Small aircraft enters traffic pattern improperly and has conflict with an ultralight.

Attributes
ACN	244661
Time
Date	199306
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : l65
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1900 msl bound upper : 1900
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Ultralight
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 365 flight time type : 365
ASRS Report	244661
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was approaching perris valley airport, I was unfamiliar with the area and visibility was marginal VFR (about 3 mi). There is a parachute jumping area east of the field and traffic is restr to west of the runway. There is ultralight activity south of the field. I was aware of these factors, and observed ultralights in the air while looking for the airport. My intention was to approach from the southwest and fly a left base to land on runway 33. However, when I found the airport, I was nearly over it. The only way I could safely maneuver to avoid the parachute area east of the field was to turn right, which I did. There was an ultralight below me about 500 ft away which I saw at all times and avoided, although I understood from unicom later that I frightened him because he was afraid I didn't see him. I flew a teardrop south and west of the field, entered a left base for runway 33 and landed. Figure 1 diagrams my approach and the position of the ultralight. In the future, I would pick a point well south of the airport and try to approach that from the southwest, then overfly runway 33 and enter a left pattern for landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERS TFC PATTERN IMPROPERLY AND HAS CONFLICT WITH AN ULTRALIGHT.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING PERRIS VALLEY ARPT, I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND VISIBILITY WAS MARGINAL VFR (ABOUT 3 MI). THERE IS A PARACHUTE JUMPING AREA E OF THE FIELD AND TFC IS RESTR TO W OF THE RWY. THERE IS ULTRALIGHT ACTIVITY S OF THE FIELD. I WAS AWARE OF THESE FACTORS, AND OBSERVED ULTRALIGHTS IN THE AIR WHILE LOOKING FOR THE ARPT. MY INTENTION WAS TO APCH FROM THE SW AND FLY A L BASE TO LAND ON RWY 33. HOWEVER, WHEN I FOUND THE ARPT, I WAS NEARLY OVER IT. THE ONLY WAY I COULD SAFELY MANEUVER TO AVOID THE PARACHUTE AREA E OF THE FIELD WAS TO TURN R, WHICH I DID. THERE WAS AN ULTRALIGHT BELOW ME ABOUT 500 FT AWAY WHICH I SAW AT ALL TIMES AND AVOIDED, ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTOOD FROM UNICOM LATER THAT I FRIGHTENED HIM BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID I DIDN'T SEE HIM. I FLEW A TEARDROP S AND W OF THE FIELD, ENTERED A L BASE FOR RWY 33 AND LANDED. FIGURE 1 DIAGRAMS MY APCH AND THE POS OF THE ULTRALIGHT. IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD PICK A POINT WELL S OF THE ARPT AND TRY TO APCH THAT FROM THE SW, THEN OVERFLY RWY 33 AND ENTER A L PATTERN FOR LNDG.

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.