Narrative:

I was landing the C150 tow after my 3RD or 4TH consecutive glider tow. I had been continuously monitoring the CTAF and had a good understanding of the area traffic. One plane landed and then I joined the pattern as #2 behind a C340 on left downwind runway 27. I flew relatively slowly, 70 mph IAS, and we both made progressive position reports. I extended my downwind to allow the C340 time for the anticipated back taxi. As he crossed the threshold, I turned to left base. When I rolled out on a long, high final (2 - 2 1/2 mi), I saw him completing a 180 degree turn on the runway. I went to full flaps and 60 mph IAS and felt I had lots of time for him to clear. My touchdown was in an unexpected tailwind gust but not uncommon for tex. I continued my landing rollout, thinking the runway was clear. I saw the C340 back-taxiing toward me when I was 500 ft (approximately) away and well below flying speed. He was near the north edge of the runway for the turnoff (taxiway A2), so I moved to the south edge of the runway. I radioed my embarrassment and apologies to him as I neared. He said he had seen me all the time and was not worried. I went by him on the runway at a fast taxi speed. Our wingtips cleared (right to right) by only 30-35 ft. Contributing factors: I believe the main cause is that I had grown somewhat complacent. Additionally, I may have grown overconfident in my ability to efficiently sequence myself into the traffic pattern. Tex usually requires a back taxi on a runway 27 landing. It needs another taxiway. There were scattered clouds above 7000 ft AGL and their shadows were moving at about taxi speed. This made the movement of the taxiing C340 more difficult to discern. I chose not to make a go around because I saw the C340 so late. The 200 ft tow rope might have been more of a hazard. I have given previous thought to gars with the rope attached. I knew they had to be higher (initiated sooner) or the runway cleared to the side to avoid ground hazard. It's possible I could have released the rope, but I was so surprised to see the C340, I didn't think of it. With 20/20 hindsight, it was better to concentrate on aircraft control more fully: raising flaps, aggressive braking and steering to the left. Positive factor -- things done right: both planes had been making position reports so the C340 knew I was behind him. I had my landing light on so I was more visible. Because of the demanding nature of operating into/out of tex, most pilots are at an increased level of awareness. While I certainly wasn't, I'm grateful the C340 pilot was. Tex is certified to part 139 standards. I wouldn't hesitate to use the grassy safety area if I would have needed it. Corrective actions: complacency is sneaky. I will be more aware of its nature by conscious attention to it. If I don't actually see a plane clear the runway in front of me, I will request 'confirm down and clear.' I will continue to use the landing light, both on takeoff and landing. I will sequence myself better in order to fly a more standard traffic pattern. If I adjust the spacing, I will be in a better spot (normal turn to base leg) to observe the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 TOW PLANE TAKES EVASIVE ACTION LNDG AT TEX COUNTY ARPT WHEN A KNOWN C340 IS ENCOUNTERED ON BACK TAXI ON THE RWY.

Narrative: I WAS LNDG THE C150 TOW AFTER MY 3RD OR 4TH CONSECUTIVE GLIDER TOW. I HAD BEEN CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING THE CTAF AND HAD A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE AREA TFC. ONE PLANE LANDED AND THEN I JOINED THE PATTERN AS #2 BEHIND A C340 ON L DOWNWIND RWY 27. I FLEW RELATIVELY SLOWLY, 70 MPH IAS, AND WE BOTH MADE PROGRESSIVE POS RPTS. I EXTENDED MY DOWNWIND TO ALLOW THE C340 TIME FOR THE ANTICIPATED BACK TAXI. AS HE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD, I TURNED TO L BASE. WHEN I ROLLED OUT ON A LONG, HIGH FINAL (2 - 2 1/2 MI), I SAW HIM COMPLETING A 180 DEG TURN ON THE RWY. I WENT TO FULL FLAPS AND 60 MPH IAS AND FELT I HAD LOTS OF TIME FOR HIM TO CLR. MY TOUCHDOWN WAS IN AN UNEXPECTED TAILWIND GUST BUT NOT UNCOMMON FOR TEX. I CONTINUED MY LNDG ROLLOUT, THINKING THE RWY WAS CLR. I SAW THE C340 BACK-TAXIING TOWARD ME WHEN I WAS 500 FT (APPROX) AWAY AND WELL BELOW FLYING SPD. HE WAS NEAR THE N EDGE OF THE RWY FOR THE TURNOFF (TXWY A2), SO I MOVED TO THE S EDGE OF THE RWY. I RADIOED MY EMBARRASSMENT AND APOLOGIES TO HIM AS I NEARED. HE SAID HE HAD SEEN ME ALL THE TIME AND WAS NOT WORRIED. I WENT BY HIM ON THE RWY AT A FAST TAXI SPD. OUR WINGTIPS CLRED (R TO R) BY ONLY 30-35 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I BELIEVE THE MAIN CAUSE IS THAT I HAD GROWN SOMEWHAT COMPLACENT. ADDITIONALLY, I MAY HAVE GROWN OVERCONFIDENT IN MY ABILITY TO EFFICIENTLY SEQUENCE MYSELF INTO THE TFC PATTERN. TEX USUALLY REQUIRES A BACK TAXI ON A RWY 27 LNDG. IT NEEDS ANOTHER TXWY. THERE WERE SCATTERED CLOUDS ABOVE 7000 FT AGL AND THEIR SHADOWS WERE MOVING AT ABOUT TAXI SPD. THIS MADE THE MOVEMENT OF THE TAXIING C340 MORE DIFFICULT TO DISCERN. I CHOSE NOT TO MAKE A GAR BECAUSE I SAW THE C340 SO LATE. THE 200 FT TOW ROPE MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE OF A HAZARD. I HAVE GIVEN PREVIOUS THOUGHT TO GARS WITH THE ROPE ATTACHED. I KNEW THEY HAD TO BE HIGHER (INITIATED SOONER) OR THE RWY CLRED TO THE SIDE TO AVOID GND HAZARD. IT'S POSSIBLE I COULD HAVE RELEASED THE ROPE, BUT I WAS SO SURPRISED TO SEE THE C340, I DIDN'T THINK OF IT. WITH 20/20 HINDSIGHT, IT WAS BETTER TO CONCENTRATE ON ACFT CTL MORE FULLY: RAISING FLAPS, AGGRESSIVE BRAKING AND STEERING TO THE L. POSITIVE FACTOR -- THINGS DONE RIGHT: BOTH PLANES HAD BEEN MAKING POS RPTS SO THE C340 KNEW I WAS BEHIND HIM. I HAD MY LNDG LIGHT ON SO I WAS MORE VISIBLE. BECAUSE OF THE DEMANDING NATURE OF OPERATING INTO/OUT OF TEX, MOST PLTS ARE AT AN INCREASED LEVEL OF AWARENESS. WHILE I CERTAINLY WASN'T, I'M GRATEFUL THE C340 PLT WAS. TEX IS CERTIFIED TO PART 139 STANDARDS. I WOULDN'T HESITATE TO USE THE GRASSY SAFETY AREA IF I WOULD HAVE NEEDED IT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: COMPLACENCY IS SNEAKY. I WILL BE MORE AWARE OF ITS NATURE BY CONSCIOUS ATTN TO IT. IF I DON'T ACTUALLY SEE A PLANE CLR THE RWY IN FRONT OF ME, I WILL REQUEST 'CONFIRM DOWN AND CLR.' I WILL CONTINUE TO USE THE LNDG LIGHT, BOTH ON TKOF AND LNDG. I WILL SEQUENCE MYSELF BETTER IN ORDER TO FLY A MORE STANDARD TFC PATTERN. IF I ADJUST THE SPACING, I WILL BE IN A BETTER SPOT (NORMAL TURN TO BASE LEG) TO OBSERVE THE RWY.

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.