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.
A plane pulled on to Runway 34 at Orcas Island Airport (KORS) in Eastsound, Washington, in spite of the fact that I was on very short final (approximately 400 feet AGL) and had been making radio calls, and should have been completely visible.
I executed a go-around and landed safely later.
However, I believe my own radio calls contributed to the confusion as I incorrectly addressed my radio calls to “Eastsound traffic” rather than “Orcas traffic.”
I write this report because I believe I’m not the only pilot who has made this mistake at this airport, it seems to be the norm here, and I think that’s contributing to confusion for folks from out of town who read the chart.
My understanding is that the airport was renamed some years ago but the old name has unfortunately stuck.
One thing that might mitigate this confusion at similar airports is if the ASOS contained a remark reminding pilots to use the correct name until the correct vernacular caught on.
I’m going to try to use the correct vernacular and break that habit of using the wrong name.
I want to stress that almost every local pilot misnames the airport and this is not great.
I also think the departing pilot should have cleared the runway visually before departing.
And I could have perhaps been more proactive and emphatic reacting to his radio calls because I thankfully did hear and understand that he was entering the runway I was preparing to land on.
While not a substitute for visually clearing the runway, I believe if the departing aircraft utilized 1090ES ADS-B In, they would have been able to receive my ADSB-Out transmissions and this might have helped with situational awareness.
Primary Problem: Procedure
ACN: 2010411
I was ferrying a 1946 Fleet Canuck from Vancouver to Toronto and landing at KIWD in Michigan for gas. Winds were calm so I set up for 09 which I thought would give minimum taxi time to and from the pumps then send me off in the direction I was going.
The CTAF was 122.8 so multiple airports on frequency. I called left downwind for 09 Gogebic. I heard another aircraft call left downwind for 27 Ironwood. We both called final around the same time. Then I saw him opposite direction for the same runway!
An airport near has recently been renamed Moorhead Municipal/Florence Klingensmith Field. That is a lot to include on an announcement on CTAF. I would be from base to final by the time I got the first announcement out. There is only one Moorhead in the area.
Point well taken. Since the town name is still part of the airport name, a callout to “Moorhead Traffic” would be unambiguous.
When I fly to Thermal, I sometimes call it Johnny Cochran. Why do they change the name in the first place?
KTRM is named after a pioneering female aviator who was a resident of the Coachella Valley.
Pretty chronic practice up here in the PNW, as I’m sure it is across the country. I’m glad someone finally highlighted it!
Besides the already-mentioned common runway alignments and single CTAF used throughout the San Juan’s…ORS is identified as “Orcas Island” on the Seattle Sectional, but it’s also still identified as one of the “flagged” VFR-reporting points as “Eastsound”. Kinda silly?
Of course, the default option is to always just repeat what is broadcast
on ASOS/AWOS…
I absolutely agree that “old habits die hard”, especially when the airport name is different than the nearest town…and folks just start using the one that’s easier to remember &/or makes the most sense. Even I’ll admit that “Toledo traffic…”, is way simpler than “Ed Carlson Memorial traffic…”.
OTOH; straight from AC 90-66C, Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations:
Pilots should only use the correct airport name, as identified in appropriate aeronautical publications, when self-announcing or exchanging traffic information to reduce the risk of confusion. For example, when landing at Midwest National Airport (KGPH), state, “Midwest National Traffic” as stated on the VFR aeronautical chart and as found in the Airport’s Supplemental Chart information. Do not use the town’s name “Mosby Traffic” or “Clay County Traffic.”
In your excellent example at Toledo, I think that shortening the full airport name to “Carlson Memorial” would be sufficient.
Same thing goes for “Bayview” airport at Mt. Vernon.
Exact same naming problem during CTAF use at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport near the Thermal VOR: “Cochran Traffic” vs. “Thermal Traffic”. Sooner or later this will ‘catch someone out’.
Interesting (and of course highly relevant) that this ASRS report includes the name of the airport and runway number. I wish that ASRS reports didn’t routinely scrub this info.
There are way too many pilots who don’t even use the radio to announce their intentions at uncontrolled fields. Using eyeballs to check incoming traffic before entering a runway is imperative! It’s not that much different than “defensive driving”!
I have always been an advocate of doing a 360 degree clearing turn before taking the runway at a non-towered airport…
I am a local (puget sound area) pilot–
besides the dual Orcas / Eastsound name thing,
all the airports in the San Juan Islands use that same frequency (128.25).
The fact that the three most active ones all have the same runway numbers (16 / 34)
can also contribute to mis-hearing radio calls.
Agree with PD and would also add that I’m not sure if ADSB would help here for the departing traffic if they had ADSB.
My MX-20 displays traffic but auto-zooms in to 1/4 mile for taxi/airport movement. I often don’t see aircraft on short final on that display. My iPad (foreflight) is often also zoomed in for taxi charts so it’s also not displaying traffic beyond the end of the runway.
I have changed my usage to include zooming out to view traffic in the area but mostly rely on visual scanning the pattern before departing (and utilizing the radio).
Hmmm… I think concluding that the departing traffic was listening to the radio and ignored the OP’s radio call because he stated “Eastsound” rather than “Orcas” is a false conclusion.
I’ve flown into Eastsound/Orcas many times and have heard both names used. The Orcas runway is up against a large hill/small-mountain on one side so is shielded against many radio calls from many aircraft except those on short final (or perhaps at easily recognizable Friday Harbor or maybe another couple lightly used island airports to the South with distinctive names – e.g Lopez).
I’m certain if I were on the ground I would not only hear a radio call from an aircraft on base or short final, but it would be one of the only aircraft I would hear.
So I would certainly pay attention and look and definitely wait until I was sure all other traffic was clear.
I have flown into Orcas a number of times and still go several times a year. In fact, I was there just last week. I had always used “Eastsound” because that is what I heard the locals doing. It was pointed out to me that “Orcas” was more correct. What I have heard from a lot of people lately is “Orcas Eastsound”. I suppose that covers both groups.