Narrative:

I was involved in a situation while landing a piper cherokee at the mkt airport. The issue of this report is that I touched down on the runway before the aircraft, which had landed in from of me, was clear of the same runway. The WX was VFR, with winds easterly at about 15 KTS and visibility of 10 miles. Runway 04 was active. The airport was quite busy with about 4 to 5 other aircraft's in the pattern and near vicinity. I radioed, on 122.7, my intentions to land when I was about 10 miles north of the airport. On entering the downwind to runway 04, I was behind a cessna 152, which was then turning to its base leg. I extended my downwind leg until the cessna had turned to final and waited to make my turn to base leg until that cessna was in view behind my left wing. Upon turning my cherokee to find, I could see that the cessna was about to touchdown on the runway. I radioed my position on final approach and landed just slightly before the cessna 152 had exited the same runway (04). I estimated that the distance between the 2 planes at this time was about 2000 ft. At no time do I feel that safety was compromised in this situation, although a far may have been a viable option. Factor influencing this situation could be radio congestion on 122.7. The cessna's slower approach speed, and slower than normal speed to exit the runway, and also that a back seat passenger in the cherokee was feeling airsick at the time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that his son was airsick and he feels the distraction was part of the problem. Had this not been the case he might have done a go around. He did extend his downwind to what he thought would be enough spacing, but the slow taxi of the cessna 152 was a factor. He also feels that the student training as this airport may contribute to the congestion as each student reports every leg in the pattern. This makes it very difficult for someone trying to enter the pattern to communicate. There are also several airports in the area on the same unicom frequency which does add to confusion and congestion. He would like to see some of these frequencys changed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHEROKEE MAKES LNDG PRIOR TO SECOND ACFT DEPARTING THE RWY.

Narrative: I WAS INVOLVED IN A SITUATION WHILE LANDING A PIPER CHEROKEE AT THE MKT AIRPORT. THE ISSUE OF THIS REPORT IS THAT I TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RWY BEFORE THE ACFT, WHICH HAD LANDED IN FROM OF ME, WAS CLEAR OF THE SAME RWY. THE WX WAS VFR, WITH WINDS EASTERLY AT ABOUT 15 KTS AND VIS OF 10 MILES. RWY 04 WAS ACTIVE. THE AIRPORT WAS QUITE BUSY WITH ABOUT 4 TO 5 OTHER ACFT'S IN THE PATTERN AND NEAR VICINITY. I RADIOED, ON 122.7, MY INTENTIONS TO LAND WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10 MILES N OF THE ARPT. ON ENTERING THE DOWNWIND TO RWY 04, I WAS BEHIND A CESSNA 152, WHICH WAS THEN TURNING TO ITS BASE LEG. I EXTENDED MY DOWNWIND LEG UNTIL THE CESSNA HAD TURNED TO FINAL AND WAITED TO MAKE MY TURN TO BASE LEG UNTIL THAT CESSNA WAS IN VIEW BEHIND MY LEFT WING. UPON TURNING MY CHEROKEE TO FIND, I COULD SEE THAT THE CESSNA WAS ABOUT TO TOUCHDOWN ON THE RWY. I RADIOED MY POS ON FINAL APCH AND LANDED JUST SLIGHTLY BEFORE THE CESSNA 152 HAD EXITED THE SAME RWY (04). I ESTIMATED THAT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE 2 PLANES AT THIS TIME WAS ABOUT 2000 FT. AT NO TIME DO I FEEL THAT SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED IN THIS SITUATION, ALTHOUGH A FAR MAY HAVE BEEN A VIABLE OPTION. FACTOR INFLUENCING THIS SIT COULD BE RADIO CONGESTION ON 122.7. THE CESSNA'S SLOWER APCH SPEED, AND SLOWER THAN NORMAL SPEED TO EXIT THE RWY, AND ALSO THAT A BACK SEAT PAX IN THE CHEROKEE WAS FEELING AIRSICK AT THE TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HIS SON WAS AIRSICK AND HE FEELS THE DISTRACTION WAS PART OF THE PROB. HAD THIS NOT BEEN THE CASE HE MIGHT HAVE DONE A GAR. HE DID EXTEND HIS DOWNWIND TO WHAT HE THOUGHT WOULD BE ENOUGH SPACING, BUT THE SLOW TAXI OF THE CESSNA 152 WAS A FACTOR. HE ALSO FEELS THAT THE STUDENT TRAINING AS THIS ARPT MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONGESTION AS EACH STUDENT RPTS EVERY LEG IN THE PATTERN. THIS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE TRYING TO ENTER THE PATTERN TO COMMUNICATE. THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL ARPTS IN THE AREA ON THE SAME UNICOM FREQ WHICH DOES ADD TO CONFUSION AND CONGESTION. HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THESE FREQS CHANGED.

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.