Narrative:

The flight was from port angeles, wa, to friday harbor, wa. WX in route was VFR clouds over the mountains. I elected to file IFR due to unfamiliarity with the area as well as proximity to canadian airspace and the MOA. I received a clearance from whidbey approach (a military facility). The only approach that was available at friday harbor was a radar surveillance approach. There is no control tower at friday harbor. Pilots approaching friday harbor are to monitor the unicom frequency for traffic advisories. My problem began on descent into friday harbor, with the instructions coming extremely fast. These included directions to complete my landing checklist and lower my landing gear. Twice during the approach I reported the field in sight expecting instruction to leave frequency. Correctly, or incorrectly, I had the impression from the communications that the controller wanted me to continue with the ASR approach. Approximately 2 mi from the airport, I was asked if I had the traffic, one aircraft having just taken off, one aircraft lifting off, and one aircraft breaking off a landing approach. These 3 aircraft were landing or taking off on the opposite runway from the the one to which I was being vectored. When they saw me, these 3 aircraft cleared the approach area and I elected to continue with my approach to landing since there were no other aircraft in sight. In my judgement, this was the least disruptive procedure to take at that point. The situation was not a near miss, but it was a definite disruption of the normal traffic flow. The problem was caused by my failure to monitor the local unicom frequency for traffic advisories; however, I felt that I never had a chance to do anything but talk to the controller once the approach began, and secondly, I wrongly assumed some sort of coordination between the controller and the local landing facility. In hindsight, I should have simply cancelled IFR, but it seemed to me that the controller wanted me to continue the approach because he continued to give me instructions after I had reported the field in sight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PLT CONTINUED ASR APCH TO UNCONTROLLED ARPT OPPOSITE ESTABLISHED TRAFFIC PATTERN.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS FROM PORT ANGELES, WA, TO FRIDAY HARBOR, WA. WX IN RTE WAS VFR CLOUDS OVER THE MOUNTAINS. I ELECTED TO FILE IFR DUE TO UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA AS WELL AS PROX TO CANADIAN AIRSPACE AND THE MOA. I RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM WHIDBEY APCH (A MIL FAC). THE ONLY APCH THAT WAS AVAILABLE AT FRIDAY HARBOR WAS A RADAR SURVEILLANCE APCH. THERE IS NO CTL TWR AT FRIDAY HARBOR. PLTS APCHING FRIDAY HARBOR ARE TO MONITOR THE UNICOM FREQ FOR TFC ADVISORIES. MY PROB BEGAN ON DSNT INTO FRIDAY HARBOR, WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS COMING EXTREMELY FAST. THESE INCLUDED DIRECTIONS TO COMPLETE MY LNDG CHKLIST AND LOWER MY LNDG GEAR. TWICE DURING THE APCH I RPTED THE FIELD IN SIGHT EXPECTING INSTRUCTION TO LEAVE FREQ. CORRECTLY, OR INCORRECTLY, I HAD THE IMPRESSION FROM THE COMS THAT THE CTLR WANTED ME TO CONTINUE WITH THE ASR APCH. APPROX 2 MI FROM THE ARPT, I WAS ASKED IF I HAD THE TFC, ONE ACFT HAVING JUST TAKEN OFF, ONE ACFT LIFTING OFF, AND ONE ACFT BREAKING OFF A LNDG APCH. THESE 3 ACFT WERE LNDG OR TAKING OFF ON THE OPPOSITE RWY FROM THE THE ONE TO WHICH I WAS BEING VECTORED. WHEN THEY SAW ME, THESE 3 ACFT CLRED THE APCH AREA AND I ELECTED TO CONTINUE WITH MY APCH TO LNDG SINCE THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT. IN MY JUDGEMENT, THIS WAS THE LEAST DISRUPTIVE PROC TO TAKE AT THAT POINT. THE SITUATION WAS NOT A NEAR MISS, BUT IT WAS A DEFINITE DISRUPTION OF THE NORMAL TFC FLOW. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY MY FAILURE TO MONITOR THE LCL UNICOM FREQ FOR TFC ADVISORIES; HOWEVER, I FELT THAT I NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO DO ANYTHING BUT TALK TO THE CTLR ONCE THE APCH BEGAN, AND SECONDLY, I WRONGLY ASSUMED SOME SORT OF COORD BTWN THE CTLR AND THE LCL LNDG FAC. IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE SIMPLY CANCELLED IFR, BUT IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THE CTLR WANTED ME TO CONTINUE THE APCH BECAUSE HE CONTINUED TO GIVE ME INSTRUCTIONS AFTER I HAD RPTED THE FIELD IN SIGHT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.