Narrative:

I was returning to ftg following a solo aerobatic practice session. At a distance of 12 NM from the airport, I picked up the AWOS broadcast, then switched to CTAF at about 10 NM. The frequency was congested, with nearly constant position reports of aircraft in the pattern. At 8 NM there was a pause in the radio traffic, and I reported in as follows: 'front range traffic xa 8 southeast, planning a 45 degree entry to right downwind, runway 8, front range.' at about 4 NM from the airport, I heard a skylane report in '6 mi southwest,' also planning a 45 degree entry to right downwind for runway 8. At 3 NM from the airport, I again reported, 'front range traffic, xa 3 southeast, planning a 45 degree entry to right downwind, runway 8, front range.' I reported my position a third time when starting the 45 degree entry leg, about 1.5 mi southeast of the field. Throughout this period, I was looking ahead and to the left in order to locate the skylane, but did not spot him. Shortly after I turned towards the field, another cessna announced that he was turning a right crosswind leg off runway 8. I switched my primary search scan to the right, and located the crosswind cessna after 5 or 10 seconds. I then switched my primary search scan back to the left, looking for the skylane. I rolled out onto a midfield right downwind at about 100 KIAS, and announced my position again. Then I spotted the skylane at my 10 O'clock position, same altitude (6500 ft MSL), heading straight north. (Note that a 45 degree entry to right downwind for runway 8 should be flown on a heading of 305 degrees.) I estimate that the skylane was less than 1000 ft away, and was moving aft in my field of view. I immediately opened the throttle fully in order to increase separation, and rocked my wings to help ensure that the skylane would see me. A few seconds later, the skylane announced that he was turning downwind behind 'the guy who just cut into the pattern.' I replied that I had announced my intentions and then flown the corresponding pattern entry. I went on to perform a touch and go and the skylane landed, both without further incident. At no time did the skylane broadcast any part of his n-number. I feel that this was caused by a busy airport traffic environment, coupled with the skylane's failure to fly an appropriate traffic pattern entry. It also seems likely that the skylane either did not hear or did not understand my position reports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ENTERING A NON CTLED ARPT TFC PATTERN ON A 45 DEG ANGLE, AN SMA PLT OBSERVED A CESSNA 182 ALSO ENTERING ON A 90 DEG ANGLE CAUSING HIM TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO ASSURE SEPARATION. BOTH ACFT HAD PREVIOUSLY RPTED THEIR POS AND INTENTIONS, EVEN THOUGH THE C182 HAD NOT RPTED STARTING HIS ENTRY.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING TO FTG FOLLOWING A SOLO AEROBATIC PRACTICE SESSION. AT A DISTANCE OF 12 NM FROM THE ARPT, I PICKED UP THE AWOS BROADCAST, THEN SWITCHED TO CTAF AT ABOUT 10 NM. THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED, WITH NEARLY CONSTANT POS RPTS OF ACFT IN THE PATTERN. AT 8 NM THERE WAS A PAUSE IN THE RADIO TFC, AND I RPTED IN AS FOLLOWS: 'FRONT RANGE TFC XA 8 SE, PLANNING A 45 DEG ENTRY TO R DOWNWIND, RWY 8, FRONT RANGE.' AT ABOUT 4 NM FROM THE ARPT, I HEARD A SKYLANE RPT IN '6 MI SW,' ALSO PLANNING A 45 DEG ENTRY TO R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8. AT 3 NM FROM THE ARPT, I AGAIN RPTED, 'FRONT RANGE TFC, XA 3 SE, PLANNING A 45 DEG ENTRY TO R DOWNWIND, RWY 8, FRONT RANGE.' I RPTED MY POS A THIRD TIME WHEN STARTING THE 45 DEG ENTRY LEG, ABOUT 1.5 MI SE OF THE FIELD. THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD, I WAS LOOKING AHEAD AND TO THE L IN ORDER TO LOCATE THE SKYLANE, BUT DID NOT SPOT HIM. SHORTLY AFTER I TURNED TOWARDS THE FIELD, ANOTHER CESSNA ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS TURNING A R XWIND LEG OFF RWY 8. I SWITCHED MY PRIMARY SEARCH SCAN TO THE R, AND LOCATED THE XWIND CESSNA AFTER 5 OR 10 SECONDS. I THEN SWITCHED MY PRIMARY SEARCH SCAN BACK TO THE L, LOOKING FOR THE SKYLANE. I ROLLED OUT ONTO A MIDFIELD R DOWNWIND AT ABOUT 100 KIAS, AND ANNOUNCED MY POS AGAIN. THEN I SPOTTED THE SKYLANE AT MY 10 O'CLOCK POS, SAME ALT (6500 FT MSL), HEADING STRAIGHT N. (NOTE THAT A 45 DEG ENTRY TO R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8 SHOULD BE FLOWN ON A HEADING OF 305 DEGS.) I ESTIMATE THAT THE SKYLANE WAS LESS THAN 1000 FT AWAY, AND WAS MOVING AFT IN MY FIELD OF VIEW. I IMMEDIATELY OPENED THE THROTTLE FULLY IN ORDER TO INCREASE SEPARATION, AND ROCKED MY WINGS TO HELP ENSURE THAT THE SKYLANE WOULD SEE ME. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE SKYLANE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS TURNING DOWNWIND BEHIND 'THE GUY WHO JUST CUT INTO THE PATTERN.' I REPLIED THAT I HAD ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS AND THEN FLOWN THE CORRESPONDING PATTERN ENTRY. I WENT ON TO PERFORM A TOUCH AND GO AND THE SKYLANE LANDED, BOTH WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AT NO TIME DID THE SKYLANE BROADCAST ANY PART OF HIS N-NUMBER. I FEEL THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A BUSY ARPT TFC ENVIRONMENT, COUPLED WITH THE SKYLANE'S FAILURE TO FLY AN APPROPRIATE TFC PATTERN ENTRY. IT ALSO SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE SKYLANE EITHER DID NOT HEAR OR DID NOT UNDERSTAND MY POS RPTS.

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.