Narrative:

Due to an airshow at anniston, al, on oct/xo-xp/94, a temporary tower was set up and in operation. I checked NOTAMS prior to departure but was not aware of the tower operation. Inbound to anniston I attempted contact on unicom frequency. There were 4-5 other aircraft doing the same. No luck for any of us. I started attempting contact about 30 NM out. Upon arrival with no contact I overflew the airfield well above pattern altitude to check winds and look for traffic. Seeing that traffic was landing on runway 5, I went north of the field, descended to pattern altitude and entered left downwind. I called downwind, base, and final. Landing and taxi were uneventful. After landing I was told there was a problem and looked for the tower supervisor. He told me about the tower operation and also said that I cut someone out of the pattern on final. I sought out the other pilot. He said he saw me enter downwind, turn base, and turn final. He thought I would roll out behind him. When he saw that I wasn't going to go behind him, he maneuvered his aircraft to avoid a conflict. He estimated that we closed to 500 ft laterally. I didn't see him as he was probably under my nose. (I was flying a pitts special.) tower said it didn't look too close but they sent the other aircraft around as a precaution. I believe that the problem arose because I was not aware of the tower frequency. Several other pilots I talked with were also unaware of it. One of the contributing factors was that this was a temporary tower. Normally anb is an uncontrolled field. How it was discovered is mentioned in the narrative above. Corrective actions: the FAA mentioned that there have been problems with NOTAM dissemination. That may have been part of the problem. I could have called FSS's en route to update NOTAMS. I may have gotten the word closer to anb. Obviously, better visual lookout would have also helped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA FAILED TO CONTACT TWR DURING ARR AND LNDG AT A CTLED ARPT THAT IS USUALLY UNCTLED.

Narrative: DUE TO AN AIRSHOW AT ANNISTON, AL, ON OCT/XO-XP/94, A TEMPORARY TWR WAS SET UP AND IN OP. I CHKED NOTAMS PRIOR TO DEP BUT WAS NOT AWARE OF THE TWR OP. INBOUND TO ANNISTON I ATTEMPTED CONTACT ON UNICOM FREQ. THERE WERE 4-5 OTHER ACFT DOING THE SAME. NO LUCK FOR ANY OF US. I STARTED ATTEMPTING CONTACT ABOUT 30 NM OUT. UPON ARR WITH NO CONTACT I OVERFLEW THE AIRFIELD WELL ABOVE PATTERN ALT TO CHK WINDS AND LOOK FOR TFC. SEEING THAT TFC WAS LNDG ON RWY 5, I WENT N OF THE FIELD, DSNDED TO PATTERN ALT AND ENTERED L DOWNWIND. I CALLED DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL. LNDG AND TAXI WERE UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROB AND LOOKED FOR THE TWR SUPVR. HE TOLD ME ABOUT THE TWR OP AND ALSO SAID THAT I CUT SOMEONE OUT OF THE PATTERN ON FINAL. I SOUGHT OUT THE OTHER PLT. HE SAID HE SAW ME ENTER DOWNWIND, TURN BASE, AND TURN FINAL. HE THOUGHT I WOULD ROLL OUT BEHIND HIM. WHEN HE SAW THAT I WASN'T GOING TO GO BEHIND HIM, HE MANEUVERED HIS ACFT TO AVOID A CONFLICT. HE ESTIMATED THAT WE CLOSED TO 500 FT LATERALLY. I DIDN'T SEE HIM AS HE WAS PROBABLY UNDER MY NOSE. (I WAS FLYING A PITTS SPECIAL.) TWR SAID IT DIDN'T LOOK TOO CLOSE BUT THEY SENT THE OTHER ACFT AROUND AS A PRECAUTION. I BELIEVE THAT THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE TWR FREQ. SEVERAL OTHER PLTS I TALKED WITH WERE ALSO UNAWARE OF IT. ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WAS THAT THIS WAS A TEMPORARY TWR. NORMALLY ANB IS AN UNCTLED FIELD. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED IS MENTIONED IN THE NARRATIVE ABOVE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: THE FAA MENTIONED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PROBS WITH NOTAM DISSEMINATION. THAT MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF THE PROB. I COULD HAVE CALLED FSS'S ENRTE TO UPDATE NOTAMS. I MAY HAVE GOTTEN THE WORD CLOSER TO ANB. OBVIOUSLY, BETTER VISUAL LOOKOUT WOULD HAVE ALSO HELPED.

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.