Narrative:

While giving rides to relatives, I gave them tours of the grants pass area and stayed well above and away from the air traffic area. This airport has left traffic for runway 30, in use that day. During my stay I made several standard left traffic lndgs without incident. However, on 1 'hop,' I made the mistake of doing a 'straight in,' announcing myself on 122.8, the local CTAF/unicom frequency. Another plane, a high wing, was where he was supposed to be, making a standard left hand approach. On final, because of our respective wing configns, we were not visible to each other. As a result, I passed over him, he broke off his approach, and we both landed without incident. He was announcing himself on the radio, but, unknown to anyone, his transmitter was not working. After we landed, we discussed the chain of events and left each other on good terms. He went to get his radio fixed and I thought about the errors I made. Please see back page for analysis. I never made a nonstandard approach to an uncontrolled airport prior to this incident, and never will again. The recommended traffic patterns exist so everyone does it the same way, reducing surprises. The chain of events: my nonstandard approach, the wing configns (classic case), the nonworking transmitter, could have ended up on the front pages of the newspapers. Thank god, things turned out ok. Because of the broken transmitter and the fact that our wings were blocking each other, I wasn't even aware there was a problem until the other pilot spoke to me. Never make nonstandard approachs, unless requested by ATC, or if an emergency. Keep your eyes outside the cockpit and tune out distrs, such as kids in the rear seats. Never assume the other aircraft have radios or that they are working. Although I was at fault, never assume the other pilot is going to follow the rules.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS NMAC WITH ACFT ON FINAL AT UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE GIVING RIDES TO RELATIVES, I GAVE THEM TOURS OF THE GRANTS PASS AREA AND STAYED WELL ABOVE AND AWAY FROM THE ATA. THIS ARPT HAS L TFC FOR RWY 30, IN USE THAT DAY. DURING MY STAY I MADE SEVERAL STANDARD L TFC LNDGS WITHOUT INCIDENT. HOWEVER, ON 1 'HOP,' I MADE THE MISTAKE OF DOING A 'STRAIGHT IN,' ANNOUNCING MYSELF ON 122.8, THE LCL CTAF/UNICOM FREQ. ANOTHER PLANE, A HIGH WING, WAS WHERE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, MAKING A STANDARD L HAND APCH. ON FINAL, BECAUSE OF OUR RESPECTIVE WING CONFIGNS, WE WERE NOT VISIBLE TO EACH OTHER. AS A RESULT, I PASSED OVER HIM, HE BROKE OFF HIS APCH, AND WE BOTH LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HE WAS ANNOUNCING HIMSELF ON THE RADIO, BUT, UNKNOWN TO ANYONE, HIS XMITTER WAS NOT WORKING. AFTER WE LANDED, WE DISCUSSED THE CHAIN OF EVENTS AND LEFT EACH OTHER ON GOOD TERMS. HE WENT TO GET HIS RADIO FIXED AND I THOUGHT ABOUT THE ERRORS I MADE. PLEASE SEE BACK PAGE FOR ANALYSIS. I NEVER MADE A NONSTANDARD APCH TO AN UNCTLED ARPT PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, AND NEVER WILL AGAIN. THE RECOMMENDED TFC PATTERNS EXIST SO EVERYONE DOES IT THE SAME WAY, REDUCING SURPRISES. THE CHAIN OF EVENTS: MY NONSTANDARD APCH, THE WING CONFIGNS (CLASSIC CASE), THE NONWORKING XMITTER, COULD HAVE ENDED UP ON THE FRONT PAGES OF THE NEWSPAPERS. THANK GOD, THINGS TURNED OUT OK. BECAUSE OF THE BROKEN XMITTER AND THE FACT THAT OUR WINGS WERE BLOCKING EACH OTHER, I WASN'T EVEN AWARE THERE WAS A PROBLEM UNTIL THE OTHER PLT SPOKE TO ME. NEVER MAKE NONSTANDARD APCHS, UNLESS REQUESTED BY ATC, OR IF AN EMER. KEEP YOUR EYES OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT AND TUNE OUT DISTRS, SUCH AS KIDS IN THE REAR SEATS. NEVER ASSUME THE OTHER ACFT HAVE RADIOS OR THAT THEY ARE WORKING. ALTHOUGH I WAS AT FAULT, NEVER ASSUME THE OTHER PLT IS GOING TO FOLLOW THE RULES.

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.