Narrative:

On jan/xa/99, I was returning from mountain valley airport (L94) for a landing at tehachapi municipal (tsp) flying my 1972 cessna 182P, as PIC. My passenger was a commercial pilot and CFI. The wind was from an easterly direction and the active runway at tsp was runway 11. The time of the event was approximately xb local. The sky was clear with scattered cirrus and nearly unlimited visibility. The surface winds were out of the east between 5-15 KTS. I entered the pattern at the 45 degree angle and made a left turn for the right downwind at pattern altitude, 5000 ft MSL. Traffic at the time included a straight tail bonanza in the runup area, and a small dark red tail dragger on the taxiway near the first intersection. I announced both my 45 degree entry and my downwind on the unicom frequency, 123.0. Just after announcing my base leg turn on the unicom, I heard and watched the bonanza take runway 11 for a straight out departure. The tail dragger (which turned out to be a local aircraft, a potterfield) remained on the taxiway near the first intersection. As we turned final the potterfield appeared to move into the first intersection between the taxiway and the runway. I announced my final approach for a full stop landing on runway 11. As we were nearing the end of runway 11, at about 75 ft AGL, the potterfield pulled up to the edge of the runway facing the runway at a 90 degree angle on that first intersection. I was paying close attention to the potterfield and mentioned to my passenger that I did not understand what he was going to do and that it appeared that he might take the runway and cut us off. As we passed over the numbers, just prior to my flare, the potterfield pulled out onto the runway and began to accelerate for takeoff. I immediately applied full power and trimmed for a pitch up attitude, passing over the top of the potterfield at about 25-50 ft. I radioed that we were going around and began our climb out to the east. I climbed straight ahead to an altitude of 700 ft, as we are requested to by the airport manager, airport commission and city of tehachapi for high performance aircraft. During my climb, the potterfield continued to climb and made a 360 degree turn about 1 mi southeast of runway 29 at about 300-400 ft AGL just as we were turning for the downwind and our second approach to the airport. I announced on the radio our intentions and that we would be entering the downwind leg for runway 11. The potterfield, being much lower, was gaining on us and by the time we were turning base he was directly behind and slightly below us. My passenger estimated that he was within 300-500 ft from our tail. A third plane had joined the pattern, a C180, and he also reported that the potterfield was directly behind us and gaining as we slowed for our final approach. Just after announcing our final approach and beginning a descent for landing, the pilot in the C180 told us that the potterfield was very close to our tail. Both myself and my passenger were looking for the aircraft and could not see him. Because of his close proximity, we initiated another go around. During the climb out, as we passed over the numbers for runway 11, the C180 pilot told us that we should not climb because the potterfield was right over the top of us. I maintained our altitude about 300-400 ft AGL at runway heading to gain airspeed and to get ahead of the potterfield prior to climbing to 700 ft AGL for the downwind leg. As with the previous attempt, the potterfield remained at about 300-400 ft AGL and made a 360 degree turn just off the southeast end of runway 29 prior to entering the downwind leg. Once again we were able to see him below us as we entered the downwind leg for runway 11. This time we were able to keep farther ahead of the potterfield and made a normal landing on runway 11. Just after touching down, the potterfield passed over our aircraft about 1/4 mi to the north of runway 11 heading east at about 200 ft AGL. At no time did the potterfield identify himself on the radio. His home base is tehachapi, and I have not seen a radio in his aircraft. I understand that this is an uncontrolled field and that radio communication is not required. The pattern altitude for tsp is published as 1000 ft (5000 ft MSL). At no time did the potterfield attain this altitude. Based on my and my passenger estimates he flewthe pattern at about 300-500 ft. Comments: I feel that the pilot of the potterfield used poor judgement in taking an intersection for takeoff -- especially since that intersection is located directly adjacent to the landing area for runway 11 at tsp. I further believe that the potterfield pilot should have flown the pattern at the standard 1000 ft altitude as published in the AFD. I feel that I, as PIC, should have initiated a go around prior to when I did, ie, as I turned final or slightly after that but prior to coming over the fence when I noticed the potterfield pulling onto the taxiway. I do not understand how the potterfield could not see me on my second approach to the airport, especially since he was directly behind us with our aircraft at his 12 O'clock position. I do not understand the reason for his 360 degree turn in the pattern at a low altitude. If this occurs again, I will wait until the potterfield pilot has completed his landing and touch-and-goes prior to entering the pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT OF C182 HAS MULTIPLE NMACS WITH ACFT TAKING OFF AT TSP, CA.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/99, I WAS RETURNING FROM MOUNTAIN VALLEY ARPT (L94) FOR A LNDG AT TEHACHAPI MUNI (TSP) FLYING MY 1972 CESSNA 182P, AS PIC. MY PAX WAS A COMMERCIAL PLT AND CFI. THE WIND WAS FROM AN EASTERLY DIRECTION AND THE ACTIVE RWY AT TSP WAS RWY 11. THE TIME OF THE EVENT WAS APPROX XB LCL. THE SKY WAS CLR WITH SCATTERED CIRRUS AND NEARLY UNLIMITED VISIBILITY. THE SURFACE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE E BTWN 5-15 KTS. I ENTERED THE PATTERN AT THE 45 DEG ANGLE AND MADE A L TURN FOR THE R DOWNWIND AT PATTERN ALT, 5000 FT MSL. TFC AT THE TIME INCLUDED A STRAIGHT TAIL BONANZA IN THE RUNUP AREA, AND A SMALL DARK RED TAIL DRAGGER ON THE TXWY NEAR THE FIRST INTXN. I ANNOUNCED BOTH MY 45 DEG ENTRY AND MY DOWNWIND ON THE UNICOM FREQ, 123.0. JUST AFTER ANNOUNCING MY BASE LEG TURN ON THE UNICOM, I HEARD AND WATCHED THE BONANZA TAKE RWY 11 FOR A STRAIGHT OUT DEP. THE TAIL DRAGGER (WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A LCL ACFT, A POTTERFIELD) REMAINED ON THE TXWY NEAR THE FIRST INTXN. AS WE TURNED FINAL THE POTTERFIELD APPEARED TO MOVE INTO THE FIRST INTXN BTWN THE TXWY AND THE RWY. I ANNOUNCED MY FINAL APCH FOR A FULL STOP LNDG ON RWY 11. AS WE WERE NEARING THE END OF RWY 11, AT ABOUT 75 FT AGL, THE POTTERFIELD PULLED UP TO THE EDGE OF THE RWY FACING THE RWY AT A 90 DEG ANGLE ON THAT FIRST INTXN. I WAS PAYING CLOSE ATTN TO THE POTTERFIELD AND MENTIONED TO MY PAX THAT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO AND THAT IT APPEARED THAT HE MIGHT TAKE THE RWY AND CUT US OFF. AS WE PASSED OVER THE NUMBERS, JUST PRIOR TO MY FLARE, THE POTTERFIELD PULLED OUT ONTO THE RWY AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE FOR TKOF. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL PWR AND TRIMMED FOR A PITCH UP ATTITUDE, PASSING OVER THE TOP OF THE POTTERFIELD AT ABOUT 25-50 FT. I RADIOED THAT WE WERE GOING AROUND AND BEGAN OUR CLBOUT TO THE E. I CLBED STRAIGHT AHEAD TO AN ALT OF 700 FT, AS WE ARE REQUESTED TO BY THE ARPT MGR, ARPT COMMISSION AND CITY OF TEHACHAPI FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT. DURING MY CLB, THE POTTERFIELD CONTINUED TO CLB AND MADE A 360 DEG TURN ABOUT 1 MI SE OF RWY 29 AT ABOUT 300-400 FT AGL JUST AS WE WERE TURNING FOR THE DOWNWIND AND OUR SECOND APCH TO THE ARPT. I ANNOUNCED ON THE RADIO OUR INTENTIONS AND THAT WE WOULD BE ENTERING THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 11. THE POTTERFIELD, BEING MUCH LOWER, WAS GAINING ON US AND BY THE TIME WE WERE TURNING BASE HE WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND AND SLIGHTLY BELOW US. MY PAX ESTIMATED THAT HE WAS WITHIN 300-500 FT FROM OUR TAIL. A THIRD PLANE HAD JOINED THE PATTERN, A C180, AND HE ALSO RPTED THAT THE POTTERFIELD WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND US AND GAINING AS WE SLOWED FOR OUR FINAL APCH. JUST AFTER ANNOUNCING OUR FINAL APCH AND BEGINNING A DSCNT FOR LNDG, THE PLT IN THE C180 TOLD US THAT THE POTTERFIELD WAS VERY CLOSE TO OUR TAIL. BOTH MYSELF AND MY PAX WERE LOOKING FOR THE ACFT AND COULD NOT SEE HIM. BECAUSE OF HIS CLOSE PROX, WE INITIATED ANOTHER GAR. DURING THE CLBOUT, AS WE PASSED OVER THE NUMBERS FOR RWY 11, THE C180 PLT TOLD US THAT WE SHOULD NOT CLB BECAUSE THE POTTERFIELD WAS RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF US. I MAINTAINED OUR ALT ABOUT 300-400 FT AGL AT RWY HDG TO GAIN AIRSPD AND TO GET AHEAD OF THE POTTERFIELD PRIOR TO CLBING TO 700 FT AGL FOR THE DOWNWIND LEG. AS WITH THE PREVIOUS ATTEMPT, THE POTTERFIELD REMAINED AT ABOUT 300-400 FT AGL AND MADE A 360 DEG TURN JUST OFF THE SE END OF RWY 29 PRIOR TO ENTERING THE DOWNWIND LEG. ONCE AGAIN WE WERE ABLE TO SEE HIM BELOW US AS WE ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 11. THIS TIME WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP FARTHER AHEAD OF THE POTTERFIELD AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 11. JUST AFTER TOUCHING DOWN, THE POTTERFIELD PASSED OVER OUR ACFT ABOUT 1/4 MI TO THE N OF RWY 11 HDG E AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL. AT NO TIME DID THE POTTERFIELD IDENT HIMSELF ON THE RADIO. HIS HOME BASE IS TEHACHAPI, AND I HAVE NOT SEEN A RADIO IN HIS ACFT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN UNCTLED FIELD AND THAT RADIO COM IS NOT REQUIRED. THE PATTERN ALT FOR TSP IS PUBLISHED AS 1000 FT (5000 FT MSL). AT NO TIME DID THE POTTERFIELD ATTAIN THIS ALT. BASED ON MY AND MY PAX ESTIMATES HE FLEWTHE PATTERN AT ABOUT 300-500 FT. COMMENTS: I FEEL THAT THE PLT OF THE POTTERFIELD USED POOR JUDGEMENT IN TAKING AN INTXN FOR TKOF -- ESPECIALLY SINCE THAT INTXN IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE LNDG AREA FOR RWY 11 AT TSP. I FURTHER BELIEVE THAT THE POTTERFIELD PLT SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE PATTERN AT THE STANDARD 1000 FT ALT AS PUBLISHED IN THE AFD. I FEEL THAT I, AS PIC, SHOULD HAVE INITIATED A GAR PRIOR TO WHEN I DID, IE, AS I TURNED FINAL OR SLIGHTLY AFTER THAT BUT PRIOR TO COMING OVER THE FENCE WHEN I NOTICED THE POTTERFIELD PULLING ONTO THE TXWY. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE POTTERFIELD COULD NOT SEE ME ON MY SECOND APCH TO THE ARPT, ESPECIALLY SINCE HE WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND US WITH OUR ACFT AT HIS 12 O'CLOCK POS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE REASON FOR HIS 360 DEG TURN IN THE PATTERN AT A LOW ALT. IF THIS OCCURS AGAIN, I WILL WAIT UNTIL THE POTTERFIELD PLT HAS COMPLETED HIS LNDG AND TOUCH-AND-GOES PRIOR TO ENTERING THE PATTERN.

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.