Small transport circle to land turns wrong direction, enters air traffic area of NAS.

Attributes
ACN	158063
Time
Date	199009
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : flx
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : nfl
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : circling
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 4000
ASRS Report	158063
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was inbound to fallon municipal on IFR visibility approach from hzn VOR. I cancelled and went to unicom and requested traffic advisory (and got no response). I flew over the airport, looked at the segmented circle, and circled to land to the right (southeast). As soon as I turned to the south, I was looking down the fallon NAS runway where an mlt had just departed. The mlt and my small transport got to about 3 mi from each other when I got on the ground, fallon NAS tower personnel were waiting to talk to me on the phone. I obviously should have circled to the west for left traffic. My preflight study of the approach plate did not show me this. I was expecting to shoot the VOR approach to landing. Ways this could have been prevented: better preflight study of VFR map. Circling restriction added to VOR approach plate. Circling instructions from fallon approach when cleared for the visibility. Notes on air traffic area added to VFR airport guides. Pattern marks on segmented circle. Unicom operator who answers the radio. Also, the segmented circle is on opp side of airport from the tetrahedron. I saw segmented circle but not the tetrahedron.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT CIRCLE TO LAND TURNS WRONG DIRECTION, ENTERS ATA OF NAS.

Narrative: I WAS INBND TO FALLON MUNI ON IFR VIS APCH FROM HZN VOR. I CANCELLED AND WENT TO UNICOM AND REQUESTED TFC ADVISORY (AND GOT NO RESPONSE). I FLEW OVER THE ARPT, LOOKED AT THE SEGMENTED CIRCLE, AND CIRCLED TO LAND TO THE R (SE). AS SOON AS I TURNED TO THE S, I WAS LOOKING DOWN THE FALLON NAS RWY WHERE AN MLT HAD JUST DEPARTED. THE MLT AND MY SMT GOT TO ABOUT 3 MI FROM EACH OTHER WHEN I GOT ON THE GND, FALLON NAS TWR PERSONNEL WERE WAITING TO TALK TO ME ON THE PHONE. I OBVIOUSLY SHOULD HAVE CIRCLED TO THE W FOR L TFC. MY PREFLT STUDY OF THE APCH PLATE DID NOT SHOW ME THIS. I WAS EXPECTING TO SHOOT THE VOR APCH TO LNDG. WAYS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED: BETTER PREFLT STUDY OF VFR MAP. CIRCLING RESTRICTION ADDED TO VOR APCH PLATE. CIRCLING INSTRUCTIONS FROM FALLON APCH WHEN CLRED FOR THE VIS. NOTES ON ATA ADDED TO VFR ARPT GUIDES. PATTERN MARKS ON SEGMENTED CIRCLE. UNICOM OPERATOR WHO ANSWERS THE RADIO. ALSO, THE SEGMENTED CIRCLE IS ON OPP SIDE OF ARPT FROM THE TETRAHEDRON. I SAW SEGMENTED CIRCLE BUT NOT THE TETRAHEDRON.

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.