A general aviation pilot landing at a non-towered airport reported they exited the runway just before a regional airliner landed opposite direction.

Date: 2025-12 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft · Phase: landing

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

A general aviation pilot landing at a non-towered airport reported they exited the runway just before a regional airliner landed opposite direction.

Narrative

I took my aircraft out for a local flight around the Gunnison Valley on Day 0. Returning back to GUC to conclude my flight; I made my first radio call on the CTAF frequency; Aircraft X 10 miles north of the airport; inbound for Runway 06. Shortly after this call I hear an airline pilot call in; Aircraft Y 20 miles east of the airport in bound for Runway 24. I mentally note that we are landing against each other. I had selected Runway 06 because the winds were out of the south east. Landing Runway 24 would give me a cross tailwind. As I get closer to the airport I make another radio call; Aircraft X 2 miles north of the airport in bound for the downwind Runway 06. At this point someone on the radio on the ground radioes me back to confirm that I have heard the airline pilot. I confirm; and respond that I should be ahead of him by about a minute or 2. I enter the pattern and make appropriate radio calls for downwind; base and final legs. As I turn final I can see the jet's lights beyond the opposite end of the runway and I realize he is a lot closer than I thought. Configured for landing; I have to decide if I should continue my descent and landing; or go around. I judge that I have time to land. I land the plane; and on my rollout the airline pilot radioes; Gunnison traffic confirm you are clear of the active. I am approaching my taxiway turnoff; and wait until I have made the taxiway to respond; Gunnison traffic Aircraft X clear of the active. In hindsight; I should have gone around when I turned final and saw how close the jet was. This was my first experience flying with jets in the vicinity; and I underestimated how fast they are moving; and how much time I had. I do not know exactly how soon after I made the taxiway that the jet was wheels down on the runway; but it was closer than anybody would like.

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