Narrative:

While on a left base approach to land on runway 7, the tower advised me of other traffic in the pattern, specifically a piper cub on 'short right base' for runway 7. At the time I was the first of three in line to land, the second being a faster bellanca and the third I believe to be a cessna of the same type that I was flying, all instructed to land using a left base approach to runway 7. As I continued my approach I scanned the area near the threshold looking for the piper and seeing only 4 other aircraft on the ground awaiting to depart. As I descended through 700 ft MSL I then leveled out and began a 270 degree turn to the right. I did not at that time request permission nor inform ATC of my intentions. After turning 180 degrees I leveled my wings to check for traffic and the bellanca that was following me was now at my 2 O'clock position within I estimate to be 500 ft. The tower then instructed the bellanca to proceed to land and instructed me to follow, which I did. After landing and exiting the runway, ground control asked why I deviated from my approach and executed a turn. I told them I did so because I did not see the piper on short base. Ground control then said 'the tower controller says the piper on short base was about 2000 ft down the runway making a mid-field approach. You shouldn't have made your turn due to possible traffic conflicts.' now these may not be the exact words spoken by ground control, but what sticks out in his statement is the fact that the piper was '2000 ft down the runway making a mid-field approach.'I think this is key because at no time during my approach on left base did the tower inform me of his exact position in relation to the runway. If this had been the case I would most certainly have continued in to land, adjusting my speed down as necessary to keep from overrunning the piper. In reflecting on the events that occurred, several things need to be addressed. The first one is inaction on my part to further inquire of the exact location of the piper. If I had continued my approach and determined that a conflict with the piper would occur, simply flying upwind would be an acceptable alternative, re-entering the pattern on downwind. The other thing I neglected to do was inform the tower of my intentions, request permission to circle, or even to extend my base leg. After reviewing far 91.123 (C), I clearly did not fulfill my responsibility to inform the tower of my intentions. I made the decision to circle based on the facts that I knew at the time, and I did not feel compelled to fly where I was unable to determine the position of other aircraft in the area. As far as the bellanca is concerned, I'm sure that he adjusted his flight path in order to avoid me as I have in the past had to do for others. I think that in this instance the tower controller is also partly responsible for not supplying me with complete information. If he had said the piper was making a mid- field approach instead of one on short base, I would not have hesitated to land. The traffic at the time both in the air and on the ground was very busy and this could have been a factor to choose what I consider to be the incorrect verbiage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A SINGLE ENG CESSNA AND A BELLANCA ON L BASE LEG CAUSED BY THE RPTING PLT OF THE CESSNA DOING AN UNAUTH 270 DEG R TURN OFF OF A L BASE TO AVOID A PIPER CUB RPTED BY TWR ON SHORT R BASE LEG.

Narrative: WHILE ON A L BASE APCH TO LAND ON RWY 7, THE TWR ADVISED ME OF OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN, SPECIFICALLY A PIPER CUB ON 'SHORT R BASE' FOR RWY 7. AT THE TIME I WAS THE FIRST OF THREE IN LINE TO LAND, THE SECOND BEING A FASTER BELLANCA AND THE THIRD I BELIEVE TO BE A CESSNA OF THE SAME TYPE THAT I WAS FLYING, ALL INSTRUCTED TO LAND USING A L BASE APCH TO RWY 7. AS I CONTINUED MY APCH I SCANNED THE AREA NEAR THE THRESHOLD LOOKING FOR THE PIPER AND SEEING ONLY 4 OTHER ACFT ON THE GND AWAITING TO DEPART. AS I DSNDED THROUGH 700 FT MSL I THEN LEVELED OUT AND BEGAN A 270 DEG TURN TO THE R. I DID NOT AT THAT TIME REQUEST PERMISSION NOR INFORM ATC OF MY INTENTIONS. AFTER TURNING 180 DEGS I LEVELED MY WINGS TO CHK FOR TFC AND THE BELLANCA THAT WAS FOLLOWING ME WAS NOW AT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS WITHIN I ESTIMATE TO BE 500 FT. THE TWR THEN INSTRUCTED THE BELLANCA TO PROCEED TO LAND AND INSTRUCTED ME TO FOLLOW, WHICH I DID. AFTER LNDG AND EXITING THE RWY, GND CTL ASKED WHY I DEVIATED FROM MY APCH AND EXECUTED A TURN. I TOLD THEM I DID SO BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE THE PIPER ON SHORT BASE. GND CTL THEN SAID 'THE TWR CTLR SAYS THE PIPER ON SHORT BASE WAS ABOUT 2000 FT DOWN THE RWY MAKING A MID-FIELD APCH. YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE MADE YOUR TURN DUE TO POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICTS.' NOW THESE MAY NOT BE THE EXACT WORDS SPOKEN BY GND CTL, BUT WHAT STICKS OUT IN HIS STATEMENT IS THE FACT THAT THE PIPER WAS '2000 FT DOWN THE RWY MAKING A MID-FIELD APCH.'I THINK THIS IS KEY BECAUSE AT NO TIME DURING MY APCH ON L BASE DID THE TWR INFORM ME OF HIS EXACT POS IN RELATION TO THE RWY. IF THIS HAD BEEN THE CASE I WOULD MOST CERTAINLY HAVE CONTINUED IN TO LAND, ADJUSTING MY SPD DOWN AS NECESSARY TO KEEP FROM OVERRUNNING THE PIPER. IN REFLECTING ON THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED, SEVERAL THINGS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. THE FIRST ONE IS INACTION ON MY PART TO FURTHER INQUIRE OF THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE PIPER. IF I HAD CONTINUED MY APCH AND DETERMINED THAT A CONFLICT WITH THE PIPER WOULD OCCUR, SIMPLY FLYING UPWIND WOULD BE AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE, RE-ENTERING THE PATTERN ON DOWNWIND. THE OTHER THING I NEGLECTED TO DO WAS INFORM THE TWR OF MY INTENTIONS, REQUEST PERMISSION TO CIRCLE, OR EVEN TO EXTEND MY BASE LEG. AFTER REVIEWING FAR 91.123 (C), I CLRLY DID NOT FULFILL MY RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM THE TWR OF MY INTENTIONS. I MADE THE DECISION TO CIRCLE BASED ON THE FACTS THAT I KNEW AT THE TIME, AND I DID NOT FEEL COMPELLED TO FLY WHERE I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE POS OF OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA. AS FAR AS THE BELLANCA IS CONCERNED, I'M SURE THAT HE ADJUSTED HIS FLT PATH IN ORDER TO AVOID ME AS I HAVE IN THE PAST HAD TO DO FOR OTHERS. I THINK THAT IN THIS INSTANCE THE TWR CTLR IS ALSO PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT SUPPLYING ME WITH COMPLETE INFO. IF HE HAD SAID THE PIPER WAS MAKING A MID- FIELD APCH INSTEAD OF ONE ON SHORT BASE, I WOULD NOT HAVE HESITATED TO LAND. THE TFC AT THE TIME BOTH IN THE AIR AND ON THE GND WAS VERY BUSY AND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR TO CHOOSE WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THE INCORRECT VERBIAGE.

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.