Instructor with pilot makes left traffic pattern instead of right hand.

Attributes
ACN	262093
Time
Date	199401
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 9a1
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 5
ASRS Report	262093
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Been using covington for landing practice with students for 15 yrs. Went there on this date with aircraft owner from a local grass field for requalification/BFR training. Had not been to covington in several months. On long final for 1 landing, had another aircraft enter short final from right turn ahead of us. No conflict, but a go around. Completed 2ND touch and go (plus an initial full stop and refueling) and departed. Other aircraft was observed with a right hand pattern again. Got home and looked in AFD. Covington is right hand traffic for runway 27. Contributing factors were familiarity and inability to get clear unicom call. The frequency was so busy, from other in-range airports only heard fragments of anything. If they stated 'right hand traffic' on initial call, we did not hear it. Aircraft we were using had an intercom and we were using it a lot. Since we were both looking a lot, there was no hazard, but it was embarrassing after the fact, and of course illegal. Have had many instances of differing pattern and opposite runway aircraft at this airport because lots of us from small fields use it to train. Never any really bad problems because at least one of us has always seen the other. Looking is still the best defense.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH PLT MAKES L TFC PATTERN INSTEAD OF R HAND.

Narrative: BEEN USING COVINGTON FOR LNDG PRACTICE WITH STUDENTS FOR 15 YRS. WENT THERE ON THIS DATE WITH ACFT OWNER FROM A LCL GRASS FIELD FOR REQUALIFICATION/BFR TRAINING. HAD NOT BEEN TO COVINGTON IN SEVERAL MONTHS. ON LONG FINAL FOR 1 LNDG, HAD ANOTHER ACFT ENTER SHORT FINAL FROM R TURN AHEAD OF US. NO CONFLICT, BUT A GAR. COMPLETED 2ND TOUCH AND GO (PLUS AN INITIAL FULL STOP AND REFUELING) AND DEPARTED. OTHER ACFT WAS OBSERVED WITH A R HAND PATTERN AGAIN. GOT HOME AND LOOKED IN AFD. COVINGTON IS R HAND TFC FOR RWY 27. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE FAMILIARITY AND INABILITY TO GET CLR UNICOM CALL. THE FREQ WAS SO BUSY, FROM OTHER IN-RANGE ARPTS ONLY HEARD FRAGMENTS OF ANYTHING. IF THEY STATED 'R HAND TFC' ON INITIAL CALL, WE DID NOT HEAR IT. ACFT WE WERE USING HAD AN INTERCOM AND WE WERE USING IT A LOT. SINCE WE WERE BOTH LOOKING A LOT, THERE WAS NO HAZARD, BUT IT WAS EMBARRASSING AFTER THE FACT, AND OF COURSE ILLEGAL. HAVE HAD MANY INSTANCES OF DIFFERING PATTERN AND OPPOSITE RWY ACFT AT THIS ARPT BECAUSE LOTS OF US FROM SMALL FIELDS USE IT TO TRAIN. NEVER ANY REALLY BAD PROBS BECAUSE AT LEAST ONE OF US HAS ALWAYS SEEN THE OTHER. LOOKING IS STILL THE BEST DEFENSE.

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.