Narrative:

A home owner near eureka murray airport claimed that I was too low during my approach to landing. I had just departed arcata airport, 11 mi away. 8 mi out I switched to murray unicom frequency and reported my position and intentions. Unicom was not manned and no one else seemed to be on frequency. As I approached for a right downwind for 29, I saw an small aircraft X on a right crosswind and inquired about his intentions. There was no response. By his distance out, I decided he was doing a right crosswind departure and continued in on my downwind at traffic pattern altitude (807 ft MSL) keeping him in sight. I called in on downwind. As I got abeam the numbers, an small aircraft Y reported right base. I looked, did not have him in sight and inquired as to a more exact position. There was no response. My transmitter had worked fine at arcata. I continued my downwind further to assure proper separation from him. On final, it would be into the sun and he would be difficult to see. I was on extended downwind when I saw my traffic on final. Due to rising terrain on downwind, I was flying closer to the ground without descending but was still at a safe altitude. I landed and was then informed that a home owner saw my 'north' number and claimed I was too low. Had communications between the pilots been better, this situation could have possibly been eliminated. Since there is no regulation requiring communication radios VFR or requiring reports in uncontrolled airport traffic patterns, pilots often ignore the radio. Had I known the position and intentions of both these aircraft, I may not have had to extend my downwind so far. In addition, at a federal level, homes should not be allowed to be built within 2 mi of established airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMT LOW CIVIL OP ON APCH TO EKA.

Narrative: A HOME OWNER NEAR EUREKA MURRAY ARPT CLAIMED THAT I WAS TOO LOW DURING MY APCH TO LNDG. I HAD JUST DEPARTED ARCATA ARPT, 11 MI AWAY. 8 MI OUT I SWITCHED TO MURRAY UNICOM FREQ AND RPTED MY POS AND INTENTIONS. UNICOM WAS NOT MANNED AND NO ONE ELSE SEEMED TO BE ON FREQ. AS I APCHED FOR A R DOWNWIND FOR 29, I SAW AN SMA X ON A R XWIND AND INQUIRED ABOUT HIS INTENTIONS. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. BY HIS DISTANCE OUT, I DECIDED HE WAS DOING A R XWIND DEP AND CONTINUED IN ON MY DOWNWIND AT TFC PATTERN ALT (807 FT MSL) KEEPING HIM IN SIGHT. I CALLED IN ON DOWNWIND. AS I GOT ABEAM THE NUMBERS, AN SMA Y RPTED R BASE. I LOOKED, DID NOT HAVE HIM IN SIGHT AND INQUIRED AS TO A MORE EXACT POS. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. MY XMITTER HAD WORKED FINE AT ARCATA. I CONTINUED MY DOWNWIND FURTHER TO ASSURE PROPER SEPARATION FROM HIM. ON FINAL, IT WOULD BE INTO THE SUN AND HE WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SEE. I WAS ON EXTENDED DOWNWIND WHEN I SAW MY TFC ON FINAL. DUE TO RISING TERRAIN ON DOWNWIND, I WAS FLYING CLOSER TO THE GND WITHOUT DSNDING BUT WAS STILL AT A SAFE ALT. I LANDED AND WAS THEN INFORMED THAT A HOME OWNER SAW MY 'N' NUMBER AND CLAIMED I WAS TOO LOW. HAD COMS BTWN THE PLTS BEEN BETTER, THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN ELIMINATED. SINCE THERE IS NO REG REQUIRING COM RADIOS VFR OR REQUIRING RPTS IN UNCTLED ARPT TFC PATTERNS, PLTS OFTEN IGNORE THE RADIO. HAD I KNOWN THE POS AND INTENTIONS OF BOTH THESE ACFT, I MAY NOT HAVE HAD TO EXTEND MY DOWNWIND SO FAR. IN ADDITION, AT A FEDERAL LEVEL, HOMES SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE BUILT WITHIN 2 MI OF ESTABLISHED ARPTS.

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.