ASRS 2279860
ACN 2279860 · 2025-08 · Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
General aviation pilot reported a runway incursion which resulted in a traffic conflict with a landing aircraft at DRO, a non-towered airport. Reporter suggested a control tower is needed due to high traffic volume.
Pilot narrative
Verbatim, de-identified by NASA. Placeholders: ZZZ,
X, Y.
I was waiting behind the hold short line of runway 21 for clearance from Denver center with multiple aircraft in line behind me and multiple aircraft inbound. These included airline operations. I heard a downwind transmission from a VFR aircraft which apparently had no ADSB. The situation was tense and confusing. Since DRO is non towered, IFR aircraft must switch back and forth between the Denver center freq and CTAF in order to make appropriate calls and try to maintain situational awareness. I had just received clearance from Denver center and was instructed to call back once airborne. I flipped back to CTAF and heard the VFR traffic announce base. I still could not ID him on ADSB and had no visual contact. I felt immense pressure to depart since I had already been given clearance and had multiple aircraft waiting behind me. I assumed the VFR traffic was making a wide base. I should not have assumed that. As I crossed the hold short line, the pilot of the aircraft behind me warned me on CTAF to stop. As I stopped I saw the VFR aircraft appear out of my blind spot. He was making a very short approach and slipping aggressively to the runway. I switched back to the Denver center frequency and told them that I had to stop for VFR landing traffic and that I had crossed the hold short line but I did not believe I was too close to the landing runway for the airliner on final. It's been several days now and I cannot remember if they let me go before the airliner or after. I should not have succumbed to the pressure of trying to depart quickly and I will not allow that to happen again. I do believe that DRO is in desperate need of a control tower. It can be very busy at times are there are a lot of mixed private and airline operations.
NASA classification · Anomalies
- ATC Issue
- Conflict
- Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural
- Ground Incursion
NASA classification · Assessments
- Contributing Factors / Situations
- Airport · Human Factors
- Primary Problem
- Human Factors
ASRS reports are voluntary, de-identified by NASA, and represent the reporter's perspective; they are not investigated and cannot be used to infer prevalence. Authoritative source: asrs.arc.nasa.gov ↗