Date: 201706
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 7
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Amateur/Home Built/Experimental
Operator: Personal
Flight plan: VFR
Mission: Personal
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: CTAF ZZZ
Second aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Reporter organization: Personal
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Single Pilot
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified; Flight Crew Private
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Incursion Runway
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Taxi
Result: Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Airport; Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Began entering a single runway no taxiway airport as another aircraft was on final and beginning to land; but not quite at flare. This airport has only a single runway with no taxiway; and you must enter the runway at the middle and taxi to either end in order to take off.Prior to entering the runway I heard another small aircraft say they were 7 miles out. My experience with aircraft at this distance is that this is more than enough time for other small aircraft to take off. However; because I wasn't sure and wanted to be safe/certain; I called the other aircraft back and informed him I was about to take-off and how long did he think he would be en-route; and that I could wait if needed.I waited a minute and I didn't hear a response back; so I decided I probably had time to depart. I taxied to the hold short; looked both ways; and radioed again to double check. The other aircraft did not respond (or anyone else); so I began crossing the hold.At this time; the pilot in the other aircraft cursed into his microphone; I looked again; and saw him flying about 40 feet above me down the runway; he aborted his run and I expected him to try again. In the meantime; I wasn't going fast because I was looking for him and trying to be cautious and I immediately pivoted 180 and exited the way I'd come. I radioed back to the other pilot; letting him know I had called before entering; but also apologizing and thanking him for his quick action. I waited on the ground to talk to him in person; but the pilot declined to land.There are a number of things that went wrong and that could be improved. A) For my part; I could have waited a full 10-15 minutes; which would have allowed most small planes 7 miles out to set up for approach and enter the pattern. B) Also; while I did perform definitive visual scans; I didn't see the aircraft; and I think if I had taken some deep breaths and scanned the same way we're taught to in the air; this might have helped. On the other hand; even as I was looking at the belly of the aircraft on the ground; the color blended - but did not merge with the sky; and it might have been making a shallow descent over the trees onto the runway making it more difficult to see. Either way; a deliberate scanning technique like those taught for looking for VFR traffic in the air may have helped and I will definitely be using in the future.C) I made two radio calls prior to entering the runway; while the other aircraft made only a single radio call. I thought the another aircraft pilot said 7 miles out; while the operator thought the other pilot might have said 3 miles out. In either case; I called the other pilot and didn't respond. The other pilot also failed to make any traffic pattern calls; or respond to me after I replied politely to his understandable cursing at me. I know that my radio worked; I don't know if his reception worked. Because I only control my own actions; and I attempted to make radio contact; I can only suggest that in the future a) I make a 3rd call; and (b) wait longer in case the other traffic has an INOP receiver.Looking back on it; I'm used to operating at non-towered airports where incoming traffic is often slow and can take a long time to approach from 7 miles out. Also; traffic is very conscious about making good radio calls despite being at an untowered airport. I've heard that many pilots aren't very good about radio calls; but I've never experienced that until now. If radio traffic is not reliable; and if other pilots don't respond to you; you can't be sure exactly how close they are. I may have easily misheard 7 instead of 3 miles out; as well. It's best just to wait another 10-15 minutes. Even though it's no guarantee; it at least gives plenty of time for someone '7 miles out' to figure to do whatever they're going to do.' I never want to be responsible for another close call in the rest of my flying career.




Synopsis: Experimental aircraft pilot reported not seeing an aircraft on final as he entered the runway for back taxi. The other aircraft went around and departed the pattern.