Date: 201807
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ARB.Airport, MI
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Light: Night
Aircraft: PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga/6X
Operator: Personal
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Personal
Flight phase: Takeoff / Launch
ATC / advisory: UNICOM ARB
Second aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Reporter organization: Personal
Reporter function: Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Human factors: Distraction; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Taxi
Result: Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: 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.




Synopsis: GA pilot reported beginning to takeoff with unannounced traffic on short final.