Circuit Incident

Article originally published in August 2001 edition of La Brousse magazine and is reprinted with permission.

During the “Fly-In” last winter, what seemed to be a minor incident could have taken a turn for the worst. The setting is a pleasant sunny day, calm winds and a temporary runway on an icy lake. Several planes are on wheels and skis and a person on the ground is providing traffic and runway information. The frequency to be used, 123.2, in accordance with the A.I.P. Canada (section RAC 4.5.1) for uncontrolled aerodromes, was given beforehand via Internet and by word of mouth.

The parking area is located at the north end of the runway, so planes land towards that end. In the afternoon the winds are still calm and takeoffs are done to the south, but some planes continue to land to the north. For my departure, all is calm and there is no traffic. I transmit on 123.2 to the traffic adviser that I am ready to taxi for takeoff to the south. I am informed that a plane is flying east to west over the lake, which hasn’t reported in. After a few minutes, I ask about the plane’s position and I am informed that it is headed west and that it is out of sight. I look towards the circuit and I don’t see anything. I transmit that I am going onto the runway and a few seconds later I report my takeoff to the south. Immediately after applying full power, I see a plane turning onto a long final for landing towards the north. I reduce power, apply full brakes while transmitting on 123.2 that I see a plane at a distance that is executing a missed approach. Almost simultaneously, the traffic adviser is trying, in vain, to contact the plane above the lake. Finally, the traffic advisor informs me that the plane in flight is now behind me and that the runway is clear for takeoff.

On one hand, many would say that the pilot landing didn’t check the necessary information or should have known that 123.2 is the frequency used for an uncontrolled aerodrome, for which isn’t published in the A.I.P. This pilot was transmitting on 122.75. On the other hand, did I do everything to prevent this incident? The temporary runway didn’t have the privileges of a mandatory frequency (MF), so that NORDO planes could also land. Absence of transmission doesn’t necessarily mean that an aircraft isn’t in the circuit. Moreover, because the traffic adviser no longer saw the plane, in no way did that mean that the plane wasn’t there. Actually, now that I think about it, if the plane was flying east to west over the runway, wouldn’t that seem like joining the circuit, heading north, with a crosswind? Furthermore, did I take the time to look at the potential traffic when I looked at the circuit in the radiant sun?

Since the traffic adviser and I couldn’t see the plane any longer, I took for granted that it was just flying by and had disappeared somewhere to the west. Nothing bad happened, and all is well that ends well. However, next time you are in an uncontrolled aerodrome circuit, keep your eyes open and don’t take anything for granted…at least that is what I am going to do.

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