General aviation pilot reported a runway incursion which resulted in a traffic conflict with a landing aircraft at DRO; a non-towered airport. Reporter suggested a control tower is needed due to high traffic volume.
Synopsis
General aviation pilot reported a runway incursion which resulted in a traffic conflict with a landing aircraft at DRO; a non-towered airport. Reporter suggested a control tower is needed due to high traffic volume.
Narrative
I was waiting behind the hold short line of runway 21 for clearance from Denver center with multiple aircraft in line behind me and multiple aircraft inbound. These included airline operations. I heard a downwind transmission from a VFR aircraft which apparently had no ADSB. The situation was tense and confusing. Since DRO is non towered; IFR aircraft must switch back and forth between the Denver center freq and CTAF in order to make appropriate calls and try to maintain situational awareness. I had just received clearance from Denver center and was instructed to call back once airborne. I flipped back to CTAF and heard the VFR traffic announce base. I still could not ID him on ADSB and had no visual contact. I felt immense pressure to depart since I had already been given clearance and had multiple aircraft waiting behind me. I assumed the VFR traffic was making a wide base. I should not have assumed that. As I crossed the hold short line; the pilot of the aircraft behind me warned me on CTAF to stop. As I stopped I saw the VFR aircraft appear out of my blind spot. He was making a very short approach and slipping aggressively to the runway. I switched back to the Denver center frequency and told them that I had to stop for VFR landing traffic and that I had crossed the hold short line but I did not believe I was too close to the landing runway for the airliner on final. It's been several days now and I cannot remember if they let me go before the airliner or after. I should not have succumbed to the pressure of trying to depart quickly and I will not allow that to happen again. I do believe that DRO is in desperate need of a control tower. It can be very busy at times are there are a lot of mixed private and airline operations.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.