Narrative:

This wheels-up landing was made in the course of a short local flight and a landing planned to be a variation of the normal landing routine. The turn-to-base was to be a descending turn from pattern altitude and at a point that would guarantee the runway if a serious engine malfunction should occur at this point. The plan was based on the hazard created by a large shopping plaza being built at the north end of the runway. Turbulence created by the large expanse of black top parking area was recognized as a second possible hazard. At the 45 degree turn to enter the downwind leg, I advised by radio that I was making the turn. Immediately, another aircraft advised that it was also making a turn to downwind. This alerted me to search for the aircraft in all possible directions, but not finding it, I concluded that it was somewhere behind me. However, I was now at the point to make the turn to base and had missed the normal gear-down routine. Making the turn to base and judging the flight path along with the descent went well and at the point of turn to final I had altitude to spare, so I started a series of slips to increase the rate of descent. This caused me to overlook part of the second routine, which includes a visual confirmation of the gear-down confign and is made after the roll-out of the turn to final. There is a common practice at uncontrolled airports such as clow international to enter the downwind leg of the pattern by flying directly across the airport (runway) at pattern altitude making a 90 degree left turn to downwind from inside the pattern. I have had the experience of a near miss with a high performance aircraft that did exactly that and passed behind at no more than 200 ft or so as I rolled out of the 45 degree right turn into the downwind leg. I have heard CFI's and in 1 instance an FAA designee state that there is nothing wrong with this practice! I strongly disagree for several reasons. One obvious reason is that it can put 2 aircraft in close proximity to each other, both going to the same place, and both aircraft belly-up to each other so neither pilot can see the other.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA COM PLT LANDED WHEELS UP AT AN UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: THIS WHEELS-UP LNDG WAS MADE IN THE COURSE OF A SHORT LCL FLT AND A LNDG PLANNED TO BE A VARIATION OF THE NORMAL LNDG ROUTINE. THE TURN-TO-BASE WAS TO BE A DSNDING TURN FROM PATTERN ALT AND AT A POINT THAT WOULD GUARANTEE THE RWY IF A SERIOUS ENG MALFUNCTION SHOULD OCCUR AT THIS POINT. THE PLAN WAS BASED ON THE HAZARD CREATED BY A LARGE SHOPPING PLAZA BEING BUILT AT THE N END OF THE RWY. TURB CREATED BY THE LARGE EXPANSE OF BLACK TOP PARKING AREA WAS RECOGNIZED AS A SECOND POSSIBLE HAZARD. AT THE 45 DEG TURN TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND LEG, I ADVISED BY RADIO THAT I WAS MAKING THE TURN. IMMEDIATELY, ANOTHER ACFT ADVISED THAT IT WAS ALSO MAKING A TURN TO DOWNWIND. THIS ALERTED ME TO SEARCH FOR THE ACFT IN ALL POSSIBLE DIRECTIONS, BUT NOT FINDING IT, I CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS SOMEWHERE BEHIND ME. HOWEVER, I WAS NOW AT THE POINT TO MAKE THE TURN TO BASE AND HAD MISSED THE NORMAL GEAR-DOWN ROUTINE. MAKING THE TURN TO BASE AND JUDGING THE FLT PATH ALONG WITH THE DSCNT WENT WELL AND AT THE POINT OF TURN TO FINAL I HAD ALT TO SPARE, SO I STARTED A SERIES OF SLIPS TO INCREASE THE RATE OF DSCNT. THIS CAUSED ME TO OVERLOOK PART OF THE SECOND ROUTINE, WHICH INCLUDES A VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF THE GEAR-DOWN CONFIGN AND IS MADE AFTER THE ROLL-OUT OF THE TURN TO FINAL. THERE IS A COMMON PRACTICE AT UNCTLED ARPTS SUCH AS CLOW INTL TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE PATTERN BY FLYING DIRECTLY ACROSS THE ARPT (RWY) AT PATTERN ALT MAKING A 90 DEG L TURN TO DOWNWIND FROM INSIDE THE PATTERN. I HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF A NEAR MISS WITH A HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT THAT DID EXACTLY THAT AND PASSED BEHIND AT NO MORE THAN 200 FT OR SO AS I ROLLED OUT OF THE 45 DEG R TURN INTO THE DOWNWIND LEG. I HAVE HEARD CFI'S AND IN 1 INSTANCE AN FAA DESIGNEE STATE THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS PRACTICE! I STRONGLY DISAGREE FOR SEVERAL REASONS. ONE OBVIOUS REASON IS THAT IT CAN PUT 2 ACFT IN CLOSE PROX TO EACH OTHER, BOTH GOING TO THE SAME PLACE, AND BOTH ACFT BELLY-UP TO EACH OTHER SO NEITHER PLT CAN SEE THE OTHER.

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.