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.
After landing at Devils Lake Regional Airport (KDVL) in North Dakota, we taxied off at A4 and took A back to Runway 13. We checked that final and approach path were clear, made a radio call to CTAF we were entering the runway, and started to roll onto the runway practicing a soft-field takeoff.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a crop duster enter the middle of the runway and start to takeoff in the opposite direction on Runway 31 without making any radio calls.
In an effort to quickly get off the runway I took controls from the student and tried to flip the airplane back around and exit at A5. The radius of turn was too large and we cut the corner of the grass to get off.
The crop duster apologized that he had not seen us and asked us if we were on CTAF. I said yes and we announced entering and taking off Runway 13.
I had to turn around on the runway very quickly and get off as quick as I could to avoid a mid-air accident with a crop duster who took off from the middle of the field, without making radio calls, on a runway that the prevailing winds did not align with.
Thankfully, this resulted in an outcome where nobody was seriously injured and only a little shaken up.
Cause: I think the crop duster having a lack of situational awareness and a lack of respect for other aircraft in the vicinity operating is what truly caused this event.
On my end I could have scanned for traffic a bit better earlier because I would not have entered the runway knowing his intentions.
Suggestions: If the crop duster and I both had better situational awareness of surroundings.
Also, if crop duster followed runway with prevailing winds.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2165592
When you click on the link it will take you to the ASRS Online Database. Click on Report Number and put the ACN in the search box, then click Search. On that page, click on “view only the 1 most recent report.”
I’m surprised crop dusters don’t cause more fatal accidents, They do pretty much what they want to do, regardless of the traffic and citations, going on at the time on the runway. Where I used to be based the local crop duster caused a lot of problems and never once apporligised to anyone for his wrong doing. If it hadn’t been for the expert response of the other pilots involved, there would of been more mishaps. It appears crop dusters have a mental attitude that every one else needs to heed to these people regardless of the facts and they don’t seem to give a damn..
So tired of crying flight instructors acting like the airport is theirs. Just because you talk on the radio doesn’t mean you’re good to go! There is nothing that says you can’t do an intersection takeoff! Uncontrolled airport is just that, so you need to be more alert.
Assume nothing if you want to live!
Till there is an FAR stating that you must have a Radio and use it and cannot take off from an intersection only then will you be 100% right?
Excellent article that addresses responsibilities, qualifications, and most importantly, the worst aspect of aviation: an accident.
I know many instructors who are both certified and unqualified. Positive feedback on controls in tandem aircraft is especially vital. Tailwheel aircraft deserve a special chapter, in times when they are scarce and in times when there are instructors who have never landed on a grass runway.
Thanks for the article, greetings from Uruguay.
Not enough information provided here, what we are getting is a very biased one-sided story. Without more information, we don’t know if the crop duster radio was having issues or if the cropduster even tried to use the radio. What I do know from the information given, the instructor of the reporting aircraft showed complacency and negligence in front of a student. Having this attitude that I made my radio calls so everything is good to go. Only checking traffic on final for the runway that I intend to use, not considering others may be using different runways.
Too much talking on the radio, not enough flying the damn airplane.
He states he was rolling on the runway before the duster entered at midfield. Get it, midfield. And it appears the duster continued his takeoff. So exactly who was negligent and complacent? I have landed at such fields. There is often very little traffic and I have watched them do whatever is convenient.
Sounds like Mr. Cropduster flies at that airport all the time and it is “his”. He doesn’t need to make radio calls or listen to them.