<< >> NASA ASRS Report 537158, February 2002

Mooney pilot lines up to land on the opposite end of the runway to which he had been announcing over CTAF he would be landing. Cessna pilot, who was landing on the opposite end, and the one the mooney intended, asked over CTAF what he was doing, which wakened reporter to his mistake. Both aircraft took evasive action.

Attributes
ACN	537158
Time
Date	200202
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n51.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl single value : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 468 flight time type : 170
ASRS Report	537158
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1250 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I entered the traffic pattern at solberg airport for a practice landing in my mooney 252. I called my entry into downwind for runway 22 and each of my turns. On short final, I was called by a cessna who turned final on runway 22 and asked what I was doing. It turns out I had inadvertently lined up in the wrong direction and was on final to runway 4 and heading directly at the cessna. We both took evasive action and went around without incident but a dangerous situation was clearly set up by my unintentional use of the opposite runway. The cause was clearly my failure to absolutely insure I was entering the traffic pattern correctly for the correct runway. This has never happened to me and I will make sure it never does again. I've added a new item to my gumps list.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOONEY PLT LINES UP TO LAND ON THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY TO WHICH HE HAD BEEN ANNOUNCING OVER CTAF HE WOULD BE LNDG. CESSNA PLT, WHO WAS LNDG ON THE OPPOSITE END, AND THE ONE THE MOONEY INTENDED, ASKED OVER CTAF WHAT HE WAS DOING, WHICH WAKENED RPTR TO HIS MISTAKE. BOTH ACFT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: I ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN AT SOLBERG ARPT FOR A PRACTICE LNDG IN MY MOONEY 252. I CALLED MY ENTRY INTO DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22 AND EACH OF MY TURNS. ON SHORT FINAL, I WAS CALLED BY A CESSNA WHO TURNED FINAL ON RWY 22 AND ASKED WHAT I WAS DOING. IT TURNS OUT I HAD INADVERTENTLY LINED UP IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND WAS ON FINAL TO RWY 4 AND HDG DIRECTLY AT THE CESSNA. WE BOTH TOOK EVASIVE ACTION AND WENT AROUND WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT A DANGEROUS SIT WAS CLRLY SET UP BY MY UNINTENTIONAL USE OF THE OPPOSITE RWY. THE CAUSE WAS CLRLY MY FAILURE TO ABSOLUTELY INSURE I WAS ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN CORRECTLY FOR THE CORRECT RWY. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME AND I WILL MAKE SURE IT NEVER DOES AGAIN. I'VE ADDED A NEW ITEM TO MY GUMPS LIST.

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.