Narrative:

After dropping a load of jumpers, I made an overhead approach to runway 1. Starting at approximately 4000 ft AGL overhead the airport, I reduced the power to idle, announced on the unicom frequency my intention to make an overhead approach, and scanned for traffic. I continued to scan for traffic and monitor the radio, and maneuvered the airplane in a left spiral to arrive at the following point to begin my final landing approach. Altitude: 800 ft AGL, airspeed: 80 mph (not KTS) indicated, position: over the approach end of the runway, heading: runway heading (approximately 010). Power: idle. Once I arrived at this point, I made a continuous left turn, banking up to 30 to 45 degrees as necessary, and landed on the runway. I saw no traffic as I descended in my spiral, and there was no traffic in traffic pattern. Flying for skydivers greatly increase the likelihood of engine failure because of frequent full-power climbs followed by rapid, reduced-power dscnts. Even though I do what I can to minimize stress on the airframe and engine, I feel I am safer if I can practice emergency procedures, including power-off approachs and lndgs. I try to make at least 1 such approach and landing successfully each day I drop jumpers. The airport manager at garnett asked me that day not to practice such lndgs. I pointed out that I had flown a legal pattern, that I had taken precautions to fly the maneuver safely, that there was no traffic conflict, and that safety required me to practice. Further, I had been making overhead approachs at least once each day I flew (nearly every weekend for several yrs) without his objection. Clearly, I did not fly the traffic pattern depicted in the figure 4-54(1) of the airman's information manual. Perhaps there needs to be an explicit statement in far 91.127(B)(1) which will allow non-standard patterns for training. (As an additional thought: far 91.127(B)(1) makes it illegal at most airports to fly the r-hand pattern required by most critical engine failures in multi-engine aircraft).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JUMP PLT MAKES DSNDING SPIRAL APCH TO LAND AT UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: AFTER DROPPING A LOAD OF JUMPERS, I MADE AN OVERHEAD APCH TO RWY 1. STARTING AT APPROX 4000 FT AGL OVERHEAD THE ARPT, I REDUCED THE PWR TO IDLE, ANNOUNCED ON THE UNICOM FREQ MY INTENTION TO MAKE AN OVERHEAD APCH, AND SCANNED FOR TFC. I CONTINUED TO SCAN FOR TFC AND MONITOR THE RADIO, AND MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE IN A L SPIRAL TO ARRIVE AT THE FOLLOWING POINT TO BEGIN MY FINAL LNDG APCH. ALT: 800 FT AGL, AIRSPD: 80 MPH (NOT KTS) INDICATED, POS: OVER THE APCH END OF THE RWY, HDG: RWY HDG (APPROX 010). PWR: IDLE. ONCE I ARRIVED AT THIS POINT, I MADE A CONTINUOUS L TURN, BANKING UP TO 30 TO 45 DEGS AS NECESSARY, AND LANDED ON THE RWY. I SAW NO TFC AS I DSNDED IN MY SPIRAL, AND THERE WAS NO TFC IN TFC PATTERN. FLYING FOR SKYDIVERS GREATLY INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF ENG FAILURE BECAUSE OF FREQUENT FULL-PWR CLBS FOLLOWED BY RAPID, REDUCED-PWR DSCNTS. EVEN THOUGH I DO WHAT I CAN TO MINIMIZE STRESS ON THE AIRFRAME AND ENG, I FEEL I AM SAFER IF I CAN PRACTICE EMER PROCS, INCLUDING PWR-OFF APCHS AND LNDGS. I TRY TO MAKE AT LEAST 1 SUCH APCH AND LNDG SUCCESSFULLY EACH DAY I DROP JUMPERS. THE ARPT MGR AT GARNETT ASKED ME THAT DAY NOT TO PRACTICE SUCH LNDGS. I POINTED OUT THAT I HAD FLOWN A LEGAL PATTERN, THAT I HAD TAKEN PRECAUTIONS TO FLY THE MANEUVER SAFELY, THAT THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT, AND THAT SAFETY REQUIRED ME TO PRACTICE. FURTHER, I HAD BEEN MAKING OVERHEAD APCHS AT LEAST ONCE EACH DAY I FLEW (NEARLY EVERY WEEKEND FOR SEVERAL YRS) WITHOUT HIS OBJECTION. CLRLY, I DID NOT FLY THE TFC PATTERN DEPICTED IN THE FIGURE 4-54(1) OF THE AIRMAN'S INFO MANUAL. PERHAPS THERE NEEDS TO BE AN EXPLICIT STATEMENT IN FAR 91.127(B)(1) WHICH WILL ALLOW NON-STANDARD PATTERNS FOR TRAINING. (AS AN ADDITIONAL THOUGHT: FAR 91.127(B)(1) MAKES IT ILLEGAL AT MOST ARPTS TO FLY THE R-HAND PATTERN REQUIRED BY MOST CRITICAL ENG FAILURES IN MULTI-ENG ACFT).

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.