Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 30; Flight Crew Total 640; Flight Crew Type 200
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Human Factors
Chain of Events: I was flying skydivers on a day that favored operating on Runway 12. A two-plane crop duster operation was reloading and refueling on the west ramp and sometimes even on the taxiway. The area they were dusting was east of the airport and they were taking off on 12; but sometimes landing on 30; despite other traffic in the pattern. I taxied for a takeoff on 12 and heard a call on CTAF that one of the crop dusters was coming in on 30; but I misunderstood the distance; thinking it was a lot farther out than it really was. I looked; didn't see the plane; made my takeoff call; didn't hear anything from any other aircraft; and took off. At about 200 feet I saw that the crop duster had been on short final for 30 and was now evading to his left; so I did the same. He then swung to his right; crossed behind me; and entered a downwind for 12. I asked on CTAF for everyone to stick to a single takeoff/landing direction. After that they used 12 for both takeoff and landing and there were no further problems. Contributing Factors: I think I missed seeing the crop duster because he was flying fairly low; not intercepting the glideslope until fairly close to the runway. Lessons: 1. I should have made sure that I understood the other plane's location better before committing to takeoff. 2. When there are other aircraft using an airport; operations like the crop dusters should follow normal traffic-pattern procedures. Losing a minute or two per load is infinitely better than having a collision.
C182 pilot flying skydivers reports departing Runway 12 into a crop duster landing Runway 30 but intercepting the normal glideslope at very low altitude. Each pilot deviates to the left to avoid the other.