Narrative:

While approaching alb, approach asked me to make a short approach. This was due to an aircraft landing on an intersecting runway, my sequence was #1. When I got closer I was handed off to tower and cleared to land on runway 1, the winds were reported calm. In my descent from 4000 ft MSL, I was holding 200 KTS while slowly reducing power. Upon reaching 2000 ft MSL, 4 mi west of alb, I leveled off and allowed the airspeed to reduce to 160 KTS. At that point I set the flaps to approach, allowing the airspeed to drop to 140 KTS and then extended the gear and set full flaps. At this point I was 1 mi from the MM for runway 1, heading 100 degrees. At the appropriate time I started a left turn at 30 degrees bank to turn onto the runway centerline. While making the turn I heard, very faintly, the tone of the MM, meaning that I was just inside a .4 mi final. While passing a heading of 30 degrees I noticed the pulsating visual approach slope indicator was steady white and the airspeed was passing 100 KTS and slowing. When I rolled out I continued to follow the GS down while reducing airspeed all the way to touchdown. The touchdown was normal and within the touchdown zone. I used aerodynamic braking down to 60 KTS and then slowed to taxi speed using brakes and made the taxiway D turnoff. Upon reaching the FBO ramp, an FAA safety inspector started asking me questions. He asked my reasons for 'making such a close and low approach.' I told inspector that the tower asked me to keep it in close. He told me that a low altitude turn to final is not safe, in his opinion. I accepted that for what it was worth, but in my opinion there was nothing unsafe with my approach. From the ground, aircraft look a lot lower and closer and things seem more dramatic than what they really are. Inspector also asked me why I didn't use my landing light on final, and I explained that in some sits it is easier to see without the beam of light that's visible when it is hazy or foggy. Finally he asked why I taxied fast, and I told him that I didn't think I was fast. The power was back to idle and I had just finished 2 turns and went through some construction areas, so I know my speed was appropriate. After copying down my license information, medical information, and plane registration, inspector went into the FBO. At this point, inspector called the tower and asked if they did in fact ask me to make a close pattern. After the tower controller told inspector that I was asked to make a close pattern, inspector said that he was done and he went on with his ramp inspections at alb, and I returned to my aircraft and took off for utica, ny.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN ATX CARGO PIPER PA60 AEROSTAR, WAS QUESTIONED AFTER LNDG BY AN FAA INSPECTOR CONDUCTING A RAMP CHK, ABOUT A LOW TURN TO FINAL, NOT TURNING ON LNDG LIGHT AND A RELATIVE FAST TAXI SPD. THE FAA INSPECTOR CHKED WITH TWR PERSONNEL TO CONFIRM THAT THEY HAD REQUESTED RPTR TO KEEP HIS PATTERN AND TURN IN 'CLOSE.'

Narrative: WHILE APCHING ALB, APCH ASKED ME TO MAKE A SHORT APCH. THIS WAS DUE TO AN ACFT LNDG ON AN INTERSECTING RWY, MY SEQUENCE WAS #1. WHEN I GOT CLOSER I WAS HANDED OFF TO TWR AND CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 1, THE WINDS WERE RPTED CALM. IN MY DSCNT FROM 4000 FT MSL, I WAS HOLDING 200 KTS WHILE SLOWLY REDUCING PWR. UPON REACHING 2000 FT MSL, 4 MI W OF ALB, I LEVELED OFF AND ALLOWED THE AIRSPD TO REDUCE TO 160 KTS. AT THAT POINT I SET THE FLAPS TO APCH, ALLOWING THE AIRSPD TO DROP TO 140 KTS AND THEN EXTENDED THE GEAR AND SET FULL FLAPS. AT THIS POINT I WAS 1 MI FROM THE MM FOR RWY 1, HDG 100 DEGS. AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME I STARTED A L TURN AT 30 DEGS BANK TO TURN ONTO THE RWY CTRLINE. WHILE MAKING THE TURN I HEARD, VERY FAINTLY, THE TONE OF THE MM, MEANING THAT I WAS JUST INSIDE A .4 MI FINAL. WHILE PASSING A HDG OF 30 DEGS I NOTICED THE PULSATING VISUAL APCH SLOPE INDICATOR WAS STEADY WHITE AND THE AIRSPD WAS PASSING 100 KTS AND SLOWING. WHEN I ROLLED OUT I CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE GS DOWN WHILE REDUCING AIRSPD ALL THE WAY TO TOUCHDOWN. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL AND WITHIN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. I USED AERODYNAMIC BRAKING DOWN TO 60 KTS AND THEN SLOWED TO TAXI SPD USING BRAKES AND MADE THE TXWY D TURNOFF. UPON REACHING THE FBO RAMP, AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR STARTED ASKING ME QUESTIONS. HE ASKED MY REASONS FOR 'MAKING SUCH A CLOSE AND LOW APCH.' I TOLD INSPECTOR THAT THE TWR ASKED ME TO KEEP IT IN CLOSE. HE TOLD ME THAT A LOW ALT TURN TO FINAL IS NOT SAFE, IN HIS OPINION. I ACCEPTED THAT FOR WHAT IT WAS WORTH, BUT IN MY OPINION THERE WAS NOTHING UNSAFE WITH MY APCH. FROM THE GND, ACFT LOOK A LOT LOWER AND CLOSER AND THINGS SEEM MORE DRAMATIC THAN WHAT THEY REALLY ARE. INSPECTOR ALSO ASKED ME WHY I DIDN'T USE MY LNDG LIGHT ON FINAL, AND I EXPLAINED THAT IN SOME SITS IT IS EASIER TO SEE WITHOUT THE BEAM OF LIGHT THAT'S VISIBLE WHEN IT IS HAZY OR FOGGY. FINALLY HE ASKED WHY I TAXIED FAST, AND I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T THINK I WAS FAST. THE PWR WAS BACK TO IDLE AND I HAD JUST FINISHED 2 TURNS AND WENT THROUGH SOME CONSTRUCTION AREAS, SO I KNOW MY SPD WAS APPROPRIATE. AFTER COPYING DOWN MY LICENSE INFO, MEDICAL INFO, AND PLANE REGISTRATION, INSPECTOR WENT INTO THE FBO. AT THIS POINT, INSPECTOR CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED IF THEY DID IN FACT ASK ME TO MAKE A CLOSE PATTERN. AFTER THE TWR CTLR TOLD INSPECTOR THAT I WAS ASKED TO MAKE A CLOSE PATTERN, INSPECTOR SAID THAT HE WAS DONE AND HE WENT ON WITH HIS RAMP INSPECTIONS AT ALB, AND I RETURNED TO MY ACFT AND TOOK OFF FOR UTICA, NY.

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.