Narrative:

An aircraft was performing touch-and-goes on runway 28 at aniak as part of a pilot's check ride for another company on the field. I tuned in to the CTAF at approximately 20 mi out, and as I approached the field I heard the other aircraft announcing it's position and intentions, a series of touch-and-goes. I announced my position at 5 mi northwest of the field, and upon entering a left crosswind for runway 28, at which time I put myself in a position to follow the other aircraft, which was then turning left downwind. I turned on a left downwind, and was following the other aircraft when it turned on an unusually short left base. I assumed the reason for the close-in base was a simulated engine failure as part of the check ride. (Note: there is no taxiway adjacent to runway 28/10 at aniak, and the turnoff to the ramp is about 1000 ft from the east end of the runway, ie, if an airplane lands long on runway 28, it must turn around and back taxi to exit the runway.) I could see that the other aircraft was going to land long, about 1/2 way down the 6000 ft runway. I assumed it would be a touch-and-go because it had previously done several. The pilot announced his turn to final, but did not specify 'touch-and-go' or 'full stop,' I considered asking him, but I knew he was probably pretty busy with a simulated engine failure and a check ride, so I didn't ask. I planned my approach to land just after the other aft took off for its touch-and-go, but it made a landing to a full stop -- it turned around to back taxi as I was on about a 1/8 mi final. The pilot asked where I was. I said 'short final, not a factor' because I could see that I would land and turn off the runway at the turnoff approximately 1000 ft down from the threshold of runway 28. The aircraft was turning around about 4000 ft down the runway, and I knew there was more than sufficient space between us for a safe landing on my part, so I landed and made the turnoff uneventfully. In retrospect, however, it was probably a poor choice on my part to land on an active runway which still had an airplane on it -- it wasn't dangerous, but it might have made the other pilot uncomfortable. I'm not sure if it was legal. I know 3000 ft separation is legal with a tower, but I've been unable to locate a regulation concerning 2 airplanes on 1 runway at an uncontrolled airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL INST RATED PLT FLYING A LIGHT SINGLE ENG ACFT LANDS AT ANI WITH AN ACFT ON THE RWY TAXIING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

Narrative: AN ACFT WAS PERFORMING TOUCH-AND-GOES ON RWY 28 AT ANIAK AS PART OF A PLT'S CHK RIDE FOR ANOTHER COMPANY ON THE FIELD. I TUNED IN TO THE CTAF AT APPROX 20 MI OUT, AND AS I APCHED THE FIELD I HEARD THE OTHER ACFT ANNOUNCING IT'S POS AND INTENTIONS, A SERIES OF TOUCH-AND-GOES. I ANNOUNCED MY POS AT 5 MI NW OF THE FIELD, AND UPON ENTERING A L XWIND FOR RWY 28, AT WHICH TIME I PUT MYSELF IN A POS TO FOLLOW THE OTHER ACFT, WHICH WAS THEN TURNING L DOWNWIND. I TURNED ON A L DOWNWIND, AND WAS FOLLOWING THE OTHER ACFT WHEN IT TURNED ON AN UNUSUALLY SHORT L BASE. I ASSUMED THE REASON FOR THE CLOSE-IN BASE WAS A SIMULATED ENG FAILURE AS PART OF THE CHK RIDE. (NOTE: THERE IS NO TXWY ADJACENT TO RWY 28/10 AT ANIAK, AND THE TURNOFF TO THE RAMP IS ABOUT 1000 FT FROM THE E END OF THE RWY, IE, IF AN AIRPLANE LANDS LONG ON RWY 28, IT MUST TURN AROUND AND BACK TAXI TO EXIT THE RWY.) I COULD SEE THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS GOING TO LAND LONG, ABOUT 1/2 WAY DOWN THE 6000 FT RWY. I ASSUMED IT WOULD BE A TOUCH-AND-GO BECAUSE IT HAD PREVIOUSLY DONE SEVERAL. THE PLT ANNOUNCED HIS TURN TO FINAL, BUT DID NOT SPECIFY 'TOUCH-AND-GO' OR 'FULL STOP,' I CONSIDERED ASKING HIM, BUT I KNEW HE WAS PROBABLY PRETTY BUSY WITH A SIMULATED ENG FAILURE AND A CHK RIDE, SO I DIDN'T ASK. I PLANNED MY APCH TO LAND JUST AFTER THE OTHER AFT TOOK OFF FOR ITS TOUCH-AND-GO, BUT IT MADE A LNDG TO A FULL STOP -- IT TURNED AROUND TO BACK TAXI AS I WAS ON ABOUT A 1/8 MI FINAL. THE PLT ASKED WHERE I WAS. I SAID 'SHORT FINAL, NOT A FACTOR' BECAUSE I COULD SEE THAT I WOULD LAND AND TURN OFF THE RWY AT THE TURNOFF APPROX 1000 FT DOWN FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 28. THE ACFT WAS TURNING AROUND ABOUT 4000 FT DOWN THE RWY, AND I KNEW THERE WAS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT SPACE BTWN US FOR A SAFE LNDG ON MY PART, SO I LANDED AND MADE THE TURNOFF UNEVENTFULLY. IN RETROSPECT, HOWEVER, IT WAS PROBABLY A POOR CHOICE ON MY PART TO LAND ON AN ACTIVE RWY WHICH STILL HAD AN AIRPLANE ON IT -- IT WASN'T DANGEROUS, BUT IT MIGHT HAVE MADE THE OTHER PLT UNCOMFORTABLE. I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS LEGAL. I KNOW 3000 FT SEPARATION IS LEGAL WITH A TWR, BUT I'VE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE A REG CONCERNING 2 AIRPLANES ON 1 RWY AT AN UNCTLED ARPT.

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.