to simply let the aircraft land, then get going?
It doesn’t have to be a “near death experience” to be dangerous. What if the departing aircraft had to abort his takeoff? Everything is fine until it isn’t.
You are obviously an Aircraft Y cowboy and part of the problem.
Exactly. Aircraft Y is WRONG.
I also disagree. I flew Complex Hiperf aircraft, six place single engine. You can’t fly these at C172 speeds, or Piper Cherokee 4 place speeds. Depending on the plane Vr is 70 to 85 Kts. So two miles out you may be configured for landing with 2 notches of flaps and gear down (stabilized approach). At 1/4 to 1/2 mile out you may be going to full flaps (non-gusting winds), and your target speed for crossing the threshold may be 100 KIAS — with gusting it may be a bit higher. You are decelerating to be at the 500′ blocks at about your Vr speed which typically gives you a smooth non-bouncy landing. At these speeds you do not want to have to make a turn with more than 10 degrees or so of bank. Too slow and too low.
If you see a plane that is going to get on the runway, you need to advance the power smoothly to get that engine to 100% and then start taking the appropriate evasive actions.
I disagree. This person was ready to land and some guy comes along and says, ‘I’m gonna take off’? No! He needs to WAIT HIS TURN. This is the definition of impatient and it is a big deal.
Can’t agree more. These kind of behaviour are so dangerous. By chance you seems to be a long time pilot, I can’t think what could have happened to a young pilot doing his first solo.
This should be reported to the Airport.