PLT OF A C172 TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AT A NON TWR ARPT CAUSING ANOTHER ACFT TO GAR. EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD ANNOUNCED HER INTENTIONS ON UNICOM; SHE WAS NOT BEING HEARD SINCE THE XMITTER SWITCH WAS SELECTED ON THE OTHER RADIO. IN ADDITION; SHE DID NOT CLR THE RWY APCH AREA BY TURNING AROUND THE ACFT AND LOOKING!
Synopsis
PLT OF A C172 TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AT A NON TWR ARPT CAUSING ANOTHER ACFT TO GAR. EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD ANNOUNCED HER INTENTIONS ON UNICOM; SHE WAS NOT BEING HEARD SINCE THE XMITTER SWITCH WAS SELECTED ON THE OTHER RADIO. IN ADDITION; SHE DID NOT CLR THE RWY APCH AREA BY TURNING AROUND THE ACFT AND LOOKING!
Narrative
THE CEILING WAS 1400 FT WITH RAIN. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN WITH A VOID TIME CLRNC. I WANTED TO INCLUDE A FULL RUN-UP BEFORE DEP. I HAD COMPLETED MY PREFLT PORTION BEFORE GETTING MY CLRNC; BUT DUE TO THE WX I DIDN'T WANT TO TAXI OUT AND CHK EVERYTHING; THEN TAXI BACK AND SHUT DOWN AND RUN TO THE PHONE BOOTH FOR MY VOID TIME OFF. SO; AFTER COMPLETING ALL MY INST AND ACFT INSTS AND DOING A RUN-UP; I BEGAN TO FEEL RUSHED. BECAUSE I WAS HURRYING; I FAILED TO CHK COM SWITCHES AND WAS NOT ON THE UNICOM FREQ OF THE UNCTLED ARPT; EVEN THOUGH I HAD SET IT IN CORRECTLY; THE SWITCH WAS ON COM #2; MY DEP FREQ WITH ZOA. IF I HAD NOT FELT 'RUSHED' DUE TO THE VOID TIME CLRNC I WOULD HAVE CHKED THE SWITCHES AGAIN. EVEN THOUGH I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO 'TAKE THE ACTIVE FOR A STRAIGHT-OUT DEP RWY 29 AT PETALUMA ARPT' -- THE INCOMING TFC COULD NOT HEAR ME! THE SECOND MISTAKE WAS THAT I DID NOT MAKE A COMPLETE 360 DEG TURN; WHICH I ALWAYS DO AT NON-TOWERED ARPTS TO LOOK FOR TFC. I DID A 90 DEG TURN; WITH A QUICK LOOK AND THEN TURNED BACK AND ENTERED THE RWY. I WAS VERY SURPRISED WHEN A PLANE FLEW BY ABOUT 200- 300 FT ABOVE ME. AT THE SAME TIME MY COPLT SAID 'YOU HAVE THE SELECTOR ON THE WRONG FREQ.' I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED OVER AND APOLOGIZED TO THE OTHER PLANE AND THEN TOOK OFF. I ENTERED IMC AT 1400 FT AND BEGAN MY TURN TOWARD THE VOR AS DIRECTED; FLIPPED THE SWITCH TO ZOA AND CONTACTED THEM. I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH MYSELF FOR FEELING 'RUSHED' AND NOT BEING MY USUAL SAFETY CONSCIOUS SELF. A COUPLE OF EXTRA MINS TO FULLY TURN AROUND AND SCAN THE SKY AND RECHK COM SWITCHES IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN CREATING AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE STRESS OF A VOID TIME CLRNC. TO AVERT THIS PROB IN THE FUTURE; I PLAN TO TAXI OUT AND DO A FULL RUN-UP; TAXI BACK AND SHUT DOWN TO GET MY VOID TIME CLRNC. THAT WAY I WILL NOT BE FEELING LIKE I AM 'RUSHED.'
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.