PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga/6X
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25; Flight Crew Total 1700; Flight Crew Type 149
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Human Factors; Procedure
While on the terminal ramp; I switched my #1 radio to ATC's clearance delivery frequency to obtain my clearance from TRACON since Tower was closed at the time of my departure. After obtaining clearance from ATC; I switched my #1 radio back to the local UNICOM and taxied to; but held short of; the active runway. I did not hear any calls from traffic in the pattern during my time taxiing and I did not see any traffic in the pattern (e.g. on downwind or base).After performing final pre-takeoff checks; I announced our departure on the UNICOM frequency and taxied into position for departure. No other traffic spoke on the UNICOM between the time I announced my departure and the time I taxied onto the active runway. I also still did not see any aircraft in the pattern. A few seconds after advancing the throttle for departure I heard an airplane announce on UNICOM that it was on short final. Approximately 20-30 seconds after their announcement regarding 'short final' the airplane announced that it was going around. I immediately retarded the throttle; cancelled our takeoff roll; communicated our cancellation of takeoff; and exited the runway at the first available taxiway. I then announced that I was clear of the runway and was holding short of the runway to give way to the landing traffic (which had now entered a left downwind after going around). I waited for the traffic to land and clear the runway before ultimately departing the airport on my IFR flight plan.I am not certain if the conflicting traffic initially flew a full standard pattern or if they flew a non-standard pattern. I am also not certain what radio calls they made prior to announcing that they were on short final. While I was only off the UNICOM frequency for a short time obtaining my IFR clearance; it is at least possible that they made some radio calls during this time. For this reason; it would have been a good idea for me to listen to the UNICOM on radio #2 while obtaining my IFR clearance on radio #1 because this would have allowed me to hear all local transmissions even though I was talking with ATC on another frequency.I am also not certain why I didn't see the other airplane in the pattern. Did I overlook them? Did I think I made a final head-check for landing traffic (which is my standard procedure) but fail to do so? Did the landing traffic fly a non-standard pattern? Did the landing traffic fail to have its lights illuminated for the entirety of its traffic pattern? I may never know the actual answers to these questions. I can only speculate that they are possibilities. Either way; this is the first time in my 15 years and 1;700 hours of flying that a landing airplane has aborted a takeoff while I was on the active runway. Thus; it is obvious that SOMETHING in the chain of events was non-standard and could be improved. FARs require departing traffic to give way to landing traffic. I clearly would have held short of the runway if I had known there was an aircraft on final approach. Even though collision was not imminent and I would not define the go-around as an evasive action (there was ample separation despite the go-around); it was unsettling to realize that the situation could have been direr if certain variables were different. The event serves as a good reminder that all pilots need to keep their head on a swivel; not only when maneuvering/cruising in the air but also when in the traffic pattern or maneuvering on the ground. It also is a good reminder to use the #2 radio and other supplementary equipment (e.g. ADS-B) to increase situational awareness whenever possible. Finally; I could have asked my passenger to look around for traffic. I had asked this passenger to look for traffic as he rode along in the back seat during the practice instrument approaches. However; I did not ask him to look around for traffic during our taxi and departure when he was in the right seat for our flight home.
GA pilot reported beginning to takeoff with unannounced traffic on short final.