Narrative:

Being vectored by phx approach to glendale airport, no instrument approach. Because I could not pick up the runway, approach control vectored me onto the downwind. I was 1/2 way down it before I could spot the runway beneath my left wing. Approach then cleared me for a visual approach and to contact geu tower. The runway had been so difficult to see that I thanked the controller for his help and switched to tower. I was descending at the time on the visual approach. Tower said he could not see me and to continue the approach, and asked what facility had put me there. The tower saw me as I turned base and cleared me to land. After landing, the tower operator told me there had been another aircraft on downwind behind me who took evasive action as I descended on the visual approach. There seemed not to be any coordination between approach and tower. Of course I knew nothing of the aircraft behind and below me until tower told me later that I had descended in front of him. In my conversation with the tower controller, he acknowledged that the runway blends in with the surrounding terrain so well that it is very difficult to see, especially for transients. If I could have spotted the runway sooner I could have been turned over to tower sooner. I filed IFR into the phx-geu area on a cavu day because I didn't want to mess around with all the class B airspace restrs and try to look for an unfamiliar field at the same time. I thought I was doing it the fail-safe way, only to realize later that I got caught in the crack, or gap, between facilities. I suppose I should not have descended, but it's the natural thing to do once cleared for a visual approach to a close-in runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE33 PLT HAD TFC CONFLICT IN PATTERN AFTER BEING VECTORED TO GEU.

Narrative: BEING VECTORED BY PHX APCH TO GLENDALE ARPT, NO INST APCH. BECAUSE I COULD NOT PICK UP THE RWY, APCH CTL VECTORED ME ONTO THE DOWNWIND. I WAS 1/2 WAY DOWN IT BEFORE I COULD SPOT THE RWY BENEATH MY L WING. APCH THEN CLRED ME FOR A VISUAL APCH AND TO CONTACT GEU TWR. THE RWY HAD BEEN SO DIFFICULT TO SEE THAT I THANKED THE CTLR FOR HIS HELP AND SWITCHED TO TWR. I WAS DSNDING AT THE TIME ON THE VISUAL APCH. TWR SAID HE COULD NOT SEE ME AND TO CONTINUE THE APCH, AND ASKED WHAT FACILITY HAD PUT ME THERE. THE TWR SAW ME AS I TURNED BASE AND CLRED ME TO LAND. AFTER LNDG, THE TWR OPERATOR TOLD ME THERE HAD BEEN ANOTHER ACFT ON DOWNWIND BEHIND ME WHO TOOK EVASIVE ACTION AS I DSNDED ON THE VISUAL APCH. THERE SEEMED NOT TO BE ANY COORD BTWN APCH AND TWR. OF COURSE I KNEW NOTHING OF THE ACFT BEHIND AND BELOW ME UNTIL TWR TOLD ME LATER THAT I HAD DSNDED IN FRONT OF HIM. IN MY CONVERSATION WITH THE TWR CTLR, HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE RWY BLENDS IN WITH THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN SO WELL THAT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE, ESPECIALLY FOR TRANSIENTS. IF I COULD HAVE SPOTTED THE RWY SOONER I COULD HAVE BEEN TURNED OVER TO TWR SOONER. I FILED IFR INTO THE PHX-GEU AREA ON A CAVU DAY BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO MESS AROUND WITH ALL THE CLASS B AIRSPACE RESTRS AND TRY TO LOOK FOR AN UNFAMILIAR FIELD AT THE SAME TIME. I THOUGHT I WAS DOING IT THE FAIL-SAFE WAY, ONLY TO REALIZE LATER THAT I GOT CAUGHT IN THE CRACK, OR GAP, BTWN FACILITIES. I SUPPOSE I SHOULD NOT HAVE DSNDED, BUT IT'S THE NATURAL THING TO DO ONCE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO A CLOSE-IN RWY.

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.