Narrative:

Departure and excursion of my first flight was entirely normal. My red anti-collision beacon was on and operating normally. Another aircraft, C172, overtook my aircraft over clinton lake, so I proceeded to follow the cessna to the airport for landing. The cessna called his left base, and I did also about a min after he did. He was flying a wide pattern, so I adjusted my course, spacing, and speed to accommodate the cessna. His landing was normal. When I was about 1/2 mi from the numbers, I saw the cessna still about 200 ft from the intersection with runway 1/19, as he announced 'cessna clear the active.' nevertheless, I verified that he actually had cleared the active before I touched down. My final approach and 3-POINT touchdown were otherwise entirely normal. After rolling about 300-400 ft, when my aircraft was still at about 35 mph, suddenly my tail rose, and left wing ballooned upward several ft. As I reacted with the control stick, to try to control the attitude and direction of my aircraft, a black and yellow biplane (pitts S2) appeared in my windshield, flying runway heading from directly overhead, perhaps 5-10 ft above my aircraft, at perhaps 60-90 KTS. I exclaimed to my passenger either 'jiminy christmas! Or 'holy bejeebers!' 'where did he come from?' my aircraft diverted into the freshly mowed grass to the east of the runway, amidst the wake turbulence and propeller wash from the biplane (which was low, relatively slow, and under full power). I was able in short order to regain full control and re-take the runway, avoiding all runway lights in the process. I assured my passenger that this was indeed not the normal way we did things. I announced over the radio (once back on the runway) that 'super cruiser still has the active.' my passenger indicated that he was dealing satisfactorily with the excitement, and he was pretty sure that his seat was still clean. I taxied to the runway intersection, announced 'super cruiser clear the active,' taxied to the terminal via the taxiway. After engine shutdown, my passenger and I deplaned. There were numerous witnesses, since many people had gathered to watch both the airlift aircraft and the practicing acrobatic aircraft. Several of them came to me and told remarkably similar accounts of what they saw: the aircraft Y was seen to be on a collision course with my aircraft for several seconds, and that it cleared my aircraft by no more than 3 ft vertically! 1 witness insisted upon inspecting the top of my aircraft for evidence of a tailwheel strike. No mark or damage was discovered. I was naturally concerned that I might somehow have done something or failed to do something, and been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The witnesses who were or had been pilots assured me that 'it was his fault -- no question.' still, I was not ready to jump to any conclusions. After an appropriate cooling off period, the other pilot approached me, indicating that he was looking for the pilot of the super cruiser. I said 'that would be me.' he wanted to hear my account of what had happened. I recounted in somewhat less detail what I have just recounted here. He then offered his perspective. Just as I had not heard his call of left base or final, neither had he heard my call on left base. He had exited 'the box' to the west, and flown a normal downwind leg for runway 33, and then flown a continuously curving base/final approach to runway 33. As he did this, I was of course, continuously positioned underneath his aircraft, completely out of his view. Over the numbers he flared, and so of course, his cowling rose and completely obscured his forward vision. He said he was about 1.5 ft above the runway when his plane floated up about 7 or 8 ft. Knowing that the winds were calm, he pondered the possible reasons as he worked the plane back down. Then it clicked that this felt a lot like being in formation with another aircraft. With that thought in mind, he initiated a full power go around. After a climb to about 400 ft, he turned and caught a glimpse of the super cruiser in the grass. He then heard my radio call about still having the active. He proceeded around the pattern again and made an uneventful landing. Supplemental information from ACN371241: I am a pilot of an advanced aerobatic team. On the date of this occurrence we were practicing in an FAA approved aerobatic zone directly east of runway 34/17. The aerobatic zone was active and had a NOTAM filed. While in the aerobatic zone the pilot is on a discrete frequency talking to a ground observer. The ground observer is also monitoring unicom frequency. Upon completing the practice flight I switched to unicom frequency before leaving the aerobatic zone. On the same day a group was performing an 'airlift' giving rides to young children in the local area. Upon switching to unicom there were 2 aircraft in the standard traffic pattern. I made an announcement that I was leaving the aerobatic zone to enter the pattern. I had visual contact with the 2 aircraft in the pattern. I announced turning downwind to follow the second aircraft. I announced midfield downwind, base leg, final, and short final. Just inches above touchdown, with my aircraft at idle power, my aircraft began to ascend to about 5 ft. I added a little power to cushion my flare again when I noticed turbulence again. My aircraft is a tailwheel pitts special and there is no forward visibility in this confign. It was also a calm day and there was no natural reason for such turbulence. For no apparent reason, I decided to perform a go around. From observers on the ground, they stated my aircraft 'hopped' over the piper super cruiser and settled directly in front of it when I went around. Apparently my propeller blast and sudden appearance to the piper super cruiser caused him to veer into the grass along the runway. I never saw the piper super cruiser until I was on the downwind again. The pilot of the piper super cruiser made a 3 mi straight- in approach, according to an observer, and never made a radio call. He did, however, make radio calls once he taxied back onto the runway and taxied clear of the active runway. There was no damage to either aircraft. I believe the failure of the super cruiser pilot to make a standard pattern, and announce his position was the direct cause of this situation. I believe the pilot of the super cruiser wanted to take as little time to get on the ground so he could give more rides.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA12 AND PITTS SPECIAL LNDG AT ARPT WITH ACROBATIC TRAINING IN PROGRESS, THE RPTR PITTS PLT DIDN'T KNOW OF THE PA12 BECAUSE HE DIDN'T CALL ON UNICOM. AS RPTR PLT OF PA12 WAS ROLLING OUT ON RWY, THE PITTS PLT FELT PA12'S WAKE AND COMMENCED A GAR, MISSING THE PA12 BY 3 FT.

Narrative: DEP AND EXCURSION OF MY FIRST FLT WAS ENTIRELY NORMAL. MY RED ANTI-COLLISION BEACON WAS ON AND OPERATING NORMALLY. ANOTHER ACFT, C172, OVERTOOK MY ACFT OVER CLINTON LAKE, SO I PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW THE CESSNA TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG. THE CESSNA CALLED HIS L BASE, AND I DID ALSO ABOUT A MIN AFTER HE DID. HE WAS FLYING A WIDE PATTERN, SO I ADJUSTED MY COURSE, SPACING, AND SPD TO ACCOMMODATE THE CESSNA. HIS LNDG WAS NORMAL. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 1/2 MI FROM THE NUMBERS, I SAW THE CESSNA STILL ABOUT 200 FT FROM THE INTXN WITH RWY 1/19, AS HE ANNOUNCED 'CESSNA CLR THE ACTIVE.' NEVERTHELESS, I VERIFIED THAT HE ACTUALLY HAD CLRED THE ACTIVE BEFORE I TOUCHED DOWN. MY FINAL APCH AND 3-POINT TOUCHDOWN WERE OTHERWISE ENTIRELY NORMAL. AFTER ROLLING ABOUT 300-400 FT, WHEN MY ACFT WAS STILL AT ABOUT 35 MPH, SUDDENLY MY TAIL ROSE, AND L WING BALLOONED UPWARD SEVERAL FT. AS I REACTED WITH THE CTL STICK, TO TRY TO CTL THE ATTITUDE AND DIRECTION OF MY ACFT, A BLACK AND YELLOW BIPLANE (PITTS S2) APPEARED IN MY WINDSHIELD, FLYING RWY HDG FROM DIRECTLY OVERHEAD, PERHAPS 5-10 FT ABOVE MY ACFT, AT PERHAPS 60-90 KTS. I EXCLAIMED TO MY PAX EITHER 'JIMINY CHRISTMAS! OR 'HOLY BEJEEBERS!' 'WHERE DID HE COME FROM?' MY ACFT DIVERTED INTO THE FRESHLY MOWED GRASS TO THE E OF THE RWY, AMIDST THE WAKE TURB AND PROP WASH FROM THE BIPLANE (WHICH WAS LOW, RELATIVELY SLOW, AND UNDER FULL PWR). I WAS ABLE IN SHORT ORDER TO REGAIN FULL CTL AND RE-TAKE THE RWY, AVOIDING ALL RWY LIGHTS IN THE PROCESS. I ASSURED MY PAX THAT THIS WAS INDEED NOT THE NORMAL WAY WE DID THINGS. I ANNOUNCED OVER THE RADIO (ONCE BACK ON THE RWY) THAT 'SUPER CRUISER STILL HAS THE ACTIVE.' MY PAX INDICATED THAT HE WAS DEALING SATISFACTORILY WITH THE EXCITEMENT, AND HE WAS PRETTY SURE THAT HIS SEAT WAS STILL CLEAN. I TAXIED TO THE RWY INTXN, ANNOUNCED 'SUPER CRUISER CLR THE ACTIVE,' TAXIED TO THE TERMINAL VIA THE TXWY. AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN, MY PAX AND I DEPLANED. THERE WERE NUMEROUS WITNESSES, SINCE MANY PEOPLE HAD GATHERED TO WATCH BOTH THE AIRLIFT ACFT AND THE PRACTICING ACROBATIC ACFT. SEVERAL OF THEM CAME TO ME AND TOLD REMARKABLY SIMILAR ACCOUNTS OF WHAT THEY SAW: THE ACFT Y WAS SEEN TO BE ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH MY ACFT FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, AND THAT IT CLRED MY ACFT BY NO MORE THAN 3 FT VERTLY! 1 WITNESS INSISTED UPON INSPECTING THE TOP OF MY ACFT FOR EVIDENCE OF A TAILWHEEL STRIKE. NO MARK OR DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED. I WAS NATURALLY CONCERNED THAT I MIGHT SOMEHOW HAVE DONE SOMETHING OR FAILED TO DO SOMETHING, AND BEEN IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME. THE WITNESSES WHO WERE OR HAD BEEN PLTS ASSURED ME THAT 'IT WAS HIS FAULT -- NO QUESTION.' STILL, I WAS NOT READY TO JUMP TO ANY CONCLUSIONS. AFTER AN APPROPRIATE COOLING OFF PERIOD, THE OTHER PLT APCHED ME, INDICATING THAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR THE PLT OF THE SUPER CRUISER. I SAID 'THAT WOULD BE ME.' HE WANTED TO HEAR MY ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I RECOUNTED IN SOMEWHAT LESS DETAIL WHAT I HAVE JUST RECOUNTED HERE. HE THEN OFFERED HIS PERSPECTIVE. JUST AS I HAD NOT HEARD HIS CALL OF L BASE OR FINAL, NEITHER HAD HE HEARD MY CALL ON L BASE. HE HAD EXITED 'THE BOX' TO THE W, AND FLOWN A NORMAL DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 33, AND THEN FLOWN A CONTINUOUSLY CURVING BASE/FINAL APCH TO RWY 33. AS HE DID THIS, I WAS OF COURSE, CONTINUOUSLY POSITIONED UNDERNEATH HIS ACFT, COMPLETELY OUT OF HIS VIEW. OVER THE NUMBERS HE FLARED, AND SO OF COURSE, HIS COWLING ROSE AND COMPLETELY OBSCURED HIS FORWARD VISION. HE SAID HE WAS ABOUT 1.5 FT ABOVE THE RWY WHEN HIS PLANE FLOATED UP ABOUT 7 OR 8 FT. KNOWING THAT THE WINDS WERE CALM, HE PONDERED THE POSSIBLE REASONS AS HE WORKED THE PLANE BACK DOWN. THEN IT CLICKED THAT THIS FELT A LOT LIKE BEING IN FORMATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT. WITH THAT THOUGHT IN MIND, HE INITIATED A FULL PWR GAR. AFTER A CLB TO ABOUT 400 FT, HE TURNED AND CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF THE SUPER CRUISER IN THE GRASS. HE THEN HEARD MY RADIO CALL ABOUT STILL HAVING THE ACTIVE. HE PROCEEDED AROUND THE PATTERN AGAIN AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN371241: I AM A PLT OF AN ADVANCED AEROBATIC TEAM. ON THE DATE OF THIS OCCURRENCE WE WERE PRACTICING IN AN FAA APPROVED AEROBATIC ZONE DIRECTLY E OF RWY 34/17. THE AEROBATIC ZONE WAS ACTIVE AND HAD A NOTAM FILED. WHILE IN THE AEROBATIC ZONE THE PLT IS ON A DISCRETE FREQ TALKING TO A GND OBSERVER. THE GND OBSERVER IS ALSO MONITORING UNICOM FREQ. UPON COMPLETING THE PRACTICE FLT I SWITCHED TO UNICOM FREQ BEFORE LEAVING THE AEROBATIC ZONE. ON THE SAME DAY A GROUP WAS PERFORMING AN 'AIRLIFT' GIVING RIDES TO YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE LCL AREA. UPON SWITCHING TO UNICOM THERE WERE 2 ACFT IN THE STANDARD TFC PATTERN. I MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT I WAS LEAVING THE AEROBATIC ZONE TO ENTER THE PATTERN. I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE 2 ACFT IN THE PATTERN. I ANNOUNCED TURNING DOWNWIND TO FOLLOW THE SECOND ACFT. I ANNOUNCED MIDFIELD DOWNWIND, BASE LEG, FINAL, AND SHORT FINAL. JUST INCHES ABOVE TOUCHDOWN, WITH MY ACFT AT IDLE PWR, MY ACFT BEGAN TO ASCEND TO ABOUT 5 FT. I ADDED A LITTLE PWR TO CUSHION MY FLARE AGAIN WHEN I NOTICED TURB AGAIN. MY ACFT IS A TAILWHEEL PITTS SPECIAL AND THERE IS NO FORWARD VISIBILITY IN THIS CONFIGN. IT WAS ALSO A CALM DAY AND THERE WAS NO NATURAL REASON FOR SUCH TURB. FOR NO APPARENT REASON, I DECIDED TO PERFORM A GAR. FROM OBSERVERS ON THE GND, THEY STATED MY ACFT 'HOPPED' OVER THE PIPER SUPER CRUISER AND SETTLED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF IT WHEN I WENT AROUND. APPARENTLY MY PROP BLAST AND SUDDEN APPEARANCE TO THE PIPER SUPER CRUISER CAUSED HIM TO VEER INTO THE GRASS ALONG THE RWY. I NEVER SAW THE PIPER SUPER CRUISER UNTIL I WAS ON THE DOWNWIND AGAIN. THE PLT OF THE PIPER SUPER CRUISER MADE A 3 MI STRAIGHT- IN APCH, ACCORDING TO AN OBSERVER, AND NEVER MADE A RADIO CALL. HE DID, HOWEVER, MAKE RADIO CALLS ONCE HE TAXIED BACK ONTO THE RWY AND TAXIED CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO EITHER ACFT. I BELIEVE THE FAILURE OF THE SUPER CRUISER PLT TO MAKE A STANDARD PATTERN, AND ANNOUNCE HIS POS WAS THE DIRECT CAUSE OF THIS SIT. I BELIEVE THE PLT OF THE SUPER CRUISER WANTED TO TAKE AS LITTLE TIME TO GET ON THE GND SO HE COULD GIVE MORE RIDES.

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.