Small Transport; Low Wing; 2 Recip Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Sea; Flight Crew Rotorcraft; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 7255; Flight Crew Type 600
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Human Factors
I taxied for takeoff at DLS. I made a radio call saying I was taxiing for takeoff on runway 31. Once I got to the departure end I made a radio call saying I was a taking off from runway 31. Myself and my air attack visually cleared the final for runway 31. I taxied onto the runway; powered up and then commenced with the takeoff. About halfway down the runway the contractor called and said he was crossing runway 31 and he immediately crossed runway 31 from left to right. There was no time for me to say anything. I believe he crossed 31 at the intersection of runway 7/25. I immediately pulled back on the yoke to takeoff and must have immediately started to retract the gear. Winds at the time were reported to be from about 280 degrees at 20 knots or more with higher gusts;I felt a slight bump as I cleared the ground and attributed it to not having enough left aileron input and thought it was the aircraft moving a little to the right as it became light on the ground; I completed the flight and upon landing I inspected the landing gear and found no damage. I never noticed any damage to the belly that was subsequently found two days later.I did not attempt to abort the takeoff; because I had checked the aircraft's airspeed a second or so before the contractor's radio call and it was over 70 MPH and increasing rapidly; with full power applied and the aircraft accelerating downhill. My thought when I saw the vehicle enter the runway was to get as much distance between him and me as possible.The next day I told the airport manager about the incursion and also that when we had returned from the mission [the previous] evening that the closed runway 7/25; the contractor had been working on; had not been X'd out.
A pilot announced his takeoff from an uncontrolled field. During the takeoff roll a contractor working on the airport announced his crossing the runway. The pilot pulled back on the yoke and raised the landing gear. He felt a slight bump as he cleared the ground. After landing he inspected the landing gear and found no damage. He did not notice damage that was done to the belly that was found two days later.