C182 pilot departing a non-towered airport reported they entered the runway to depart causing an aircraft on short final to go-around.

Date: 2025-07 · Aircraft: Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG · Phase: takeoff

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|critical

Synopsis

C182 pilot departing a non-towered airport reported they entered the runway to depart causing an aircraft on short final to go-around.

Narrative

I was on the ground preparing to depart ZZZ runway XX and was monitoring the CTAF. An inbound aircraft called downwind for XX; which normally would leave ample time to take the runway and depart ahead of the landing aircraft. I was positioned at the hold short line for XX facing west. Runway XX at ZZZ is a right hand traffic pattern; so I scanned the downwind leg; which was directly in front of me. I did not see the inbound aircraft; so I assumed it was still some distance from the airport and/or obscured by the haze. I released brakes and started to roll forward while keying the mic to announce my departure. Simultaneously; the inbound aircraft called base turn. At this point I had entered the runway environment and felt it was safest to continue the departure without delay. The inbound aircraft had already turned final and was forced to execute a go-around to avoid the conflict. After departing; I made a right turn out in accordance with the right hand pattern and then observed the traffic which had gone around making a left hand pattern to return to land. It appeared to be a crop dusting aircraft flying very low and fast in a left hand pattern for XX.Contributing factors: 1) Being on the ground in a high wing airplane; it is difficult or impossible to see traffic behind or above to the left or right. With the inbound aircraft in a left hand pattern; it was in blind spots for its entire approach.2) Inbound aircraft flying non-standard pattern: Making left traffic in a right hand pattern; well below pattern altitude; and at high speed.Lessons learned:1) When I was unable to visually locate the inbound traffic; I should have better identified the position of the traffic before committing to the runway. For example; I could have asked the inbound traffic to announce their distance from the runway. Or I could have repositioned facing more northward on the taxiway in order to better see both sides of the approach end of the runway.Recommendations:1) Education outreach to GA pilots for awareness of crop dusting activities and non-standard approach and landing that crop dusting aircraft may use. I estimate from the time the crop duster called downwind until the go-around was 10 seconds. This is completely outside of anything most GA pilots have experienced or would expect.2) Education outreach to crop dusting pilots that non-standard patterns may be unexpected to GA pilots.3) Issue NOTAM when crop dusting activity is occurring at an airport; indicating that crop dusting aircraft may approach the airport in a non-standard pattern; low and at high speed.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.