Small Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 250; Flight Crew Total 2200; Flight Crew Type 400
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Ground Excursion Runway
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
While on a VFR approach from the south to Penn Yan Airport (KPEO) winds were calm and ATC reported no traffic was in the area. The crew elected to land visually on RWY 1. While on final the Pilot Monitoring (PM) noticed an aircraft in the run up pad holding short of RWY 1. The crew continued the approach and landed with no further event. It is unknown if that airplane was the cause of the future incident. About 30 minutes later; after dropping off all but 2 passengers; topping the fuel tanks and filing a flight plan; the flight crew switched seats and briefed the VFR departure to the west. The IFR flight plan was going to be opened airborne after departing from the uncontrolled field. After noting the winds and weather conditions the crew elected to taxi and depart RWY 19. Winds were calm; no traffic was reported in the area and the down sloping runway would minimize the takeoff roll. Plus the taxi was shorter; engine temps or warm up periods didn't apply.Once all the appropriate checklists were completed and comm frequencies verified; the PM (Pilot Monitoring) made a position report that we were taking runway 19 for a VFR departure to the west. On the takeoff roll the pilot flying (PF) called 'Set Thrust' and the PM placed the thrust levers in the proper setting. The first 1000 ft or so of RWY 19 slopes upwards. Once past the 1000 ft markers the crest is reached and the runway then slopes down the remaining 4000+ feet at -1.3 degrees. The full length parallel taxiway has similar topography. Prior to just reaching the crest of the runway the PM calls '80kts; twice.' Shortly after the cresting the top of the hill both pilots notice an aircraft on the takeoff roll on RWY 1. Neither the landing light or taxi light were on nor the anti-collision/Beacon lights illuminated. Neither pilot called for an aborted takeoff. Both pilots judged that due to the heavy fuel load; downslope of the runway; questionable braking power and a minimum of a '3 count' for full thrust reverser deployment an aborted takeoff in excess of 95 kts would have cause a near certain collision with the opposite aircraft. The decision was made to continue the takeoff and rotate before a collision. Once the PM called out 'V1; Rotate' at approximately 115 kts the PF vigorously rotated into the flight director V Bars and banked 5 degs to the right and advanced the thrust levers forward. The aircraft coming at us aborted the takeoff roll by steering to the pilot's right and off the edge of the runway. The separation between us was within 200 feet after rotation. The PM then keyed the mic and transmitted 'Dude; make position reports' over the Unicom frequency. There was no response. The flight continued and was completed without further issue.
Part 91 turbojet flight crew departed an uncontrolled airport and experienced a nose-to-nose encounter with opposite direction departing traffic on the same runway. Line of sight was inhibited by the topography of the runway which rises and is crested near the midway point.