 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
The reporter, an instructor pilot, flew a left hand pattern at an uncontrolled airport to a runway where a right hand pattern exists, called on the wrong CTAF frequency, and cut in front of another airplane on final approach causing him to have to go around. The reporter stated a commercial guide said the pattern was left, and he misread the washington sectional to obtain the wrong frequency for the CTAF. The reporter was apologetic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 327714 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199602 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfq |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Mentor (T-34) |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 2070 flight time type : 80 |
| ASRS Report | 327714 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 2500 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| Publication | Unspecified |
Narrative:
Entered sfq traffic pattern at 45 degree downwind left hand pattern for runway 25. A commercial guide for sfq indicates left hand traffic. Airport segmented circle indicates right hand traffic, but it's not very visible from above. It blends in with brown winter grass. I had previously overflown airport at 1500 ft to determine wind direction. I observed no traffic and unicom did not answer on 122.8. I self-announced my pattern entry, and while downwind observed a low wing piper on final. I called base and final. While in a left turn from base to final, I observed a high wing tailwheel cessna also turning final but from a right base. I was below him and at least 1/2 mi from him in since I was flying a tighter pattern. I continued my approach and landed and he went around. Neither of us had to take evasive action. I kept him in sight after turning to final and while rolling out. While taxing in, I noticed the segmented circle indicating right hand traffic. Obviously I was flying the wrong pattern. After he landed, I went up to the other pilot and apologized. To make matters worse, I was also on the wrong CTAF frequency, sfq is 122.7. I got 122.8 off the washington sectional. 122.8 is printed right next to the sfq NDB navid box, but it is for grasso, a private airstrip. The airport data for sfq was located a little higher on the chart, but clearly legible.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE RPTR, AN INSTRUCTOR PLT, FLEW A L HAND PATTERN AT AN UNCTLED ARPT TO A RWY WHERE A R HAND PATTERN EXISTS, CALLED ON THE WRONG CTAF FREQ, AND CUT IN FRONT OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE ON FINAL APCH CAUSING HIM TO HAVE TO GAR. THE RPTR STATED A COMMERCIAL GUIDE SAID THE PATTERN WAS L, AND HE MISREAD THE WASHINGTON SECTIONAL TO OBTAIN THE WRONG FREQ FOR THE CTAF. THE RPTR WAS APOLOGETIC.
Narrative: ENTERED SFQ TFC PATTERN AT 45 DEG DOWNWIND L HAND PATTERN FOR RWY 25. A COMMERCIAL GUIDE FOR SFQ INDICATES L HAND TFC. ARPT SEGMENTED CIRCLE INDICATES R HAND TFC, BUT IT'S NOT VERY VISIBLE FROM ABOVE. IT BLENDS IN WITH BROWN WINTER GRASS. I HAD PREVIOUSLY OVERFLOWN ARPT AT 1500 FT TO DETERMINE WIND DIRECTION. I OBSERVED NO TFC AND UNICOM DID NOT ANSWER ON 122.8. I SELF-ANNOUNCED MY PATTERN ENTRY, AND WHILE DOWNWIND OBSERVED A LOW WING PIPER ON FINAL. I CALLED BASE AND FINAL. WHILE IN A L TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL, I OBSERVED A HIGH WING TAILWHEEL CESSNA ALSO TURNING FINAL BUT FROM A R BASE. I WAS BELOW HIM AND AT LEAST 1/2 MI FROM HIM IN SINCE I WAS FLYING A TIGHTER PATTERN. I CONTINUED MY APCH AND LANDED AND HE WENT AROUND. NEITHER OF US HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. I KEPT HIM IN SIGHT AFTER TURNING TO FINAL AND WHILE ROLLING OUT. WHILE TAXING IN, I NOTICED THE SEGMENTED CIRCLE INDICATING R HAND TFC. OBVIOUSLY I WAS FLYING THE WRONG PATTERN. AFTER HE LANDED, I WENT UP TO THE OTHER PLT AND APOLOGIZED. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, I WAS ALSO ON THE WRONG CTAF FREQ, SFQ IS 122.7. I GOT 122.8 OFF THE WASHINGTON SECTIONAL. 122.8 IS PRINTED RIGHT NEXT TO THE SFQ NDB NAVID BOX, BUT IT IS FOR GRASSO, A PVT AIRSTRIP. THE ARPT DATA FOR SFQ WAS LOCATED A LITTLE HIGHER ON THE CHART, BUT CLRLY LEGIBLE.
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.