Narrative:

I was on a day VFR flight returning from mry to O56. I had 1 passenger on board the PA28-161. I was the PIC. On the northbound return leg of the trip, I received the latest altimeter setting from bay approach control approximately 15 mins before landing at O56. Upon receipt of the altimeter setting, I adjusted my altimeter accordingly. I announced my position on the O56 CTAF frequency (123.00) 10 mi, and again 5 mi south of the airport, including my intention to land. Before entering the pattern, I announced my intention to enter a right downwind to runway 31 on a 45 degree angle to the downwind leg at mid- field. At the time, I was east of the traffic pattern (3 mi from the runway), maneuvering northwest (parallel to runway 31) in order to gain the proper approach to the downwind leg to the runway. As I proceeded northwest, a beech duchess took off on runway 31, approximately even with me. The pilot of the duchess announced a right crosswind to runway 31, so I continued my course, believing that the duchess would soon turn southeast on the downwind leg of the pattern for runway 31. The duchess in fact turned and announced a right downwind to runway 31, at which time I initiated my left turn of approximately 135 degrees in order to enter the downwind leg to runway 31 on a 45 degree behind the duchess. Upon entering the right downwind to runway 31, I noticed that the duchess was heading eastbound at approximately a 100 degree heading (not parallel to runway 31). Based upon its heading, the duchess appeared to be leaving the pattern. At the same time, a C182RG announced it had me in sight and was entering the pattern behind me on the same 45 degree angle to the downwind. The cessna apparently did not have the duchess in sight, and inquired as to where the duchess was. I was concerned as well since the duchess had not announced leaving the pattern. As a result, I inquired over the CTAF as to what the duchess' intentions were as follows: 'duchess, are you leaving the pattern.' the response was a simple 'yes' from the duchess. The pilot of the duchess had a strong foreign accent. This pilot was apparently on some sort of check ride because he had an examiner (see rest of story below) with him, who at one point yelled at him while his radio was still (inadvertently) transmitting: '...dammit, don't do that.' as I proceeded on the right downwind to runway 31, the duchess suddenly appeared approximately 1000 ft in front of me crossing from left to right on an apparent extended right base to runway 31. There was no announcement from the duchess that it was returning to the pattern, or that it had turned right base to runway 31. At no time, however, was there any serious threat of midair collision between my aircraft and the duchess. As a result of my surprise at seeing the duchess in front of me, I asked the duchess what it was intending to do. The response came from the passenger in the duchess, not the pilot. The passenger was very irate, and yelled into the microphone words to the effect that they were in the pattern, and that I should not again ask what they were doing. As a result, I extended my downwind for spacing, and proceeded to land on runway 31 behind the duchess. I was followed by the cessna. All 3 aircraft made a full stop, and parked in the same vicinity in front of the FBO. As I was shutting down, the passenger of the duchess (who, I was later told was an examiner for the FAA), came over to my plane, and was still very irate. He accused me of entering the pattern too low at 600 ft, and coming in below him. At no time did I prematurely drop below the 1000 ft (AGL) level of the pattern (airport elevation is 2 ft MSL), and at no time was I ever below the duchess in the pattern. I asked why they had advised they were leaving the pattern, and he denied ever having done so. His demeanor was very irate, and nearly out of control. As a result of his low altitude accusation, I then checked my altimeter reading against the airport elevation, and found that it read approximately 75 ft too high. As a result, my traffic pattern may have been 75 ft too low during the beginning of the downwind leg. However, I was never 400 ft too low, as stated by the irate examiner. Following this startling confrontation, the cessna pilot (who heard the whole exchange due to having parked next to me) expressed his surprise at the outburst and uncontrolled demeanor of the examiner. The cessna pilot also confirmed that I was not significantly below the traffic pattern altitude, as he had followed me into the pattern, and had not noticed my altitude as having been too low. The cessna also had a passenger who confirmed that she heard the duchess pilot state that they were leaving the pattern when I had earlier inquired. As I walked back to the FBO, the examiner came out of the FBO building and headed for me again. He threatened to 'write a letter' to the FAA about me. He would not explain his reasons, and would not address my concerns about his examinee pilot's extremely irregular traffic pattern, or his pilot's confirmation that they were leaving the pattern. He simply denied that the same had occurred. At one point, the man was so irate that he threatened me as follows: 'boy, I'd like a piece of you.' at this point I simply walked away as I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Upon entering the FBO, I was informed that this irate man was an FAA examiner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A PIPER PA28-161 QUESTIONED A BEECH DUCHESS AHEAD ON DOWNWIND LEG AT AN UNCTLED ARPT WHAT WERE THEIR INTENTIONS SINCE THE ACFT WAS NOT ON A PARALLEL HEADING OF THE RWY AND BELIEVED THAT IT WAS LEAVING THE PATTERN BY A REPLY AFTER TKOF FROM THE PLT. THE OTHER DUCHESS OCCUPANT REPLIED IN AN IRATE MANNER THAT THEY WERE IN THE PATTERN AND TO NOT ASK AGAIN.

Narrative: I WAS ON A DAY VFR FLT RETURNING FROM MRY TO O56. I HAD 1 PAX ON BOARD THE PA28-161. I WAS THE PIC. ON THE NBOUND RETURN LEG OF THE TRIP, I RECEIVED THE LATEST ALTIMETER SETTING FROM BAY APCH CTL APPROX 15 MINS BEFORE LNDG AT O56. UPON RECEIPT OF THE ALTIMETER SETTING, I ADJUSTED MY ALTIMETER ACCORDINGLY. I ANNOUNCED MY POS ON THE O56 CTAF FREQ (123.00) 10 MI, AND AGAIN 5 MI S OF THE ARPT, INCLUDING MY INTENTION TO LAND. BEFORE ENTERING THE PATTERN, I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 31 ON A 45 DEG ANGLE TO THE DOWNWIND LEG AT MID- FIELD. AT THE TIME, I WAS E OF THE TFC PATTERN (3 MI FROM THE RWY), MANEUVERING NW (PARALLEL TO RWY 31) IN ORDER TO GAIN THE PROPER APCH TO THE DOWNWIND LEG TO THE RWY. AS I PROCEEDED NW, A BEECH DUCHESS TOOK OFF ON RWY 31, APPROX EVEN WITH ME. THE PLT OF THE DUCHESS ANNOUNCED A R XWIND TO RWY 31, SO I CONTINUED MY COURSE, BELIEVING THAT THE DUCHESS WOULD SOON TURN SE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE PATTERN FOR RWY 31. THE DUCHESS IN FACT TURNED AND ANNOUNCED A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 31, AT WHICH TIME I INITIATED MY L TURN OF APPROX 135 DEGS IN ORDER TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND LEG TO RWY 31 ON A 45 DEG BEHIND THE DUCHESS. UPON ENTERING THE R DOWNWIND TO RWY 31, I NOTICED THAT THE DUCHESS WAS HEADING EBOUND AT APPROX A 100 DEG HDG (NOT PARALLEL TO RWY 31). BASED UPON ITS HEADING, THE DUCHESS APPEARED TO BE LEAVING THE PATTERN. AT THE SAME TIME, A C182RG ANNOUNCED IT HAD ME IN SIGHT AND WAS ENTERING THE PATTERN BEHIND ME ON THE SAME 45 DEG ANGLE TO THE DOWNWIND. THE CESSNA APPARENTLY DID NOT HAVE THE DUCHESS IN SIGHT, AND INQUIRED AS TO WHERE THE DUCHESS WAS. I WAS CONCERNED AS WELL SINCE THE DUCHESS HAD NOT ANNOUNCED LEAVING THE PATTERN. AS A RESULT, I INQUIRED OVER THE CTAF AS TO WHAT THE DUCHESS' INTENTIONS WERE AS FOLLOWS: 'DUCHESS, ARE YOU LEAVING THE PATTERN.' THE RESPONSE WAS A SIMPLE 'YES' FROM THE DUCHESS. THE PLT OF THE DUCHESS HAD A STRONG FOREIGN ACCENT. THIS PLT WAS APPARENTLY ON SOME SORT OF CHK RIDE BECAUSE HE HAD AN EXAMINER (SEE REST OF STORY BELOW) WITH HIM, WHO AT ONE POINT YELLED AT HIM WHILE HIS RADIO WAS STILL (INADVERTENTLY) XMITTING: '...DAMMIT, DON'T DO THAT.' AS I PROCEEDED ON THE R DOWNWIND TO RWY 31, THE DUCHESS SUDDENLY APPEARED APPROX 1000 FT IN FRONT OF ME XING FROM L TO R ON AN APPARENT EXTENDED R BASE TO RWY 31. THERE WAS NO ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE DUCHESS THAT IT WAS RETURNING TO THE PATTERN, OR THAT IT HAD TURNED R BASE TO RWY 31. AT NO TIME, HOWEVER, WAS THERE ANY SERIOUS THREAT OF MIDAIR COLLISION BTWN MY ACFT AND THE DUCHESS. AS A RESULT OF MY SURPRISE AT SEEING THE DUCHESS IN FRONT OF ME, I ASKED THE DUCHESS WHAT IT WAS INTENDING TO DO. THE RESPONSE CAME FROM THE PAX IN THE DUCHESS, NOT THE PLT. THE PAX WAS VERY IRATE, AND YELLED INTO THE MIKE WORDS TO THE EFFECT THAT THEY WERE IN THE PATTERN, AND THAT I SHOULD NOT AGAIN ASK WHAT THEY WERE DOING. AS A RESULT, I EXTENDED MY DOWNWIND FOR SPACING, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND ON RWY 31 BEHIND THE DUCHESS. I WAS FOLLOWED BY THE CESSNA. ALL 3 ACFT MADE A FULL STOP, AND PARKED IN THE SAME VICINITY IN FRONT OF THE FBO. AS I WAS SHUTTING DOWN, THE PAX OF THE DUCHESS (WHO, I WAS LATER TOLD WAS AN EXAMINER FOR THE FAA), CAME OVER TO MY PLANE, AND WAS STILL VERY IRATE. HE ACCUSED ME OF ENTERING THE PATTERN TOO LOW AT 600 FT, AND COMING IN BELOW HIM. AT NO TIME DID I PREMATURELY DROP BELOW THE 1000 FT (AGL) LEVEL OF THE PATTERN (ARPT ELEVATION IS 2 FT MSL), AND AT NO TIME WAS I EVER BELOW THE DUCHESS IN THE PATTERN. I ASKED WHY THEY HAD ADVISED THEY WERE LEAVING THE PATTERN, AND HE DENIED EVER HAVING DONE SO. HIS DEMEANOR WAS VERY IRATE, AND NEARLY OUT OF CTL. AS A RESULT OF HIS LOW ALT ACCUSATION, I THEN CHKED MY ALTIMETER READING AGAINST THE ARPT ELEVATION, AND FOUND THAT IT READ APPROX 75 FT TOO HIGH. AS A RESULT, MY TFC PATTERN MAY HAVE BEEN 75 FT TOO LOW DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE DOWNWIND LEG. HOWEVER, I WAS NEVER 400 FT TOO LOW, AS STATED BY THE IRATE EXAMINER. FOLLOWING THIS STARTLING CONFRONTATION, THE CESSNA PLT (WHO HEARD THE WHOLE EXCHANGE DUE TO HAVING PARKED NEXT TO ME) EXPRESSED HIS SURPRISE AT THE OUTBURST AND UNCTLED DEMEANOR OF THE EXAMINER. THE CESSNA PLT ALSO CONFIRMED THAT I WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW THE TFC PATTERN ALT, AS HE HAD FOLLOWED ME INTO THE PATTERN, AND HAD NOT NOTICED MY ALT AS HAVING BEEN TOO LOW. THE CESSNA ALSO HAD A PAX WHO CONFIRMED THAT SHE HEARD THE DUCHESS PLT STATE THAT THEY WERE LEAVING THE PATTERN WHEN I HAD EARLIER INQUIRED. AS I WALKED BACK TO THE FBO, THE EXAMINER CAME OUT OF THE FBO BUILDING AND HEADED FOR ME AGAIN. HE THREATENED TO 'WRITE A LETTER' TO THE FAA ABOUT ME. HE WOULD NOT EXPLAIN HIS REASONS, AND WOULD NOT ADDRESS MY CONCERNS ABOUT HIS EXAMINEE PLT'S EXTREMELY IRREGULAR TFC PATTERN, OR HIS PLT'S CONFIRMATION THAT THEY WERE LEAVING THE PATTERN. HE SIMPLY DENIED THAT THE SAME HAD OCCURRED. AT ONE POINT, THE MAN WAS SO IRATE THAT HE THREATENED ME AS FOLLOWS: 'BOY, I'D LIKE A PIECE OF YOU.' AT THIS POINT I SIMPLY WALKED AWAY AS I COULD HARDLY BELIEVE WHAT I WAS HEARING. UPON ENTERING THE FBO, I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IRATE MAN WAS AN FAA EXAMINER.

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.