Uncontrolled airport traffic pattern deviation for small aircraft on maintenance test flight.

Attributes
ACN	144363
Time
Date	199005
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : s88
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 228 flight time total : 19480 flight time type : 17
ASRS Report	144363
Events
Anomaly	other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Airplane had just completely been overhauled, both engine and airframe. Departed arlington airport for a test flight. This was the third test flight since receiving a new airworthy certificate on this airplane. Previous flts turn up a fuel leak and electrical problem. This flight was to check out the system to see if they were corrected. After takeoff I stayed in the pattern and flew for 35 mins over the top of the airport, in case of a problem with the previous write ups. The traffic pattern at this airport is left hand for runway 34 and right hand for runway 16. While staying over the airport I flew back and forth around 1000 east of the runway 16/34. Even though I was flying over to the east of the normal traffic pattern, perhaps I should have stayed at the airport in the pattern. At the time their was no traffic on the radio (as I was using the correct unicom frequency).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNCONTROLLED ARPT TRAFFIC PATTERN DEVIATION FOR SMA ON MAINTENANCE TEST FLT.

Narrative: AIRPLANE HAD JUST COMPLETELY BEEN OVERHAULED, BOTH ENG AND AIRFRAME. DEPARTED ARLINGTON ARPT FOR A TEST FLT. THIS WAS THE THIRD TEST FLT SINCE RECEIVING A NEW AIRWORTHY CERTIFICATE ON THIS AIRPLANE. PREVIOUS FLTS TURN UP A FUEL LEAK AND ELECTRICAL PROB. THIS FLT WAS TO CHK OUT THE SYS TO SEE IF THEY WERE CORRECTED. AFTER TKOF I STAYED IN THE PATTERN AND FLEW FOR 35 MINS OVER THE TOP OF THE ARPT, IN CASE OF A PROB WITH THE PREVIOUS WRITE UPS. THE TFC PATTERN AT THIS ARPT IS L HAND FOR RWY 34 AND R HAND FOR RWY 16. WHILE STAYING OVER THE ARPT I FLEW BACK AND FORTH AROUND 1000 E OF THE RWY 16/34. EVEN THOUGH I WAS FLYING OVER TO THE E OF THE NORMAL TFC PATTERN, PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE STAYED AT THE ARPT IN THE PATTERN. AT THE TIME THEIR WAS NO TFC ON THE RADIO (AS I WAS USING THE CORRECT UNICOM FREQ).

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.