Narrative:

It was a beautiful saturday--perfect for flying--and I took advantage of it by setting out to practice airwork and lndgs. Hamilton airport--my home field--is a quiet, country grass strip with no services and low activity. It is rare to share the pattern with another aircraft--so rare, in fact, that I can recall doing so on only a handful of occasions in my 4 yrs there. When I arrived this day, however, I missed my first warning--several other hangars were open and empty. After an hour of practicing airwork I returned to practice lndgs. Once again I was alone in the pattern, and set about a series of touch and go's. Although distant smoke suggested that the winds just above the surface were wnw, favoring an approach from the south, the wind sock indicated light/variable winds, mostly from the so. In deference to the sock, I chose to land south. After 3 circuits, however, it was clear that the winds just above the surface were indeed northwest, and that my approachs would benefit from the headwind if I were to change direction. Believing I was still alone in the pattern, I did something I have never done before, and that I now know I will never do again. After executing a balked landing, I extended my upwind leg slightly and made a left-hand teardrop turn to a final for a landing to the north. As I made the turn I scanned the pattern--seeing nothing, I continued. As I tilted upward in the flare, I was confronted with small aircraft Y, approximately mid-field, executing a balked landing perhaps 100' above and to the west of the runway centerline. After the other aircraft passed, I executed a takeoff. As I turned crosswind, I looked over my shoulder in time to observe the other aircraft performing the same maneuver I had just completed. A discussion with the pilot of small aircraft Y revealed that he had lined up behind me in the pattern, expecting to make a normal landing, and that he had elected to make an early go around when it became apparent that I hadn't seen him. He wasn't angry--only surprised. I daresay that he was a damn sight more charitable toward me than I would have been toward him, had our roles been reversed. The lessons are obvious: 1) the pattern procedures recommended by the aim are especially important at airports with infrequent traffic, where surprise encounters can have disastrous results; 2) time and experience do not immunize us against the consequences of stupid acts; and 3) reread lesson #2.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN 2 SMA'S IN TRAFFIC PATTERN AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT.

Narrative: IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SATURDAY--PERFECT FOR FLYING--AND I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT BY SETTING OUT TO PRACTICE AIRWORK AND LNDGS. HAMILTON ARPT--MY HOME FIELD--IS A QUIET, COUNTRY GRASS STRIP WITH NO SVCS AND LOW ACTIVITY. IT IS RARE TO SHARE THE PATTERN WITH ANOTHER ACFT--SO RARE, IN FACT, THAT I CAN RECALL DOING SO ON ONLY A HANDFUL OF OCCASIONS IN MY 4 YRS THERE. WHEN I ARRIVED THIS DAY, HOWEVER, I MISSED MY FIRST WARNING--SEVERAL OTHER HANGARS WERE OPEN AND EMPTY. AFTER AN HR OF PRACTICING AIRWORK I RETURNED TO PRACTICE LNDGS. ONCE AGAIN I WAS ALONE IN THE PATTERN, AND SET ABOUT A SERIES OF TOUCH AND GO'S. ALTHOUGH DISTANT SMOKE SUGGESTED THAT THE WINDS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE WERE WNW, FAVORING AN APCH FROM THE S, THE WIND SOCK INDICATED LIGHT/VARIABLE WINDS, MOSTLY FROM THE SO. IN DEFERENCE TO THE SOCK, I CHOSE TO LAND S. AFTER 3 CIRCUITS, HOWEVER, IT WAS CLR THAT THE WINDS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE WERE INDEED NW, AND THAT MY APCHS WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE HEADWIND IF I WERE TO CHANGE DIRECTION. BELIEVING I WAS STILL ALONE IN THE PATTERN, I DID SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE, AND THAT I NOW KNOW I WILL NEVER DO AGAIN. AFTER EXECUTING A BALKED LNDG, I EXTENDED MY UPWIND LEG SLIGHTLY AND MADE A LEFT-HAND TEARDROP TURN TO A FINAL FOR A LNDG TO THE N. AS I MADE THE TURN I SCANNED THE PATTERN--SEEING NOTHING, I CONTINUED. AS I TILTED UPWARD IN THE FLARE, I WAS CONFRONTED WITH SMA Y, APPROX MID-FIELD, EXECUTING A BALKED LNDG PERHAPS 100' ABOVE AND TO THE W OF THE RWY CTRLINE. AFTER THE OTHER ACFT PASSED, I EXECUTED A TKOF. AS I TURNED XWIND, I LOOKED OVER MY SHOULDER IN TIME TO OBSERVE THE OTHER ACFT PERFORMING THE SAME MANEUVER I HAD JUST COMPLETED. A DISCUSSION WITH THE PLT OF SMA Y REVEALED THAT HE HAD LINED UP BEHIND ME IN THE PATTERN, EXPECTING TO MAKE A NORMAL LNDG, AND THAT HE HAD ELECTED TO MAKE AN EARLY GAR WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT I HADN'T SEEN HIM. HE WASN'T ANGRY--ONLY SURPRISED. I DARESAY THAT HE WAS A DAMN SIGHT MORE CHARITABLE TOWARD ME THAN I WOULD HAVE BEEN TOWARD HIM, HAD OUR ROLES BEEN REVERSED. THE LESSONS ARE OBVIOUS: 1) THE PATTERN PROCS RECOMMENDED BY THE AIM ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AT ARPTS WITH INFREQUENT TFC, WHERE SURPRISE ENCOUNTERS CAN HAVE DISASTROUS RESULTS; 2) TIME AND EXPERIENCE DO NOT IMMUNIZE US AGAINST THE CONSEQUENCES OF STUPID ACTS; AND 3) REREAD LESSON #2.

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.