Narrative:

Ours is a corporate aircraft which was on a business flight which departed reno for truckee which are only about 20 mi apart on a good VFR day. There is a mountain ridge separating the 2 airports. As I entered the pass reno departure control terminated radar service saying we were 10 mi north of truckee. I called unicom for an advisory and they recommended runway 19 with winds out of the south about 10 KTS. Now, about 7 mi out I was looking straight down 19 and I hadn't heard any other traffic so I called a 7 mi final having decided a straight-in would be ok. Then an small aircraft, aircraft Y, called a right 45 entry for runway 19. I was still indicating about 140 KTS so I felt there would be no conflict but I called a 5 mi final just to alert him of my presence. Much to my amazement he quickly called base leg. I called 1/2 mi final and asked if he had me in sight and he said no. I was surprised by his base call because had I been in his place I would have extended downwind rather than turn base until I had the aircraft on final in sight. As I was on short final I saw him off to my right banking away. He reported me in sight and said he would do a 360 degree turn. During this time I quickly debated in my mind what action I should take. In retrospect I feel I should have departed the pattern to the left and in a climb and come around for another approach. However, at the time I remember thinking I was in position to land and was wondering why this guy turned base when he did and so I pressed on. That's when I saw him. I completed my landing as unicom was advising me that straight-in's were discouraged and were the leading cause of midair collisions. On the ground I found out the small aircraft pilot was a rather low-time pilot and had been frightened. He was also angry. I now realize that I shouldn't have attempted the straight-in, especially after having the other aircraft in the pattern. There were several times at which I could have broken off the approach and yet I rationalized the situation. I'm much faster, I can complete the approach and landing before he becomes a factor, and surely he won't turn base having heard me on final. This points out why straight-in's are dangerous. Also I assumed the other guy had a level of experience that would have prevented a close call. I was the one with the experience and yet I exercised very poor judgement in this situation. I was trying to expedite our flight and avoid circling back for a normal traffic pattern yet I now realize I sacrificed a great deal of safety to do that. Never again!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC AT NON TWR ARPT UNICOM AS ARR SMT MAKES A STRAIGHT IN APCH AND IS AVOIDED BY SMA BASE FINAL.

Narrative: OURS IS A CORPORATE ACFT WHICH WAS ON A BUSINESS FLT WHICH DEPARTED RENO FOR TRUCKEE WHICH ARE ONLY ABOUT 20 MI APART ON A GOOD VFR DAY. THERE IS A MOUNTAIN RIDGE SEPARATING THE 2 ARPTS. AS I ENTERED THE PASS RENO DEP CTL TERMINATED RADAR SERVICE SAYING WE WERE 10 MI N OF TRUCKEE. I CALLED UNICOM FOR AN ADVISORY AND THEY RECOMMENDED RWY 19 WITH WINDS OUT OF THE S ABOUT 10 KTS. NOW, ABOUT 7 MI OUT I WAS LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN 19 AND I HADN'T HEARD ANY OTHER TFC SO I CALLED A 7 MI FINAL HAVING DECIDED A STRAIGHT-IN WOULD BE OK. THEN AN SMA, ACFT Y, CALLED A RIGHT 45 ENTRY FOR RWY 19. I WAS STILL INDICATING ABOUT 140 KTS SO I FELT THERE WOULD BE NO CONFLICT BUT I CALLED A 5 MI FINAL JUST TO ALERT HIM OF MY PRESENCE. MUCH TO MY AMAZEMENT HE QUICKLY CALLED BASE LEG. I CALLED 1/2 MI FINAL AND ASKED IF HE HAD ME IN SIGHT AND HE SAID NO. I WAS SURPRISED BY HIS BASE CALL BECAUSE HAD I BEEN IN HIS PLACE I WOULD HAVE EXTENDED DOWNWIND RATHER THAN TURN BASE UNTIL I HAD THE ACFT ON FINAL IN SIGHT. AS I WAS ON SHORT FINAL I SAW HIM OFF TO MY RIGHT BANKING AWAY. HE REPORTED ME IN SIGHT AND SAID HE WOULD DO A 360 DEG TURN. DURING THIS TIME I QUICKLY DEBATED IN MY MIND WHAT ACTION I SHOULD TAKE. IN RETROSPECT I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE DEPARTED THE PATTERN TO THE LEFT AND IN A CLIMB AND COME AROUND FOR ANOTHER APCH. HOWEVER, AT THE TIME I REMEMBER THINKING I WAS IN POSITION TO LAND AND WAS WONDERING WHY THIS GUY TURNED BASE WHEN HE DID AND SO I PRESSED ON. THAT'S WHEN I SAW HIM. I COMPLETED MY LNDG AS UNICOM WAS ADVISING ME THAT STRAIGHT-IN'S WERE DISCOURAGED AND WERE THE LEADING CAUSE OF MIDAIR COLLISIONS. ON THE GND I FOUND OUT THE SMA PLT WAS A RATHER LOW-TIME PLT AND HAD BEEN FRIGHTENED. HE WAS ALSO ANGRY. I NOW REALIZE THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE ATTEMPTED THE STRAIGHT-IN, ESPECIALLY AFTER HAVING THE OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN. THERE WERE SEVERAL TIMES AT WHICH I COULD HAVE BROKEN OFF THE APCH AND YET I RATIONALIZED THE SITUATION. I'M MUCH FASTER, I CAN COMPLETE THE APCH AND LNDG BEFORE HE BECOMES A FACTOR, AND SURELY HE WON'T TURN BASE HAVING HEARD ME ON FINAL. THIS POINTS OUT WHY STRAIGHT-IN'S ARE DANGEROUS. ALSO I ASSUMED THE OTHER GUY HAD A LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED A CLOSE CALL. I WAS THE ONE WITH THE EXPERIENCE AND YET I EXERCISED VERY POOR JUDGEMENT IN THIS SITUATION. I WAS TRYING TO EXPEDITE OUR FLT AND AVOID CIRCLING BACK FOR A NORMAL TFC PATTERN YET I NOW REALIZE I SACRIFICED A GREAT DEAL OF SAFETY TO DO THAT. NEVER AGAIN!

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.