PLT JUDGEMENT OF TFC SPACING -- PLT QUICKLY TAKES OFF WHEN HE REALIZES THAT THE ACFT ON THE FINAL APCH IS MUCH CLOSER THAN HE HAD ORIGINALLY THOUGHT.

Narrative

ON AUG/WED/95 I STOPPED AT KARL STEPHAN MEMORIAL ARPT IN NORFOLK NEBRASKA; TO GET GAS FOR A VFR FLT. AFTER COMPLETING A RUNUP I MONITORED THE UNICOM FREQ. I HEARD SEVERAL ACFT ON THE FREQ AND WAS LISTING FOR 'STAFAN TFC.' I DID NOT HEAR ANY TFC FOR THE ARPT BUT I DID HEAR AN ACFT CALL A 5 MI FINAL FOR A STRAIGHT IN FOR 'NORFOLK.' I LOOKED AT THE TFC PATTERN AND DID NOT SEE ANYONE IN THE NORMAL VFR PATTERN. I DID SEE AN ACFT ON A LONG STRAIGHT IN FINAL (3-5 MI WOULD BE MY ESTIMATE) BECAUSE I COULD ONLY SEE THE LNDG LIGHTS. I TOOK THE RWY FOR AN IMMEDIATE ROLLING TKOF AND THEN I HEARD A PLT SAY THAT HE WAS ON A 1 MI FINAL AT NORFOLK. IT WAS AT THAT TIME I CONNECTED THE 2 NAMES TOGETHER. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD HIM IN SIGHT AND CONTINUED THE TKOF. IF I ABORTED I FELT THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CLR THE RWY FOR HIM TO LAND. AS SOON AS I WAS SAFELY AIRBORNE; I MANEUVERED TO BE CLR OF THE RWY SO THAT THE ACFT COULD LAND. I THEN TURNED XWIND AND IT WAS AT THIS POINT THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN SAFELY ON THE RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE PLT MAY HAVE BEEN VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE LCL AREA. I WAS NOT. I USE THE NAME OF THE FIELD THAT IS PRINTED ON SECTIONAL TO LISTEN FOR UNICOM TFC. USING THE NAME OF THE CITY THAT THE ARPT IS CLOSE TO IS NOT A GOOD IDEA; ESPECIALLY FOR TRANSIENT ACFT WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE LCL AREA AND WHEN THE NAME OF THE ARPT IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE NAME OF THE TOWN OR CITY. THE ACFT MAY HAVE BEEN A FAST MOVER; I AM NOT SURE; AT THIS POINT. AN ACFT ON A 5 MI FINAL WILL NORMALLY TAKE 3-4 MINS TO LAND. UNLESS HE IDENTED HIMSELF AS A FAST MOVING ACFT. LEAR JET OR SUPER KING AIR ETC. I AM NOT SURE THAT THE ACFT WAS EVEN GIVING ACCURATE POS RPTS. HOW DID HE DETERMINE HOW FAR FROM THE ARPT HE WAS? THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF NOT FOLLOWING THE VFR TFC PATTERN THAT IS IN THE AIM. AS WE KNOW STRAIGHT INS ARE MORE RISKY AND IF YOU ARE FLYING ONE BE SURE TO GIVE ACCURATE POS RPTS; SAY THE CORRECT NAME OF THE ARPT AND IF YOU ARE A FAST MOVING ACFT LET OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA KNOW.