Narrative:

I called in 10 mi east to land at ithaca, ny. Tower said 'report 5 mi for right base runway 32'. At this time tower talked to a commuter coming in from the north at approximately the same altitude. I thought about the tower-commuter transmission and felt it was wise to keep watching to my right for the 'faster' commuter (my small aircraft cruises at 130 KTS). At about the 5 mi point I saw the commuter and realized it deserved attention. I concentrated on its course and diverted slightly to be sure my plane would pull in behind the commuter. When I was sure I was well behind the commuter I reported into the tower that I had pulled behind the commuter. I was within the 5 mi reporting distance and the tower objected. The haze made visual references difficult so I was not as aware of my 'closeness' to the airport as I should have been. I did concentrate on the commuter traffic more than the reporting point. My priority was safety. The tower controller did not make me aware of the commuter traffic. I made myself aware of the situation way before it could have become an issue and diverted slightly to insure a wide berth around (behind) the commuter. At the point I reported I was condemned by the controller for being closer than my 5 mi out reporting point. I was also still at my 'cruising' altitude of 3500 ft and had to descend rapidly. I slowed to 120 to drop the gear, did my gumps and put in 20 degree of flaps. On approach I realized my throttle and manifold pressure were much lower than a normal approach. Just before the runway as I was about to do my final gumps check the tower called 'check gear position'. They were up. Instead of attempting a landing I instituted an immediate go around. I probably would have caught the problem in my final gumps check, but in this case the tower controller did an excellent job. He may have prevented a gear up landing. But in any case it was a perfect example of pilot and tower working together.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTHORIZED PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE PLUS GEAR UP DSCNT APCH UNTIL TWR CTLR REMINDED THE RPTR TO CHK GEAR POS.

Narrative: I CALLED IN 10 MI E TO LAND AT ITHACA, NY. TWR SAID 'RPT 5 MI FOR R BASE RWY 32'. AT THIS TIME TWR TALKED TO A COMMUTER COMING IN FROM THE N AT APPROX THE SAME ALT. I THOUGHT ABOUT THE TWR-COMMUTER XMISSION AND FELT IT WAS WISE TO KEEP WATCHING TO MY R FOR THE 'FASTER' COMMUTER (MY SMA CRUISES AT 130 KTS). AT ABOUT THE 5 MI POINT I SAW THE COMMUTER AND REALIZED IT DESERVED ATTN. I CONCENTRATED ON ITS COURSE AND DIVERTED SLIGHTLY TO BE SURE MY PLANE WOULD PULL IN BEHIND THE COMMUTER. WHEN I WAS SURE I WAS WELL BEHIND THE COMMUTER I RPTED INTO THE TWR THAT I HAD PULLED BEHIND THE COMMUTER. I WAS WITHIN THE 5 MI RPTING DISTANCE AND THE TWR OBJECTED. THE HAZE MADE VISUAL REFS DIFFICULT SO I WAS NOT AS AWARE OF MY 'CLOSENESS' TO THE ARPT AS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I DID CONCENTRATE ON THE COMMUTER TFC MORE THAN THE RPTING POINT. MY PRIORITY WAS SAFETY. THE TWR CTLR DID NOT MAKE ME AWARE OF THE COMMUTER TFC. I MADE MYSELF AWARE OF THE SITUATION WAY BEFORE IT COULD HAVE BECOME AN ISSUE AND DIVERTED SLIGHTLY TO INSURE A WIDE BERTH AROUND (BEHIND) THE COMMUTER. AT THE POINT I RPTED I WAS CONDEMNED BY THE CTLR FOR BEING CLOSER THAN MY 5 MI OUT RPTING POINT. I WAS ALSO STILL AT MY 'CRUISING' ALT OF 3500 FT AND HAD TO DSND RAPIDLY. I SLOWED TO 120 TO DROP THE GEAR, DID MY GUMPS AND PUT IN 20 DEG OF FLAPS. ON APCH I REALIZED MY THROTTLE AND MANIFOLD PRESSURE WERE MUCH LOWER THAN A NORMAL APCH. JUST BEFORE THE RWY AS I WAS ABOUT TO DO MY FINAL GUMPS CHK THE TWR CALLED 'CHK GEAR POS'. THEY WERE UP. INSTEAD OF ATTEMPTING A LNDG I INSTITUTED AN IMMEDIATE GAR. I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE PROBLEM IN MY FINAL GUMPS CHK, BUT IN THIS CASE THE TWR CTLR DID AN EXCELLENT JOB. HE MAY HAVE PREVENTED A GEAR UP LNDG. BUT IN ANY CASE IT WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF PLT AND TWR WORKING TOGETHER.

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.