Narrative:

After an afternoon of flying, I went over to the local controled field (lns) to shoot a landing before going back home. They were not busy when I called on my handheld about 8 mi out and was told to make a straight-in approach to runway 31. It was clear with just a little haze, 10000 ft and 10 mi and approximately 30 mins or so before sunset. Wind was about 15 KTS from the northwest. During my approach, the controller became very busy on the radio and cleared another aircraft who was on a tight base to land on runway 31 when I was about 4 mi out. Not a problem as this plane was so far ahead of me. There was still more traffic on the radio and the controller cleared a second aircraft (piper seneca) to land on runway 31. Before I could get on the radio to announce where I was, the second guy announces that he is going around because I cut him off. He repeated himself twice while I contacted the tower and was cleared to land and did without incident. I taxied back to runway 31 to wait my turn to take off. The first controller didn't say anything, but while I was waiting to take off, a second controller got on the radio and asked me if I had seen the other aircraft when I turned final. I told him that I was on a straight-in approach and did not see the other plane. A few mins later, the first controller cleared me for takeoff and I went home. So what happened? Due to increased traffic and as slow as my ground speed (60-65 KTS) was, I believe the controller forgot about me and/or didn't have me on radar. At this tower they get their local picture from a repeater 25 mi away. Factors: the busy radio traffic and that the setting sun was at my 10 O'clock position and I couldn't see either plane because of sun glare.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LUSCOMBE 8A PLT INADVERTENTLY CUT OFF ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL DUE TO LONG STRAIGHT-IN APCH AND THE SETTING SUN IN HIS EYES. THE OTHER ACFT WENT AROUND AND THEN ADVISED TWR ACCORDINGLY.

Narrative: AFTER AN AFTERNOON OF FLYING, I WENT OVER TO THE LCL CTLED FIELD (LNS) TO SHOOT A LNDG BEFORE GOING BACK HOME. THEY WERE NOT BUSY WHEN I CALLED ON MY HANDHELD ABOUT 8 MI OUT AND WAS TOLD TO MAKE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 31. IT WAS CLR WITH JUST A LITTLE HAZE, 10000 FT AND 10 MI AND APPROX 30 MINS OR SO BEFORE SUNSET. WIND WAS ABOUT 15 KTS FROM THE NW. DURING MY APCH, THE CTLR BECAME VERY BUSY ON THE RADIO AND CLRED ANOTHER ACFT WHO WAS ON A TIGHT BASE TO LAND ON RWY 31 WHEN I WAS ABOUT 4 MI OUT. NOT A PROB AS THIS PLANE WAS SO FAR AHEAD OF ME. THERE WAS STILL MORE TFC ON THE RADIO AND THE CTLR CLRED A SECOND ACFT (PIPER SENECA) TO LAND ON RWY 31. BEFORE I COULD GET ON THE RADIO TO ANNOUNCE WHERE I WAS, THE SECOND GUY ANNOUNCES THAT HE IS GOING AROUND BECAUSE I CUT HIM OFF. HE REPEATED HIMSELF TWICE WHILE I CONTACTED THE TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND AND DID WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TAXIED BACK TO RWY 31 TO WAIT MY TURN TO TAKE OFF. THE FIRST CTLR DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING, BUT WHILE I WAS WAITING TO TAKE OFF, A SECOND CTLR GOT ON THE RADIO AND ASKED ME IF I HAD SEEN THE OTHER ACFT WHEN I TURNED FINAL. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS ON A STRAIGHT-IN APCH AND DID NOT SEE THE OTHER PLANE. A FEW MINS LATER, THE FIRST CTLR CLRED ME FOR TKOF AND I WENT HOME. SO WHAT HAPPENED? DUE TO INCREASED TFC AND AS SLOW AS MY GND SPD (60-65 KTS) WAS, I BELIEVE THE CTLR FORGOT ABOUT ME AND/OR DIDN'T HAVE ME ON RADAR. AT THIS TWR THEY GET THEIR LCL PICTURE FROM A REPEATER 25 MI AWAY. FACTORS: THE BUSY RADIO TFC AND THAT THE SETTING SUN WAS AT MY 10 O'CLOCK POS AND I COULDN'T SEE EITHER PLANE BECAUSE OF SUN GLARE.

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.