Narrative:

I was returning my aircraft, from henderson (hnd) where it had received its annual/100 hour inspection, to north las vegas (vgt). I had received clearance over the top of mccarran (las) and was nearing vgt. I had been cleared to descend from 4500 ft to 3500 ft by las vegas approach and had just slowed enough to lower my landing gear, when I was handed off to north las vegas tower. I was now only about 1 mi from the end of runway 30R and 2300 ft above the touchdown zone. Being at that altitude, I was expecting to be sequenced for runway 7 (since the normal runways 30L-12R is closed for construction). However, I was cleared to land straight in on runway 30R. The lance has a very good sink rate when needed, and I can usually get down when requested to make a steep approach. But 2300 ft at 1 1/2 mi per min is quite a bit more than even my lance can handle. As soon as I was certain I couldn't make the runway, I advised the tower. The response was that a go around wasn't an option because of conflicting traffic. I was instructed to turn west over the terminal and make a short approach to runway 7. On the tower's part, this involved telling some incoming traffic to make a 360 degrees while I made a series of s-turns about 400 ft AGL (or lower) to realign with the other runway. While everything was sorted out and there were no problems, I don't like making s-turns 200 ft over people's houses. My analysis is that approach could have cleared me to descend a little sooner, tower could have seen my altitude and sequenced me for the other runway sooner, while I could have started to slow to vge (130 KIAS) a little sooner (though my approach speed is 120 mias or approximately 105 KIAS and my speed over the fence is 100 mias) and could have stated sooner that I was unable to accept the straight in approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 LNDG VGT INITIATES GAR AND IS REQUIRED TO CONDUCT LOW ALT MANEUVER FOR RWY CHANGE.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING MY ACFT, FROM HENDERSON (HND) WHERE IT HAD RECEIVED ITS ANNUAL/100 HR INSPECTION, TO NORTH LAS VEGAS (VGT). I HAD RECEIVED CLRNC OVER THE TOP OF MCCARRAN (LAS) AND WAS NEARING VGT. I HAD BEEN CLRED TO DSND FROM 4500 FT TO 3500 FT BY LAS VEGAS APCH AND HAD JUST SLOWED ENOUGH TO LOWER MY LNDG GEAR, WHEN I WAS HANDED OFF TO NORTH LAS VEGAS TWR. I WAS NOW ONLY ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE END OF RWY 30R AND 2300 FT ABOVE THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. BEING AT THAT ALT, I WAS EXPECTING TO BE SEQUENCED FOR RWY 7 (SINCE THE NORMAL RWYS 30L-12R IS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION). HOWEVER, I WAS CLRED TO LAND STRAIGHT IN ON RWY 30R. THE LANCE HAS A VERY GOOD SINK RATE WHEN NEEDED, AND I CAN USUALLY GET DOWN WHEN REQUESTED TO MAKE A STEEP APCH. BUT 2300 FT AT 1 1/2 MI PER MIN IS QUITE A BIT MORE THAN EVEN MY LANCE CAN HANDLE. AS SOON AS I WAS CERTAIN I COULDN'T MAKE THE RWY, I ADVISED THE TWR. THE RESPONSE WAS THAT A GAR WASN'T AN OPTION BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING TFC. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN W OVER THE TERMINAL AND MAKE A SHORT APCH TO RWY 7. ON THE TWR'S PART, THIS INVOLVED TELLING SOME INCOMING TFC TO MAKE A 360 DEGS WHILE I MADE A SERIES OF S-TURNS ABOUT 400 FT AGL (OR LOWER) TO REALIGN WITH THE OTHER RWY. WHILE EVERYTHING WAS SORTED OUT AND THERE WERE NO PROBS, I DON'T LIKE MAKING S-TURNS 200 FT OVER PEOPLE'S HOUSES. MY ANALYSIS IS THAT APCH COULD HAVE CLRED ME TO DSND A LITTLE SOONER, TWR COULD HAVE SEEN MY ALT AND SEQUENCED ME FOR THE OTHER RWY SOONER, WHILE I COULD HAVE STARTED TO SLOW TO VGE (130 KIAS) A LITTLE SOONER (THOUGH MY APCH SPD IS 120 MIAS OR APPROX 105 KIAS AND MY SPD OVER THE FENCE IS 100 MIAS) AND COULD HAVE STATED SOONER THAT I WAS UNABLE TO ACCEPT THE STRAIGHT IN APCH.

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.