Narrative:

I was returning to home base after having departed the same morning on a short cross country trip. An aerobatic competition was in progress. Knowing this, I monitored the CTAF starting 15 mi out. At 10 mi northeast I announced my position and my intentions to land on runway 19 by entering the left downwind leg from west of the town and the airport, crossing over midfield. I chose this approach because I know the aerobatic box was east of the runway. I didn't know how far east. My intention was to fly a standard pattern at the uncontrolled field (no unicom) with min disruption to traffic. I made the same complete announcement at 4 mi north of the airport after I heard a landing small aircraft and a small aircraft (unknown whether landing or departing) announcing on the CTAF. I again made the same complete announcement 1 mi west of midfield -- to enter a left downwind leg for runway 19 at pattern altitude -- 800 ft AGL. At midfield, one of 3 aggressively scanning passenger reported a shadow passing quickly overhead. Someone on the CTAF, probably a spectator on the ground (no unicom), reported the aerobatic competition in progress and said they were using right traffic for runway 19. I noticed the aerobatic box markers very close to the runway as I crossed midfield. I asked to complete left traffic as I was nearing the base turn, and noticed an small aircraft who announced a right base for 19. No previous position report was heard from the small aircraft or the observer. I announced that I would follow the small aircraft on final for 19. After we taxied in for fuel, we learned that the small aircraft had passed directly over us at an unknown distance (the people on the ground were somewhat alarmed). I had not called for WX and NOTAMS on the day described, and was not aware of right traffic for runway 19. I had departed and returned to the airport the day before during aerobatic activity. On this day I did call WX and was given no NOTAMS until I pressed for them because I was aware of the aerobatic activity. I was given one then that did not give right traffic -- as read to me. I also called for NOTAMS before departing the day after the first description, had to ask twice before given one -- no right turn mentioned. I would like the aerobatic competition to return, I would like the airport to remain open to traffic, and I would like the airspace to be safer. I can understand that a pilot performing maneuvers in aerobatic competition will not be listening very intently to the CTAF. I would strongly suggest as an alternative that the contest personnel have someone on the ground monitor the CTAF and inform local and competing pilots of traffic as necessary for safety. In this type of situation, visual scanning should be supplemented with position reports from all pilots or contest personnel aiding them on the ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT FLEW INTO UNCTLED TFC PATTERN DURING AEROBATIC COMPETITION AND LANDED CAUSING SPECTATORS TO WORRY ABOUT A POSSIBLE COLLISION.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING TO HOME BASE AFTER HAVING DEPARTED THE SAME MORNING ON A SHORT XCOUNTRY TRIP. AN AEROBATIC COMPETITION WAS IN PROGRESS. KNOWING THIS, I MONITORED THE CTAF STARTING 15 MI OUT. AT 10 MI NE I ANNOUNCED MY POS AND MY INTENTIONS TO LAND ON RWY 19 BY ENTERING THE L DOWNWIND LEG FROM W OF THE TOWN AND THE ARPT, XING OVER MIDFIELD. I CHOSE THIS APCH BECAUSE I KNOW THE AEROBATIC BOX WAS E OF THE RWY. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW FAR E. MY INTENTION WAS TO FLY A STANDARD PATTERN AT THE UNCTLED FIELD (NO UNICOM) WITH MIN DISRUPTION TO TFC. I MADE THE SAME COMPLETE ANNOUNCEMENT AT 4 MI N OF THE ARPT AFTER I HEARD A LNDG SMA AND A SMA (UNKNOWN WHETHER LNDG OR DEPARTING) ANNOUNCING ON THE CTAF. I AGAIN MADE THE SAME COMPLETE ANNOUNCEMENT 1 MI W OF MIDFIELD -- TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 19 AT PATTERN ALT -- 800 FT AGL. AT MIDFIELD, ONE OF 3 AGGRESSIVELY SCANNING PAX RPTED A SHADOW PASSING QUICKLY OVERHEAD. SOMEONE ON THE CTAF, PROBABLY A SPECTATOR ON THE GND (NO UNICOM), RPTED THE AEROBATIC COMPETITION IN PROGRESS AND SAID THEY WERE USING R TFC FOR RWY 19. I NOTICED THE AEROBATIC BOX MARKERS VERY CLOSE TO THE RWY AS I CROSSED MIDFIELD. I ASKED TO COMPLETE L TFC AS I WAS NEARING THE BASE TURN, AND NOTICED AN SMA WHO ANNOUNCED A R BASE FOR 19. NO PREVIOUS POS RPT WAS HEARD FROM THE SMA OR THE OBSERVER. I ANNOUNCED THAT I WOULD FOLLOW THE SMA ON FINAL FOR 19. AFTER WE TAXIED IN FOR FUEL, WE LEARNED THAT THE SMA HAD PASSED DIRECTLY OVER US AT AN UNKNOWN DISTANCE (THE PEOPLE ON THE GND WERE SOMEWHAT ALARMED). I HAD NOT CALLED FOR WX AND NOTAMS ON THE DAY DESCRIBED, AND WAS NOT AWARE OF R TFC FOR RWY 19. I HAD DEPARTED AND RETURNED TO THE ARPT THE DAY BEFORE DURING AEROBATIC ACTIVITY. ON THIS DAY I DID CALL WX AND WAS GIVEN NO NOTAMS UNTIL I PRESSED FOR THEM BECAUSE I WAS AWARE OF THE AEROBATIC ACTIVITY. I WAS GIVEN ONE THEN THAT DID NOT GIVE R TFC -- AS READ TO ME. I ALSO CALLED FOR NOTAMS BEFORE DEPARTING THE DAY AFTER THE FIRST DESCRIPTION, HAD TO ASK TWICE BEFORE GIVEN ONE -- NO R TURN MENTIONED. I WOULD LIKE THE AEROBATIC COMPETITION TO RETURN, I WOULD LIKE THE ARPT TO REMAIN OPEN TO TFC, AND I WOULD LIKE THE AIRSPACE TO BE SAFER. I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT A PLT PERFORMING MANEUVERS IN AEROBATIC COMPETITION WILL NOT BE LISTENING VERY INTENTLY TO THE CTAF. I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST AS AN ALTERNATIVE THAT THE CONTEST PERSONNEL HAVE SOMEONE ON THE GND MONITOR THE CTAF AND INFORM LCL AND COMPETING PLTS OF TFC AS NECESSARY FOR SAFETY. IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION, VISUAL SCANNING SHOULD BE SUPPLEMENTED WITH POS RPTS FROM ALL PLTS OR CONTEST PERSONNEL AIDING THEM ON THE GND.

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.