Narrative:

I had just completed and cancelled my IFR flight plan from asheville regional airport (avl) in asheville, nc, to mccollum, and changed to unicom 122.7 approximately 2 mi from hobbo (5.4 NM from the field). I would estimate the visibility and ceilings while entering the approach course as less than 5 mi in haze, and about 5000 ft MSL broken. I had been listening to the mccollum unicom frequency while traversing the north portion of the atlanta TCA, still under control of atlanta approach, on 119.3, and subsequently 121.0. On being released to change to local advisory frequency by atlanta approach, I called unicom for local advisories, and was told that the active runway was 27, with one airplane in the pattern, and 2 waiting to takeoff. I announced my position at hobbo, inbound, over the mall (a local reporting point), and 2 mi from the field. At the time of my arrival, I observed 1 airplane, an small aircraft a on left base for 27, and another, an small aircraft B departing 27. I subsequently decided to cross midfield at 2500 ft MSL, and enter the left downwind leg for 27 at pattern altitude, 2000 ft MSL. After announcing my intention over unicom, and executing these maneuvers, I heard 1 pilot ask the other if that individual had seen me cut him off. I looked around, but the only other plane I could see was downwind at the departure end of 27. I apologized on the radio, and looked around to see if anyone had needed to break off, extend their pattern, do a go around, etc, but it seemed as if there was adequate separation of all the aircraft involved and everyone continued flying in the pattern without interruption. After landing, I stopped in at the FBO, and one of the personnel who had apparently overheard the conversation stated that the pilot that had spoken up was one of their CFI's. He added that although the midfield entry was not illegal, the aim stated a preference for the standard 45 degree entry into the downwind, and that he would probably have circled the airport and performed the 45 degree entry into the downwind. From now on, I think the safest way to deal with this is to attempt to control my speed so as to allow adequate separation for a straight-in approach to the runway from the instrument approach after entering VMC conditions, or if this is not possible, to circle the airfield from the upwind leg and teardrop into a 45 degree entry into the downwind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA MADE MIDFIELD ENTRY TO TFC PATTERN AT UNCTLED ARPT ALLEGEDLY CUT OUT AN SMA IN TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: I HAD JUST COMPLETED AND CANCELLED MY IFR FLT PLAN FROM ASHEVILLE REGIONAL ARPT (AVL) IN ASHEVILLE, NC, TO MCCOLLUM, AND CHANGED TO UNICOM 122.7 APPROX 2 MI FROM HOBBO (5.4 NM FROM THE FIELD). I WOULD ESTIMATE THE VISIBILITY AND CEILINGS WHILE ENTERING THE APCH COURSE AS LESS THAN 5 MI IN HAZE, AND ABOUT 5000 FT MSL BROKEN. I HAD BEEN LISTENING TO THE MCCOLLUM UNICOM FREQ WHILE TRAVERSING THE N PORTION OF THE ATLANTA TCA, STILL UNDER CTL OF ATLANTA APCH, ON 119.3, AND SUBSEQUENTLY 121.0. ON BEING RELEASED TO CHANGE TO LCL ADVISORY FREQ BY ATLANTA APCH, I CALLED UNICOM FOR LCL ADVISORIES, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ACTIVE RWY WAS 27, WITH ONE AIRPLANE IN THE PATTERN, AND 2 WAITING TO TKOF. I ANNOUNCED MY POS AT HOBBO, INBOUND, OVER THE MALL (A LCL RPTING POINT), AND 2 MI FROM THE FIELD. AT THE TIME OF MY ARR, I OBSERVED 1 AIRPLANE, AN SMA A ON L BASE FOR 27, AND ANOTHER, AN SMA B DEPARTING 27. I SUBSEQUENTLY DECIDED TO CROSS MIDFIELD AT 2500 FT MSL, AND ENTER THE L DOWNWIND LEG FOR 27 AT PATTERN ALT, 2000 FT MSL. AFTER ANNOUNCING MY INTENTION OVER UNICOM, AND EXECUTING THESE MANEUVERS, I HEARD 1 PLT ASK THE OTHER IF THAT INDIVIDUAL HAD SEEN ME CUT HIM OFF. I LOOKED AROUND, BUT THE ONLY OTHER PLANE I COULD SEE WAS DOWNWIND AT THE DEP END OF 27. I APOLOGIZED ON THE RADIO, AND LOOKED AROUND TO SEE IF ANYONE HAD NEEDED TO BREAK OFF, EXTEND THEIR PATTERN, DO A GAR, ETC, BUT IT SEEMED AS IF THERE WAS ADEQUATE SEPARATION OF ALL THE ACFT INVOLVED AND EVERYONE CONTINUED FLYING IN THE PATTERN WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. AFTER LNDG, I STOPPED IN AT THE FBO, AND ONE OF THE PERSONNEL WHO HAD APPARENTLY OVERHEARD THE CONVERSATION STATED THAT THE PLT THAT HAD SPOKEN UP WAS ONE OF THEIR CFI'S. HE ADDED THAT ALTHOUGH THE MIDFIELD ENTRY WAS NOT ILLEGAL, THE AIM STATED A PREFERENCE FOR THE STANDARD 45 DEG ENTRY INTO THE DOWNWIND, AND THAT HE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE CIRCLED THE ARPT AND PERFORMED THE 45 DEG ENTRY INTO THE DOWNWIND. FROM NOW ON, I THINK THE SAFEST WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS IS TO ATTEMPT TO CTL MY SPD SO AS TO ALLOW ADEQUATE SEPARATION FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO THE RWY FROM THE INST APCH AFTER ENTERING VMC CONDITIONS, OR IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, TO CIRCLE THE AIRFIELD FROM THE UPWIND LEG AND TEARDROP INTO A 45 DEG ENTRY INTO THE DOWNWIND.

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.