Amateur/Home Built/Experimental
Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 35; Flight Crew Total 1400; Flight Crew Type 220
Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Ground Excursion Runway
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
I departed on a local area flight in my LSA Experimental Weight Shift Aircraft. The weather was severe clear with winds calm. After an hour flight I returned to the airport and made a call 5 miles out announcing my intentions to land. As I reported my position my radio shut down apparently from a low battery. I continued my approach watching for traffic in the area. I routinely fly most mornings and rarely is there traffic in the area at that time. As I fly a weight shift aircraft I have nearly 360 degree visibility and at 45 KTS plenty of time to watch for aircraft in the air and ground. There were no aircraft visible on my approach; so I chose to shorten the route and enter directly straight in to [the runway.]I landed as normal and began taxiing to the exit when I saw a large fast aircraft on final for Runway 17 in the opposite direction of my position. It appeared the aircraft which was an executive jet came straight in and did not see that I was on the runway. As I could not taxi fast enough to get off the runway I decided to pull off into the grass and clear the runway for the approaching aircraft. The jet landed normally and didn't even notice me until they were coming to a stop at the end of the runway. After taxiing off the runway and securing my aircraft I tracked down the Captain/owner of the jet to check that he was okay. He said that he didn't see me until he was already on the ground and at first thought I was 'just a tractor mowing the grass.' He asked if I had heard his radio calls and I told him my radio was out and he shrugged his shoulders and said that there was nothing he could do. My opinion was that as I was already on the runway taxiing at an uncontrolled airport it was his responsibility to see and avoid. Luckily no one was hurt and nothing was damaged.
An LSA pilot reported having to taxi off the runway into the grass to avoid a collision with a corporate jet landing on the opposite runway.