Narrative:

When in the traffic pattern on downwind to land on runway 26. We heard a cessna on final on the CTAF. We did not see the aircraft. While turning base to final 3 mi out we heard the same cessna call 'short final.' again both crew members did not see the airplane due to having to look into a very bright late afternoon setting sun with the cessna on short final we continued the approach. On a 1 1/2 mi final the airport fueler/manager called us and said that we were very close to the cessna. In later conversation the distance was described as 6 aircraft lengths. (Difficult to say due to angle of viewing, etc). We still didn't see the cessna so I began a climbing left turn. After departing the pattern to the south several (5-6) airplanes began reporting position in the pattern. I remembered the pattern on a right crosswind (right traffic for runway 26) and landed. I asked the airport manager and traffic to change to runway 3 to avoid the sun. He replied that the wind (crosswind) was too great for runway 3. The wind would have been 5-8 KTS and 30-45 degrees. I believe that the crosswind condition would have been safer than the sun-in -your- eyes condition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF TWIN TURBO PROP TAKES EVASIVE ACTION BY TURNING AND CLBING TO AVOID ANOTHER ACFT ON SHORT FINAL AT UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: WHEN IN THE TFC PATTERN ON DOWNWIND TO LAND ON RWY 26. WE HEARD A CESSNA ON FINAL ON THE CTAF. WE DID NOT SEE THE ACFT. WHILE TURNING BASE TO FINAL 3 MI OUT WE HEARD THE SAME CESSNA CALL 'SHORT FINAL.' AGAIN BOTH CREW MEMBERS DID NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE DUE TO HAVING TO LOOK INTO A VERY BRIGHT LATE AFTERNOON SETTING SUN WITH THE CESSNA ON SHORT FINAL WE CONTINUED THE APCH. ON A 1 1/2 MI FINAL THE ARPT FUELER/MGR CALLED US AND SAID THAT WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE CESSNA. IN LATER CONVERSATION THE DISTANCE WAS DESCRIBED AS 6 ACFT LENGTHS. (DIFFICULT TO SAY DUE TO ANGLE OF VIEWING, ETC). WE STILL DIDN'T SEE THE CESSNA SO I BEGAN A CLBING L TURN. AFTER DEPARTING THE PATTERN TO THE S SEVERAL (5-6) AIRPLANES BEGAN RPTING POS IN THE PATTERN. I REMEMBERED THE PATTERN ON A R XWIND (R TFC FOR RWY 26) AND LANDED. I ASKED THE ARPT MGR AND TFC TO CHANGE TO RWY 3 TO AVOID THE SUN. HE REPLIED THAT THE WIND (XWIND) WAS TOO GREAT FOR RWY 3. THE WIND WOULD HAVE BEEN 5-8 KTS AND 30-45 DEGS. I BELIEVE THAT THE XWIND CONDITION WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFER THAN THE SUN-IN -YOUR- EYES CONDITION.

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.