Narrative:

I am based at smith ranch airport and today we intended to practice touch and go at our airport. We were ready for takeoff at 11 O'clock am when the highway patrol aircraft appeared about 1/4-1/2 mi from our runway. They set up a race-track pattern going up and down along the freeway looking down at highway 101 to catch 1 of their fellow man. It was obvious that they paid absolutely no interest to the altitude that they were flying at either, as I said, looking straight down. We sat on the ground for about 20 min with the engine running hoping to take off but their erratic flight pattern inside our airspace made this impossible. They finally moved their pattern about 1/2 mi south over the civic center in san rafael and it was then that we took off. I flew our standard departure, then flying down highway 101 at 1000 ft to set up for landing at runway 04. As we approached the 180 position for landing, there he was, at exactly 1000 ft coming at us head on. I threw my aircraft in a violent left bank, he went into a steep right bank, I reversed bank to a very steep right bank as he reversed into a steep left bank he was still coming at us. We all should be dead now but somehow he passed under my right wing at about 50-100 as I had reversed again now into about a 80 degree left climbing turn stalling out on the top. My passenger vowed to never set foot into another small aircraft. All shook up we left the area as he continued his pattern inside our airport area. I am making a formal complaint and I request a hearing about this matter. I also need to point out that we pilots are restr not to fly over the trailer court because the people there always complain and are trying to close down our airport while this joker flies over and over for 1 hour or more trying to catch a speeder down there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR HAS NMAC WITH POLICE PATROL PLANE.

Narrative: I AM BASED AT SMITH RANCH ARPT AND TODAY WE INTENDED TO PRACTICE TOUCH AND GO AT OUR ARPT. WE WERE READY FOR TKOF AT 11 O'CLOCK AM WHEN THE HWY PATROL ACFT APPEARED ABOUT 1/4-1/2 MI FROM OUR RWY. THEY SET UP A RACE-TRACK PATTERN GOING UP AND DOWN ALONG THE FREEWAY LOOKING DOWN AT HWY 101 TO CATCH 1 OF THEIR FELLOW MAN. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THEY PAID ABSOLUTELY NO INTEREST TO THE ALT THAT THEY WERE FLYING AT EITHER, AS I SAID, LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN. WE SAT ON THE GND FOR ABOUT 20 MIN WITH THE ENG RUNNING HOPING TO TAKE OFF BUT THEIR ERRATIC FLT PATTERN INSIDE OUR AIRSPACE MADE THIS IMPOSSIBLE. THEY FINALLY MOVED THEIR PATTERN ABOUT 1/2 MI S OVER THE CIVIC CTR IN SAN RAFAEL AND IT WAS THEN THAT WE TOOK OFF. I FLEW OUR STANDARD DEP, THEN FLYING DOWN HWY 101 AT 1000 FT TO SET UP FOR LNDG AT RWY 04. AS WE APCHED THE 180 POS FOR LNDG, THERE HE WAS, AT EXACTLY 1000 FT COMING AT US HEAD ON. I THREW MY ACFT IN A VIOLENT L BANK, HE WENT INTO A STEEP R BANK, I REVERSED BANK TO A VERY STEEP R BANK AS HE REVERSED INTO A STEEP L BANK HE WAS STILL COMING AT US. WE ALL SHOULD BE DEAD NOW BUT SOMEHOW HE PASSED UNDER MY R WING AT ABOUT 50-100 AS I HAD REVERSED AGAIN NOW INTO ABOUT A 80 DEG L CLBING TURN STALLING OUT ON THE TOP. MY PAX VOWED TO NEVER SET FOOT INTO ANOTHER SMALL ACFT. ALL SHOOK UP WE LEFT THE AREA AS HE CONTINUED HIS PATTERN INSIDE OUR ARPT AREA. I AM MAKING A FORMAL COMPLAINT AND I REQUEST A HEARING ABOUT THIS MATTER. I ALSO NEED TO POINT OUT THAT WE PLTS ARE RESTR NOT TO FLY OVER THE TRAILER COURT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THERE ALWAYS COMPLAIN AND ARE TRYING TO CLOSE DOWN OUR ARPT WHILE THIS JOKER FLIES OVER AND OVER FOR 1 HR OR MORE TRYING TO CATCH A SPEEDER DOWN THERE.

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.