Potential conflict at a non tower airport while setting up for a pass over the airport.

Attributes
ACN	242195
Time
Date	199305
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 9a9
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 1600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	242195
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1500 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After participating as a spectator an the annual 'skyboat fly in ' located at shifflet field (9a9), I departed on runway 10 with the intention of making a pass back over the field before departing for gso. As I turned downwind, I noticed a biplane in my 4 O'clock position. I continued and turned to base and final. As I followed out to begin my pass over the field, the aforementioned aircraft seemed to be closing. There was no communication with the aircraft, therefore, I did not know of his intentions. Since the aircraft was on my left side I decided to alter my course to the right and abandoned the airport traffic pattern without further incident. This event, while not a serious safety concern, should alert pilots to the obvious need to exercise proper visual separation and communication procedures in order to minimize the need for evasive action during operations at uncontrolled airports. I suggest that all aircraft advise what their intentions are on the listening watch frequency. There should be a distance maintained that would insure the threat of convergence does not occur.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT AT A NON TWR ARPT WHILE SETTING UP FOR A PASS OVER THE ARPT.

Narrative: AFTER PARTICIPATING AS A SPECTATOR AN THE ANNUAL 'SKYBOAT FLY IN ' LOCATED AT SHIFFLET FIELD (9A9), I DEPARTED ON RWY 10 WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING A PASS BACK OVER THE FIELD BEFORE DEPARTING FOR GSO. AS I TURNED DOWNWIND, I NOTICED A BIPLANE IN MY 4 O'CLOCK POS. I CONTINUED AND TURNED TO BASE AND FINAL. AS I FOLLOWED OUT TO BEGIN MY PASS OVER THE FIELD, THE AFOREMENTIONED ACFT SEEMED TO BE CLOSING. THERE WAS NO COM WITH THE ACFT, THEREFORE, I DID NOT KNOW OF HIS INTENTIONS. SINCE THE ACFT WAS ON MY L SIDE I DECIDED TO ALTER MY COURSE TO THE R AND ABANDONED THE ARPT TFC PATTERN WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS EVENT, WHILE NOT A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN, SHOULD ALERT PLTS TO THE OBVIOUS NEED TO EXERCISE PROPER VISUAL SEPARATION AND COM PROCS IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE NEED FOR EVASIVE ACTION DURING OPS AT UNCTLED ARPTS. I SUGGEST THAT ALL ACFT ADVISE WHAT THEIR INTENTIONS ARE ON THE LISTENING WATCH FREQ. THERE SHOULD BE A DISTANCE MAINTAINED THAT WOULD INSURE THE THREAT OF CONVERGENCE DOES NOT OCCUR.

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.