Narrative:

This was one of several training flts in the traffic pattern at a non-twred airport (auburn, wa, S50). It was important to our training program that these particular flts be completed, so we were flying in marginal VFR conditions. The normal traffic pattern at auburn is to the west, l-hand for runway 34 and r-hand for runway 16. My student and I were flying a r-hand pattern on runway 16, and had just landed and were taxiing back for takeoff, when another instructor and her student took off and initiated a l-hand pattern for runway 16 over the town of auburn, where the WX was a little better than in the normal traffic pattern area. Rather than continue flying a r-hand pattern in conflict with the other instructor who had just taken off and announced her left crosswind, I elected to follow her in her pattern over auburn, although I was concerned because that was not the official pattern for the airport. The WX was good enough to maintain a normal pattern altitude on downwind, so that wasn't a problem, but I was concerned about flying a nonstandard pattern for our field, especially over the town. Nonetheless, both of us continued flying the nonstandard pattern until the flts were over. While taxiing back to the line, we were contacted by unicom and told to cease flying over auburn. It turns out that someone had called the local FSDO and complained about the flts, and someone at the FSDO had called our flight school office and told them to tell us to cut it out. Corrective actions to prevent a recurrence: if another airplane is flying a pattern in contradiction to the authority/authorized pattern, either 1) contact the other plane by radio and ask him to adapt to the standard pattern, or 2) if he can't or won't, wait until the other plane lands or departs the pattern to continue my own flts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT TRAINING FLC OF SMA SEL FLY THE WRONG PATTERN IN FOLLOWING ANOTHER ACFT SHOOTING TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS RESULTING IN A PUBLIC COMPLAINT.

Narrative: THIS WAS ONE OF SEVERAL TRAINING FLTS IN THE TFC PATTERN AT A NON-TWRED ARPT (AUBURN, WA, S50). IT WAS IMPORTANT TO OUR TRAINING PROGRAM THAT THESE PARTICULAR FLTS BE COMPLETED, SO WE WERE FLYING IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. THE NORMAL TFC PATTERN AT AUBURN IS TO THE W, L-HAND FOR RWY 34 AND R-HAND FOR RWY 16. MY STUDENT AND I WERE FLYING A R-HAND PATTERN ON RWY 16, AND HAD JUST LANDED AND WERE TAXIING BACK FOR TKOF, WHEN ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR AND HER STUDENT TOOK OFF AND INITIATED A L-HAND PATTERN FOR RWY 16 OVER THE TOWN OF AUBURN, WHERE THE WX WAS A LITTLE BETTER THAN IN THE NORMAL TFC PATTERN AREA. RATHER THAN CONTINUE FLYING A R-HAND PATTERN IN CONFLICT WITH THE OTHER INSTRUCTOR WHO HAD JUST TAKEN OFF AND ANNOUNCED HER L XWIND, I ELECTED TO FOLLOW HER IN HER PATTERN OVER AUBURN, ALTHOUGH I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT THE OFFICIAL PATTERN FOR THE ARPT. THE WX WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN A NORMAL PATTERN ALT ON DOWNWIND, SO THAT WASN'T A PROB, BUT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FLYING A NONSTANDARD PATTERN FOR OUR FIELD, ESPECIALLY OVER THE TOWN. NONETHELESS, BOTH OF US CONTINUED FLYING THE NONSTANDARD PATTERN UNTIL THE FLTS WERE OVER. WHILE TAXIING BACK TO THE LINE, WE WERE CONTACTED BY UNICOM AND TOLD TO CEASE FLYING OVER AUBURN. IT TURNS OUT THAT SOMEONE HAD CALLED THE LCL FSDO AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE FLTS, AND SOMEONE AT THE FSDO HAD CALLED OUR FLT SCHOOL OFFICE AND TOLD THEM TO TELL US TO CUT IT OUT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE: IF ANOTHER AIRPLANE IS FLYING A PATTERN IN CONTRADICTION TO THE AUTH PATTERN, EITHER 1) CONTACT THE OTHER PLANE BY RADIO AND ASK HIM TO ADAPT TO THE STANDARD PATTERN, OR 2) IF HE CAN'T OR WON'T, WAIT UNTIL THE OTHER PLANE LANDS OR DEPARTS THE PATTERN TO CONTINUE MY OWN FLTS.

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.