Narrative:

I was on an IFR training flight from dab-pie on sep/sun/94. Tampa approach was giving us vectors into pie. The WX was clear with 10 plus mi visibility. I canceled IFR approximately 5 NM northeast of pie. Pie tower closed at XY00 local time. I was arriving at approximately XY15-XY30 local time (tower closed). The airport was uncontrolled at my time of arrival. St petersburg FSS was giving TA's only. I entered a left downwind for runway 35R and reported my position to st petersburg FSS. FSS advised me of 737 traffic on final for runway 35R. I acknowledged 'traffic (737) in sight, will follow 737 #2 for landing.' at this time, a navajo called a 7 mi final for runway 35R. At this time, I was turning base to final (3 mi out) for runway 35R. The navajo called me and stated he was as slow as he could get and could I go around. He was nice about it, so I announced that I would break off to the right to do a 360 degree turn and follow the navajo for landing. As I rolled out following the navajo, another aircraft announced a 7-8 mi final for runway 35R. This other aircraft was a skylane. The skylane was much faster than myself. The skylane was closing on me quickly. The pilot in the skylane was angry, stating that I cut him off and he had the right of way because he coordinated the approach with tampa. I looked back and his landing lights were blinding. He was extremely close. I announced I would break off to the left and re-enter the downwind-base-final. I landed safely on runway 35R at pie. The skylane pilot stated he was going to file an incident report, stating that the airport is unsafe. I agree. At the time of this occurrence I would estimate there were 5-8 aircraft in the pattern. I was trying to make a normal pattern, as per the airman's information manual. All the other traffic was not using normal patterns, i.e., 8-10 mi finals. I was being pushed around by all the other faster aircraft. I feel that the skylane should have gone around, not myself. I went around because the skylane was within 100 ft and apparently he was not going around. I feel this occurrence would not have happened if the control tower had been operating. The airport is too busy not to have an operating tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN 2 SMA SINGLE ENG LAND ACFT ON FINAL AT UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR TRAINING FLT FROM DAB-PIE ON SEP/SUN/94. TAMPA APCH WAS GIVING US VECTORS INTO PIE. THE WX WAS CLR WITH 10 PLUS MI VISIBILITY. I CANCELED IFR APPROX 5 NM NE OF PIE. PIE TWR CLOSED AT XY00 LCL TIME. I WAS ARRIVING AT APPROX XY15-XY30 LCL TIME (TWR CLOSED). THE ARPT WAS UNCTLED AT MY TIME OF ARR. ST PETERSBURG FSS WAS GIVING TA'S ONLY. I ENTERED A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 35R AND RPTED MY POS TO ST PETERSBURG FSS. FSS ADVISED ME OF 737 TFC ON FINAL FOR RWY 35R. I ACKNOWLEDGED 'TFC (737) IN SIGHT, WILL FOLLOW 737 #2 FOR LNDG.' AT THIS TIME, A NAVAJO CALLED A 7 MI FINAL FOR RWY 35R. AT THIS TIME, I WAS TURNING BASE TO FINAL (3 MI OUT) FOR RWY 35R. THE NAVAJO CALLED ME AND STATED HE WAS AS SLOW AS HE COULD GET AND COULD I GAR. HE WAS NICE ABOUT IT, SO I ANNOUNCED THAT I WOULD BREAK OFF TO THE R TO DO A 360 DEG TURN AND FOLLOW THE NAVAJO FOR LNDG. AS I ROLLED OUT FOLLOWING THE NAVAJO, ANOTHER ACFT ANNOUNCED A 7-8 MI FINAL FOR RWY 35R. THIS OTHER ACFT WAS A SKYLANE. THE SKYLANE WAS MUCH FASTER THAN MYSELF. THE SKYLANE WAS CLOSING ON ME QUICKLY. THE PLT IN THE SKYLANE WAS ANGRY, STATING THAT I CUT HIM OFF AND HE HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY BECAUSE HE COORDINATED THE APCH WITH TAMPA. I LOOKED BACK AND HIS LNDG LIGHTS WERE BLINDING. HE WAS EXTREMELY CLOSE. I ANNOUNCED I WOULD BREAK OFF TO THE L AND RE-ENTER THE DOWNWIND-BASE-FINAL. I LANDED SAFELY ON RWY 35R AT PIE. THE SKYLANE PLT STATED HE WAS GOING TO FILE AN INCIDENT RPT, STATING THAT THE ARPT IS UNSAFE. I AGREE. AT THE TIME OF THIS OCCURRENCE I WOULD ESTIMATE THERE WERE 5-8 ACFT IN THE PATTERN. I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A NORMAL PATTERN, AS PER THE AIRMAN'S INFO MANUAL. ALL THE OTHER TFC WAS NOT USING NORMAL PATTERNS, I.E., 8-10 MI FINALS. I WAS BEING PUSHED AROUND BY ALL THE OTHER FASTER ACFT. I FEEL THAT THE SKYLANE SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND, NOT MYSELF. I WENT AROUND BECAUSE THE SKYLANE WAS WITHIN 100 FT AND APPARENTLY HE WAS NOT GOING AROUND. I FEEL THIS OCCURRENCE WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE CTL TWR HAD BEEN OPERATING. THE ARPT IS TOO BUSY NOT TO HAVE AN OPERATING TWR.

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.