Narrative:

On the evening of 2/mon/89, between XA30 and XB45, I flew an small aircraft from hillsboro, or, to north bend, or. The flight was conducted under VFR at 10500' MSL. Approaching oth on a heading of 180 degrees, I began descending to traffic pattern altitude while tracking to the VOR on the 003 degree right. The north bend airport is located 3.5 NM west of this VOR on the 253 degree right. At 15 mi north I received an airport advisory for runway 13. I was advised that 4/22 was closed and that the runway was plowed full width. Approximately 5 mi north of the VOR, I realized that with the tail wind I was still very high at 4500' MSL. I decided to turn my aircraft left to a heading of 150 degrees, putting me to the east of the VOR, and then when I was south of the VOR I would make a 180 degree turn right to enter a left downwind for runway 13. I was flying a wide pattern because of my excess altitude. I entered the left downwind at about 2500' MSL and descended to approximately 1500-1800' MSL before turning left base. At that point I called oth traffic and reported wide left base for runway 13. Oth FSS at that point came up and said, 'I have 2 aircraft on 123.6, air carrier please go ahead.' I then heard, 'air carrier, 5 mi north on left base 13, leaving 2000.' at that very moment my passenger and I heard the wow-wow-wow of slightly unsynchronized propellers and observed an air carrier light transport pass directly over our aircraft. I estimated the light transport was no more than 200' above us. He was in a rapid descent and we very shortly thereafter flew through his wake turbulence. I fully expected the light transport to continue to the final approach course for runway 13 and turn final. Because of his greater speed, I elected to continue my base leg. On approximately 2 mi left base, at 1000' MSL, I observed the light transport at about the same altitude as my aircraft fly through the final approach course and then execute a right 270 degree turn to final. The pilot then called, 'final for 13.' now at a 1 mi left base, sensing a possibility of a second near miss, I altered my approach to the right to follow well behind the light transport. I advised oth traffic that I was modified left base for runway 13, and that we were now #2 for the airport. I maintained altitude until turning final, I reduced to minimum approach speed of 65 KTS, and flew a short field type approach profile with a steep final. As I arrived over the threshold at 50-100', the light transport at the far end of the 5045' runway stated something to oth radio and then said they would have to back-taxi. Oth radio acknowledged and asked my position. I then stated I was short final and I would be down and stopped before the first turn off (which is located about 1200' down the runway). The light transport pilot then stated that they were still on the runway. At that point I decided to do a go around, but when I added power, the engine faltered. It did not quit, but coughed and sputtered. At that point, with very low airspeed and full flaps, I decided to continue to a landing. I did so and was down and stopped before the first turnoff. The horizontal distance between the stopped aircraft was approximately 4000'. At that point I knew why air carrier had to back-taxi. The runway had been plowed, but not all the taxiway entrances were clear. The first turn off that I was at had 10-15' of snow in a birm across it. Upon later examination the taxiway that air carrier would have used at the end of the runway was in the same condition. In retrospect, I believe many factors played a role in this incident: due to the hour of the day, I believe that fatigue may have played a factor. I believe that the light transport pilots never saw me on the left base. I have flown the same approach at night and my aircraft lights would have been hard to distinguish between the city lights from above and behind my position. Another factor would have been the light transport pilot's staying with the ARTCC until they were very close to the airport. They must not have heard my inbound call to the FSS or my downwind position. There is also the fact that the light transport did not fly a standard traffic pattern. They entered a high left base, nearly colliding with my aircraft in the descent, and then performed a right 270 degree turn into final. The oth FSS did not mention the snow birms or taxiway closures in any of their communications, nor were the taxiway closures listed in their NOTAMS, so I had no reason to believe that air carrier would do anything but turn off at the end. I think I may have overestimated the light transport speed due to the closeness with which he passed us. Otherwise I surely would not have been that close in trail. As for the engine sputtering, I think it had simply cooled to that point. I had been in a pwred back confign from 10500' all the way down to sea level in very cold air (0-20 degrees F). Since oth had not received any snow for 20 yrs, the people from the city had to use makeshift equipment (namely a road grader) to plow the runway. They apparently did not understand which taxiway entrances would be most vital, and therefore only plowed 2 near mid-field. This information was not provided in the NOTAMS or airport advisory. If it had been, I would have circled until the light transport was clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC IN TRAFFIC PATTERN, SECOND CONFLICT IN TRAFFIC PATTERN WITH SAME ACFT. UNAUTH LNDG WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON RWY DUE TO POSSIBLE ENGINE MALFUNCTION.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF 2/MON/89, BTWN XA30 AND XB45, I FLEW AN SMA FROM HILLSBORO, OR, TO NORTH BEND, OR. THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER VFR AT 10500' MSL. APCHING OTH ON A HDG OF 180 DEGS, I BEGAN DSNDING TO TFC PATTERN ALT WHILE TRACKING TO THE VOR ON THE 003 DEG R. THE NORTH BEND ARPT IS LOCATED 3.5 NM W OF THIS VOR ON THE 253 DEG R. AT 15 MI N I RECEIVED AN ARPT ADVISORY FOR RWY 13. I WAS ADVISED THAT 4/22 WAS CLOSED AND THAT THE RWY WAS PLOWED FULL WIDTH. APPROX 5 MI N OF THE VOR, I REALIZED THAT WITH THE TAIL WIND I WAS STILL VERY HIGH AT 4500' MSL. I DECIDED TO TURN MY ACFT LEFT TO A HDG OF 150 DEGS, PUTTING ME TO THE E OF THE VOR, AND THEN WHEN I WAS S OF THE VOR I WOULD MAKE A 180 DEG TURN RIGHT TO ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 13. I WAS FLYING A WIDE PATTERN BECAUSE OF MY EXCESS ALT. I ENTERED THE LEFT DOWNWIND AT ABOUT 2500' MSL AND DSNDED TO APPROX 1500-1800' MSL BEFORE TURNING LEFT BASE. AT THAT POINT I CALLED OTH TFC AND RPTED WIDE LEFT BASE FOR RWY 13. OTH FSS AT THAT POINT CAME UP AND SAID, 'I HAVE 2 ACFT ON 123.6, ACR PLEASE GO AHEAD.' I THEN HEARD, 'ACR, 5 MI N ON LEFT BASE 13, LEAVING 2000.' AT THAT VERY MOMENT MY PAX AND I HEARD THE WOW-WOW-WOW OF SLIGHTLY UNSYNCHRONIZED PROPS AND OBSERVED AN ACR LTT PASS DIRECTLY OVER OUR ACFT. I ESTIMATED THE LTT WAS NO MORE THAN 200' ABOVE US. HE WAS IN A RAPID DSCNT AND WE VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER FLEW THROUGH HIS WAKE TURB. I FULLY EXPECTED THE LTT TO CONTINUE TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR RWY 13 AND TURN FINAL. BECAUSE OF HIS GREATER SPD, I ELECTED TO CONTINUE MY BASE LEG. ON APPROX 2 MI LEFT BASE, AT 1000' MSL, I OBSERVED THE LTT AT ABOUT THE SAME ALT AS MY ACFT FLY THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE AND THEN EXECUTE A RIGHT 270 DEG TURN TO FINAL. THE PLT THEN CALLED, 'FINAL FOR 13.' NOW AT A 1 MI LEFT BASE, SENSING A POSSIBILITY OF A SECOND NEAR MISS, I ALTERED MY APCH TO THE RIGHT TO FOLLOW WELL BEHIND THE LTT. I ADVISED OTH TFC THAT I WAS MODIFIED LEFT BASE FOR RWY 13, AND THAT WE WERE NOW #2 FOR THE ARPT. I MAINTAINED ALT UNTIL TURNING FINAL, I REDUCED TO MINIMUM APCH SPD OF 65 KTS, AND FLEW A SHORT FIELD TYPE APCH PROFILE WITH A STEEP FINAL. AS I ARRIVED OVER THE THRESHOLD AT 50-100', THE LTT AT THE FAR END OF THE 5045' RWY STATED SOMETHING TO OTH RADIO AND THEN SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO BACK-TAXI. OTH RADIO ACKNOWLEDGED AND ASKED MY POS. I THEN STATED I WAS SHORT FINAL AND I WOULD BE DOWN AND STOPPED BEFORE THE FIRST TURN OFF (WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT 1200' DOWN THE RWY). THE LTT PLT THEN STATED THAT THEY WERE STILL ON THE RWY. AT THAT POINT I DECIDED TO DO A GAR, BUT WHEN I ADDED PWR, THE ENG FALTERED. IT DID NOT QUIT, BUT COUGHED AND SPUTTERED. AT THAT POINT, WITH VERY LOW AIRSPD AND FULL FLAPS, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO A LNDG. I DID SO AND WAS DOWN AND STOPPED BEFORE THE FIRST TURNOFF. THE HORIZ DISTANCE BTWN THE STOPPED ACFT WAS APPROX 4000'. AT THAT POINT I KNEW WHY ACR HAD TO BACK-TAXI. THE RWY HAD BEEN PLOWED, BUT NOT ALL THE TXWY ENTRANCES WERE CLR. THE FIRST TURN OFF THAT I WAS AT HAD 10-15' OF SNOW IN A BIRM ACROSS IT. UPON LATER EXAMINATION THE TXWY THAT ACR WOULD HAVE USED AT THE END OF THE RWY WAS IN THE SAME CONDITION. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE MANY FACTORS PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS INCIDENT: DUE TO THE HR OF THE DAY, I BELIEVE THAT FATIGUE MAY HAVE PLAYED A FACTOR. I BELIEVE THAT THE LTT PLTS NEVER SAW ME ON THE LEFT BASE. I HAVE FLOWN THE SAME APCH AT NIGHT AND MY ACFT LIGHTS WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD TO DISTINGUISH BTWN THE CITY LIGHTS FROM ABOVE AND BEHIND MY POS. ANOTHER FACTOR WOULD HAVE BEEN THE LTT PLT'S STAYING WITH THE ARTCC UNTIL THEY WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE ARPT. THEY MUST NOT HAVE HEARD MY INBND CALL TO THE FSS OR MY DOWNWIND POS. THERE IS ALSO THE FACT THAT THE LTT DID NOT FLY A STANDARD TFC PATTERN. THEY ENTERED A HIGH LEFT BASE, NEARLY COLLIDING WITH MY ACFT IN THE DSCNT, AND THEN PERFORMED A RIGHT 270 DEG TURN INTO FINAL. THE OTH FSS DID NOT MENTION THE SNOW BIRMS OR TXWY CLOSURES IN ANY OF THEIR COMS, NOR WERE THE TXWY CLOSURES LISTED IN THEIR NOTAMS, SO I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT ACR WOULD DO ANYTHING BUT TURN OFF AT THE END. I THINK I MAY HAVE OVERESTIMATED THE LTT SPD DUE TO THE CLOSENESS WITH WHICH HE PASSED US. OTHERWISE I SURELY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THAT CLOSE IN TRAIL. AS FOR THE ENG SPUTTERING, I THINK IT HAD SIMPLY COOLED TO THAT POINT. I HAD BEEN IN A PWRED BACK CONFIGN FROM 10500' ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SEA LEVEL IN VERY COLD AIR (0-20 DEGS F). SINCE OTH HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY SNOW FOR 20 YRS, THE PEOPLE FROM THE CITY HAD TO USE MAKESHIFT EQUIP (NAMELY A ROAD GRADER) TO PLOW THE RWY. THEY APPARENTLY DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHICH TXWY ENTRANCES WOULD BE MOST VITAL, AND THEREFORE ONLY PLOWED 2 NEAR MID-FIELD. THIS INFO WAS NOT PROVIDED IN THE NOTAMS OR ARPT ADVISORY. IF IT HAD BEEN, I WOULD HAVE CIRCLED UNTIL THE LTT WAS CLR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.