By Robert N. Rossier, EAA 472091
This piece originally ran in Robert’s Stick and Rudder column in the April 2024 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
The instructor where I first took flying lessons more than four decades ago was a stickler when it came to preparing for takeoff. The rule was to turn the aircraft a full 360 degrees and check visually for traffic before taxiing onto the runway for takeoff.
The small, nontowered airport in south central Massachusetts had both a paved runway of something more than 2,000 feet in length, along with a parallel grass strip beside it. Not all aircraft operating at that airport were radio equipped, so the only way to be sure who was in the pattern was to take a good look. Even then, it wasn’t always clear if an airplane was lining up for the pavement or the grass. The 360-degree maneuver took less than 30 seconds and was a good insurance policy against potential runway incursions and collisions.
Things at my current home airport — and likely many other nontowered airports across the country — are a bit different. While we can’t be sure all aircraft at a nontowered airport are using a radio, the 360-degree maneuver on the ground isn’t always a sure bet either.
For example, lining up on one runway for departure doesn’t mean we can see an airplane on short final to a crossing runway. Even if we know we can be off the ground well before the intersection, we could find ourselves painted into a deep corner should an aircraft be making a go-around on the crossing runway as we make our departure. It’s a scenario we should well consider before pushing that throttle forward.
Other scenarios can also set us up for a potential midair collision. A pilot unknowingly or unwittingly on the wrong frequency can easily lose (or never achieve) situation awareness. A distraction in the cockpit can cause a pilot to miss an important radio call. Misunderstandings about a pilot’s intention can easily occur when pilots are engaged in differing activities (training, VFR versus IFR operations, crosswind practice, etc.), and this can result in others taking actions we had not anticipated.
A scenario arose last summer that reminded me of how precarious our decision-making can be when departing or arriving at a nontowered airport — even when all involved have and use radios. I was taxiing on the Foxtrot taxiway for departure on Runway 32 at Westerly State Airport (KWST) in Rhode Island when another aircraft, a Cessna Centurion, was just completing its run-up at the end of the taxiway and was about ready to taxi into position for takeoff.
Moments before, I had heard another pilot report turning a left base for Runway 32. I guessed that the Centurion pilot had heard the report and would wait for the other airplane to land before taxiing into position. Apparently, my “guess” was completely wrong.
The problem is that a stand of tall trees near the approach end of 32 makes it impossible to see airplanes on base or final from the end of the taxiway. Because of an adjacent noise sensitive area, a sign is posted near midfield on the taxiway instructing pilots to perform their run-up there, rather than at the end of the taxiway. As it turns out, this practice also puts aircraft completing their run-up in a better position to see (and then to hear) aircraft in the pattern.
For some reason, the Centurion had chosen to complete his run-up at the end of the taxiway where the base and final blind spot exists. It just may have been that due to the noise and focus on his run-up, the Centurion pilot missed the arriving aircraft’s call on base and had no idea it was there.
Perhaps the Centurion pilot even looked out toward final before taxiing but couldn’t see the approaching low-wing airplane due to the trees. In any case, he taxied out and lined up on Runway 32, squarely in line with the landing approach for the arriving aircraft. With a 750-foot displaced threshold, the Centurion departing 32 would likely be airborne in the landing zone for the inbound aircraft.
Nearly 20 years ago, two friends of mine were killed at that exact same location under similar circumstances. My friends were in a Cessna 185 taildragger, in which one was getting tailwheel instruction. The aircraft on final was a low-wing Piper piloted by a newly minted private pilot carrying two passengers. It’s unclear what went wrong with communications, but neither pilot saw the other aircraft.
The Cessna was departing as the Piper pilot made his final descent to touchdown. He didn’t see the Cessna just below him, and as he descended, his propeller sliced the tail off the Cessna, which subsequently nose-dived and crashed, killing the two onboard.
To me, it looked like history was about to repeat itself and both pilots were in grave danger. I was about to click my mic button and holler for the aircraft on final to go around when he made an abrupt side-step maneuver and initiated a go-around. Nobody was injured, but it drove me to reflect on the many ways we can find ourselves in a low-level scenario when life and death are separated only by feet, microseconds, and quick reflexes. We all can do well to reflect on some of the tactics we might employ to avoid just such a scenario.
Position Reports — The first tactic is to make and listen for position reports from pilots in the pattern. When appropriate, multiple reports may be helpful to ensure others hear the message. But just because we make a position report in the pattern, we should never assume that everyone got the message. Instead, we should keep an eye on the ground and in the air to see who might be doing what.
360 Maneuver — Making a 360-degree maneuver on the ground to check the entire pattern for traffic is one way to improve situational awareness. However, not all airport environments provide an unrestricted view of the entire pattern from where we’re located.
Heads-up and Ready — We should strive to be aware of others in the pattern, but always expect the unexpected and anticipate the need to deal with emergencies. We should be well-rehearsed in performing side-step maneuvers, initiating go-arounds, and aborting takeoffs. A little practice can go a long way when it comes to successfully implementing these infrequently used skills.
Use ADS-B — Collision avoidance relies primarily on the see-and-avoid edict. However, an issue arises when we can’t see due to obstructions and terrain. The ADS-B technology can help us get a look at what is in the pattern, even if we can’t see it visually. If we have it, we should use it. If not, it might be a technology worthy of investment.
Speak Up — The old adage “If you see something, say something” applies to the goings-on in the traffic pattern. We never know when a pilot (or two) might have missed a communication or stepped on one another’s transmission. We can save a lot of potential misery if we speak up when a situation appears to be running awry for a fellow pilot.
Regardless of any other tactics we might employ to avoid potential conflicts in the pattern, we should always take a moment for one last look before taxiing onto the runway and pushing the throttle forward. We just never know what we might have missed.
Robert N. Rossier, EAA 472091, has been flying for more than 40 years and has worked as a flight instructor, commercial pilot, chief pilot, and FAA flight check airman.