Narrative:

I approached the airport from the south. Observed traffic, made a midfield x-over to examine sock, then entered left downwind for runway 4. Before the crosswind I advised my passenger, also a pilot, to help look for traffic. No threats were observed and we continued pattern, making radio calls for crosswind, downwind, and base leg. Just before turn to final a radio call was received from another aircraft querying us if we saw them on final approach. At that time I again scanned to the right and below the aircraft and saw an small aircraft on final. I immediately made a climbing right turn and the small aircraft continued to landing. I made a go around and landed. The small aircraft pilot stated he had made radio calls for each pattern leg (I did not hear them), and that he saw my aircraft just after turning to final, at which time he made his radio call. Contributing factors: 1) low visibility due to wings and nose attitude. 2) perhaps too much attention paid to runway environment, not enough to a long final from a wide pattern. 3) lack of radio calls by other pilot. I do not believe he called downwind or base or final leg. 4) my method of crosswind to downwind entry rather than the standard 45 degree entry. Crosswind to downwind not recommended by aim, bur practiced at uncontrolled fields often to examine windsock for magnitude of crosswind, especially in a tail-wheel aircraft. This practice is often used at controled airfields to bring traffic into pattern and habit carries over. My radio was working very well--so were my eyes--but scan may not have been wide enough to look for aircraft in a wide pattern (attention perhaps focused too much on runway area). Other pilot was not paying good attention to other aircraft or my radio calls, and he took the time for a radio call instead of immediate evasive action. I feel both pilots contributed to this near accident. We discussed it on the ground and hopefully this situation will not again rear its ugly head.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF BIPLANE SMT MAKES MIDFIELD CROSSWIND ENTRY DIRECTLY ONTO DOWNWIND OF NON TWR ARPT. TURNING FINAL ANOTHER ACFT WARNS REPORTER OF HIS PRESENCE, ALSO ON FINAL. REPORTER CLAIMS THAT OTHER ACFT MADE NO RADIO CALLS.

Narrative: I APCHED THE ARPT FROM THE S. OBSERVED TFC, MADE A MIDFIELD X-OVER TO EXAMINE SOCK, THEN ENTERED LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 4. BEFORE THE XWIND I ADVISED MY PAX, ALSO A PLT, TO HELP LOOK FOR TFC. NO THREATS WERE OBSERVED AND WE CONTINUED PATTERN, MAKING RADIO CALLS FOR XWIND, DOWNWIND, AND BASE LEG. JUST BEFORE TURN TO FINAL A RADIO CALL WAS RECEIVED FROM ANOTHER ACFT QUERYING US IF WE SAW THEM ON FINAL APCH. AT THAT TIME I AGAIN SCANNED TO THE RIGHT AND BELOW THE ACFT AND SAW AN SMA ON FINAL. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A CLBING RIGHT TURN AND THE SMA CONTINUED TO LNDG. I MADE A GAR AND LANDED. THE SMA PLT STATED HE HAD MADE RADIO CALLS FOR EACH PATTERN LEG (I DID NOT HEAR THEM), AND THAT HE SAW MY ACFT JUST AFTER TURNING TO FINAL, AT WHICH TIME HE MADE HIS RADIO CALL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) LOW VISIBILITY DUE TO WINGS AND NOSE ATTITUDE. 2) PERHAPS TOO MUCH ATTN PAID TO RWY ENVIRONMENT, NOT ENOUGH TO A LONG FINAL FROM A WIDE PATTERN. 3) LACK OF RADIO CALLS BY OTHER PLT. I DO NOT BELIEVE HE CALLED DOWNWIND OR BASE OR FINAL LEG. 4) MY METHOD OF XWIND TO DOWNWIND ENTRY RATHER THAN THE STANDARD 45 DEG ENTRY. XWIND TO DOWNWIND NOT RECOMMENDED BY AIM, BUR PRACTICED AT UNCONTROLLED FIELDS OFTEN TO EXAMINE WINDSOCK FOR MAGNITUDE OF XWIND, ESPECIALLY IN A TAIL-WHEEL ACFT. THIS PRACTICE IS OFTEN USED AT CTLED AIRFIELDS TO BRING TFC INTO PATTERN AND HABIT CARRIES OVER. MY RADIO WAS WORKING VERY WELL--SO WERE MY EYES--BUT SCAN MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WIDE ENOUGH TO LOOK FOR ACFT IN A WIDE PATTERN (ATTN PERHAPS FOCUSED TOO MUCH ON RWY AREA). OTHER PLT WAS NOT PAYING GOOD ATTN TO OTHER ACFT OR MY RADIO CALLS, AND HE TOOK THE TIME FOR A RADIO CALL INSTEAD OF IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION. I FEEL BOTH PLTS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS NEAR ACCIDENT. WE DISCUSSED IT ON THE GND AND HOPEFULLY THIS SITUATION WILL NOT AGAIN REAR ITS UGLY HEAD.

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.