Narrative:

On may/mon/89, I was landing at montgomery county airpark, gaithersburg, md. The aircraft, an small aircraft X, was being flown at normal pattern altitude. While turning from the base to final leg, I observed an small aircraft Y on the active runway, runway 14. In order for me to avoid a hazardous situation, I performed an s-turn, flying slightly to the right of the final approach path. This consumed enough time for the small aircraft Y to depart, and for me to make a safe landing. The small aircraft Y on the runway apparently ignored 'broadcasts in the blind' made by my aircraft, giving its position during pattern entry, downwind, base and final. This was especially important because of extensive taxiway construction in progress at montgomery county airpark, necessitating backtaxiing on the active runway by departing aircraft. The departing small aircraft Y had failed to observe the safety procedure of monitoring the unicom frequency to be advised of the position of other traffic to avoid possible conflict. Considering the heavy traffic during that day, and the large number of other aircraft in the traffic pattern, I performed a safe, prudent maneuver. I did not fly at an excessively low altitude. I departed from the final approach path by approximately 100', well within the normal horizontal and vertical requirements for landing. The FAA district office at baltimore, md states I was flying at an excessively low altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT EXECUTES S-TURNS ON FINAL AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT TO PROVIDE SPACING FOR DEPARTING ACFT.

Narrative: ON MAY/MON/89, I WAS LNDG AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY AIRPARK, GAITHERSBURG, MD. THE ACFT, AN SMA X, WAS BEING FLOWN AT NORMAL PATTERN ALT. WHILE TURNING FROM THE BASE TO FINAL LEG, I OBSERVED AN SMA Y ON THE ACTIVE RWY, RWY 14. IN ORDER FOR ME TO AVOID A HAZARDOUS SITUATION, I PERFORMED AN S-TURN, FLYING SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT OF THE FINAL APCH PATH. THIS CONSUMED ENOUGH TIME FOR THE SMA Y TO DEPART, AND FOR ME TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG. THE SMA Y ON THE RWY APPARENTLY IGNORED 'BROADCASTS IN THE BLIND' MADE BY MY ACFT, GIVING ITS POSITION DURING PATTERN ENTRY, DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF EXTENSIVE TXWY CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY AIRPARK, NECESSITATING BACKTAXIING ON THE ACTIVE RWY BY DEPARTING ACFT. THE DEPARTING SMA Y HAD FAILED TO OBSERVE THE SAFETY PROC OF MONITORING THE UNICOM FREQ TO BE ADVISED OF THE POSITION OF OTHER TFC TO AVOID POSSIBLE CONFLICT. CONSIDERING THE HEAVY TFC DURING THAT DAY, AND THE LARGE NUMBER OF OTHER ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN, I PERFORMED A SAFE, PRUDENT MANEUVER. I DID NOT FLY AT AN EXCESSIVELY LOW ALT. I DEPARTED FROM THE FINAL APCH PATH BY APPROX 100', WELL WITHIN THE NORMAL HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LNDG. THE FAA DISTRICT OFFICE AT BALTIMORE, MD STATES I WAS FLYING AT AN EXCESSIVELY LOW ALT.

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.