Potential conflict.

Attributes
ACN	159679
Time
Date	199010
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ara
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ara
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	159679
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 400 vertical : 700
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

I was crop dusting using a private strip west of ara. Ara has a tower operated by a private contractor and has very little traffic. The field I was spraying was northeast of the airport. I had to cross over the north end of the runway to go from the strip to the field being sprayed and cross again when returning from the field. I called the tower on my radio each time I needed to cross the runway. The tower responded to each call when I crossed w-e, but did not respond to about 1/2 my calls when I was crossing e-w. As the tower was having some trouble with his radio and the traffic was very light I assumed that he was busy working with his errant radio and did not bother to answer my call. I probably made about 10 runway xings each way total on the afternoon of 10/sat/90 and the morning of 10/sun/90. When I called my intention to cross the runway at about noon on 10/sun/90 and got no response, which had happened several ties previously. I crossed the runway as I had done previously. The tower then called on the radio and stated that I had cut in front of IFR traffic. When I asked why he didn't respond to my call, he said he didn't hear it. Later in the day I called from about the same place and he didn't respond, but did respond to a call about 1/2 mi closer to the tower. I presume there is a 'dead spot' about where I was calling from and he was missing my calls and I was presuming he was not answering because he was busy and traffic was light. In the future I will keep calling until I get a response form the controller.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT.

Narrative: I WAS CROP DUSTING USING A PVT STRIP W OF ARA. ARA HAS A TWR OPERATED BY A PVT CONTRACTOR AND HAS VERY LITTLE TFC. THE FIELD I WAS SPRAYING WAS NE OF THE ARPT. I HAD TO CROSS OVER THE N END OF THE RWY TO GO FROM THE STRIP TO THE FIELD BEING SPRAYED AND CROSS AGAIN WHEN RETURNING FROM THE FIELD. I CALLED THE TWR ON MY RADIO EACH TIME I NEEDED TO CROSS THE RWY. THE TWR RESPONDED TO EACH CALL WHEN I CROSSED W-E, BUT DID NOT RESPOND TO ABOUT 1/2 MY CALLS WHEN I WAS XING E-W. AS THE TWR WAS HAVING SOME TROUBLE WITH HIS RADIO AND THE TFC WAS VERY LIGHT I ASSUMED THAT HE WAS BUSY WORKING WITH HIS ERRANT RADIO AND DID NOT BOTHER TO ANSWER MY CALL. I PROBABLY MADE ABOUT 10 RWY XINGS EACH WAY TOTAL ON THE AFTERNOON OF 10/SAT/90 AND THE MORNING OF 10/SUN/90. WHEN I CALLED MY INTENTION TO CROSS THE RWY AT ABOUT NOON ON 10/SUN/90 AND GOT NO RESPONSE, WHICH HAD HAPPENED SEVERAL TIES PREVIOUSLY. I CROSSED THE RWY AS I HAD DONE PREVIOUSLY. THE TWR THEN CALLED ON THE RADIO AND STATED THAT I HAD CUT IN FRONT OF IFR TFC. WHEN I ASKED WHY HE DIDN'T RESPOND TO MY CALL, HE SAID HE DIDN'T HEAR IT. LATER IN THE DAY I CALLED FROM ABOUT THE SAME PLACE AND HE DIDN'T RESPOND, BUT DID RESPOND TO A CALL ABOUT 1/2 MI CLOSER TO THE TWR. I PRESUME THERE IS A 'DEAD SPOT' ABOUT WHERE I WAS CALLING FROM AND HE WAS MISSING MY CALLS AND I WAS PRESUMING HE WAS NOT ANSWERING BECAUSE HE WAS BUSY AND TFC WAS LIGHT. IN THE FUTURE I WILL KEEP CALLING UNTIL I GET A RESPONSE FORM THE CTLR.

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.