Narrative:

Arrived lot from the west. Normal entry to downwind leg, left traffic, for landing on runway 27. Cessna traffic well ahead in pattern. Both pilots/aircraft aware of each other with visual and radio contact. Cessna traffic flew extended downwind leg, which took him over a deep gravel pit. I do not like to fly an extended downwind at this airport (for runway 27) because the gravel pit poses a real hazard in the event of engine failure on final. I followed the cessna and, allowing for safe spacing, turned base not quite as far out as he did. This shortened the interval between us such that when I turned final he was still rolling out on runway 27. Since the cessna then delayed his turnoff (ie, remained on the runway), I decided that our spacing was now inadequate. Rather than execute a full go around, and because I was still at 400 ft AGL (perhaps higher), I elected to perform a (left) 360 degree maneuver for spacing. There was no other traffic in the pattern and it worked out well. Reflecting on this action later, I decided that it was a poor judgement call. Lot is an uncontrolled field. There could have been a no-radio aircraft there that I didn't see, and he would have no way of anticipating a non standard maneuver (such as a 360 degree turn) on my part. Time consuming as it would have been, a full go around would have been the better choice.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT LNDG LOT, AN UNCTLED ARPT, GETS TOO CLOSE TO ACFT AHEAD AND MAKES A 360 DEG TURN ON FINAL FOR SPACING.

Narrative: ARRIVED LOT FROM THE W. NORMAL ENTRY TO DOWNWIND LEG, L TFC, FOR LNDG ON RWY 27. CESSNA TFC WELL AHEAD IN PATTERN. BOTH PLTS/ACFT AWARE OF EACH OTHER WITH VISUAL AND RADIO CONTACT. CESSNA TFC FLEW EXTENDED DOWNWIND LEG, WHICH TOOK HIM OVER A DEEP GRAVEL PIT. I DO NOT LIKE TO FLY AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND AT THIS ARPT (FOR RWY 27) BECAUSE THE GRAVEL PIT POSES A REAL HAZARD IN THE EVENT OF ENG FAILURE ON FINAL. I FOLLOWED THE CESSNA AND, ALLOWING FOR SAFE SPACING, TURNED BASE NOT QUITE AS FAR OUT AS HE DID. THIS SHORTENED THE INTERVAL BTWN US SUCH THAT WHEN I TURNED FINAL HE WAS STILL ROLLING OUT ON RWY 27. SINCE THE CESSNA THEN DELAYED HIS TURNOFF (IE, REMAINED ON THE RWY), I DECIDED THAT OUR SPACING WAS NOW INADEQUATE. RATHER THAN EXECUTE A FULL GAR, AND BECAUSE I WAS STILL AT 400 FT AGL (PERHAPS HIGHER), I ELECTED TO PERFORM A (L) 360 DEG MANEUVER FOR SPACING. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN AND IT WORKED OUT WELL. REFLECTING ON THIS ACTION LATER, I DECIDED THAT IT WAS A POOR JUDGEMENT CALL. LOT IS AN UNCTLED FIELD. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A NO-RADIO ACFT THERE THAT I DIDN'T SEE, AND HE WOULD HAVE NO WAY OF ANTICIPATING A NON STANDARD MANEUVER (SUCH AS A 360 DEG TURN) ON MY PART. TIME CONSUMING AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, A FULL GAR WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BETTER CHOICE.

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.