Narrative:

When santa maria tower is open, pattern entry information is issued based on the direction from which the aircraft is arriving. When tower is closed, local pilots tend to enter the pattern consistent with these typical tower instructions, rather than the standard left hand procedure for uncontrolled airports. These patterns include right traffic runway 30, right base entries, and straight in approachs to runway 30, the designated calm wind runway. However, transient pilots referring to published directories would see that right traffic is specified only for runways 2 and 12 (airport facilities directory). Approaching the santa maria area, I self-announced my position, altitude, and intentions to land. The tower was closed, so this announcement and the subsequent ones were made on the CTAF. I flew a very close in pattern (1/4 mi) to runway 30, and while turning base, a piper tripacer announced a 4 mi final to runway 30 straight in. I had the traffic in sight but he didn't see me at that point. I flashed my lights (landing and navigation) to increase my visibility (and inadvertently left my position lights off). He then announced he had not reached the 2 mi VFR reporting point for runway 30 (shopping center), as I turned a short final. I landed, taxied clear of the runway, as he came over the threshold of runway 30. Local pilots should not enter patterns in nonstandard ways even if those ways are proper when the tower is open, non local pilots would not be expecting most of these nonstandard entries even if everyone is self-announcing via CTAF. I should have entered left traffic for runway 30 even if it was less convenient. I considered extending my downwind to allow the tripacer to fly his 4 mi final, but since I had him in sight, and since I was at a lower altitude, and had already turned base, I decided my landing was safe and appropriate. While considering the items above (while in-flight), I was distracted momentarily and failed to return my position lights to the on position (the sun was just setting at the time). I attribute my distraction primarily to the fact that the tripacer's 4 mi final announcement was also his first call on the CTAF. If he had called when 10 or more mi out, etc, I would have known his position, altitude and intentions and would not have been surprised and then distracted. I think it would be useful to have an FAA safety seminar emphasizing the importance of avoiding nonstandard patterns when towers are closed -- especially for local pilots in the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 SMAS HAD A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION OF HOW TO FLY A PATTERN WHEN THE TWR WAS CLOSED.

Narrative: WHEN SANTA MARIA TWR IS OPEN, PATTERN ENTRY INFO IS ISSUED BASED ON THE DIRECTION FROM WHICH THE ACFT IS ARRIVING. WHEN TWR IS CLOSED, LCL PLTS TEND TO ENTER THE PATTERN CONSISTENT WITH THESE TYPICAL TWR INSTRUCTIONS, RATHER THAN THE STANDARD L HAND PROC FOR UNCTLED ARPTS. THESE PATTERNS INCLUDE R TFC RWY 30, R BASE ENTRIES, AND STRAIGHT IN APCHS TO RWY 30, THE DESIGNATED CALM WIND RWY. HOWEVER, TRANSIENT PLTS REFERRING TO PUBLISHED DIRECTORIES WOULD SEE THAT R TFC IS SPECIFIED ONLY FOR RWYS 2 AND 12 (ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY). APCHING THE SANTA MARIA AREA, I SELF-ANNOUNCED MY POS, ALT, AND INTENTIONS TO LAND. THE TWR WAS CLOSED, SO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONES WERE MADE ON THE CTAF. I FLEW A VERY CLOSE IN PATTERN (1/4 MI) TO RWY 30, AND WHILE TURNING BASE, A PIPER TRIPACER ANNOUNCED A 4 MI FINAL TO RWY 30 STRAIGHT IN. I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT BUT HE DIDN'T SEE ME AT THAT POINT. I FLASHED MY LIGHTS (LNDG AND NAV) TO INCREASE MY VISIBILITY (AND INADVERTENTLY LEFT MY POS LIGHTS OFF). HE THEN ANNOUNCED HE HAD NOT REACHED THE 2 MI VFR RPTING POINT FOR RWY 30 (SHOPPING CTR), AS I TURNED A SHORT FINAL. I LANDED, TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY, AS HE CAME OVER THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 30. LCL PLTS SHOULD NOT ENTER PATTERNS IN NONSTANDARD WAYS EVEN IF THOSE WAYS ARE PROPER WHEN THE TWR IS OPEN, NON LCL PLTS WOULD NOT BE EXPECTING MOST OF THESE NONSTANDARD ENTRIES EVEN IF EVERYONE IS SELF-ANNOUNCING VIA CTAF. I SHOULD HAVE ENTERED L TFC FOR RWY 30 EVEN IF IT WAS LESS CONVENIENT. I CONSIDERED EXTENDING MY DOWNWIND TO ALLOW THE TRIPACER TO FLY HIS 4 MI FINAL, BUT SINCE I HAD HIM IN SIGHT, AND SINCE I WAS AT A LOWER ALT, AND HAD ALREADY TURNED BASE, I DECIDED MY LNDG WAS SAFE AND APPROPRIATE. WHILE CONSIDERING THE ITEMS ABOVE (WHILE INFLT), I WAS DISTRACTED MOMENTARILY AND FAILED TO RETURN MY POS LIGHTS TO THE ON POS (THE SUN WAS JUST SETTING AT THE TIME). I ATTRIBUTE MY DISTR PRIMARILY TO THE FACT THAT THE TRIPACER'S 4 MI FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT WAS ALSO HIS FIRST CALL ON THE CTAF. IF HE HAD CALLED WHEN 10 OR MORE MI OUT, ETC, I WOULD HAVE KNOWN HIS POS, ALT AND INTENTIONS AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SURPRISED AND THEN DISTRACTED. I THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO HAVE AN FAA SAFETY SEMINAR EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF AVOIDING NONSTANDARD PATTERNS WHEN TWRS ARE CLOSED -- ESPECIALLY FOR LCL PLTS IN THE AREA.

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.