Narrative:

Student and I were practicing soft field takeoff and lndgs on grass, runway 27 at 52I (gross field, pinconning, mi, the only runway). We had departed in closed traffic with no other traffic sighted or heard on CTAF (122.9). On midfield downwind we observed a small biplane coming right at us on a crosswind for the same runway. It appeared he didn't see us (we were right in front of him, no visibility straight ahead in a pitts type single place, and I'm a pitts S2B pilot so I'm familiar with this type of aircraft) and he didn't respond to radio calls. He turned onto a downwind right behind us (estimate 100 yards, slightly above us) and I immediately broke off downwind to the right, exiting the pattern in a diving turn to about a 150 degree heading as I assumed the aircraft was setting up a downwind and didn't see us -- he was exactly where you'd expect him to be for downwind, in close to the runway (about 1/2 mi south of the field). I couldn't go left back across the field as he was just inside us in the pattern and that would have put us in front of him. We looked back, now at about 600 ft AGL and sbound, and he was right behind us, chasing us. We made a turn back to the east, now about 2 mi south of the field, and he again followed us, very close. He did not respond to calls on 122.9 or 122.75. We entered a right 360 degrees, hoping he would fly by and not follow us around. We lost sight of him in the turn. As we rolled out, again eastbound and well clear of the pattern now to the southeast, he flashed by 100 ft or so directly in front of us in a left turn -- I could about see the pilot's nose -- right to left, which means he must have tried to follow our right turn, then cut back across in front of us on a northerly heading. We immediately went straight to the field and landed, as it was obvious he had no intention of landing and was chasing us -- and he didn't follow us down. After landing we again spotted him, overhead the field sbound at about 1000 ft AGL, and he didn't come back. I contacted lansing FSS immediately and reported the incident. I recognize the aircraft. As I describe it to other pilots they have distinctly remembered it, but do not know the pilot. It is definitely not a pitts, but is about the same size as an S1 series pitts. I don't know the north number or the home airport for the aircraft, but I am looking at this time and hope to be able to report the aircraft identity to the FSDO.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH BIPLANE AT 52I UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: STUDENT AND I WERE PRACTICING SOFT FIELD TKOF AND LNDGS ON GRASS, RWY 27 AT 52I (GROSS FIELD, PINCONNING, MI, THE ONLY RWY). WE HAD DEPARTED IN CLOSED TFC WITH NO OTHER TFC SIGHTED OR HEARD ON CTAF (122.9). ON MIDFIELD DOWNWIND WE OBSERVED A SMALL BIPLANE COMING RIGHT AT US ON A XWIND FOR THE SAME RWY. IT APPEARED HE DIDN'T SEE US (WE WERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM, NO VISIBILITY STRAIGHT AHEAD IN A PITTS TYPE SINGLE PLACE, AND I'M A PITTS S2B PLT SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH THIS TYPE OF ACFT) AND HE DIDN'T RESPOND TO RADIO CALLS. HE TURNED ONTO A DOWNWIND RIGHT BEHIND US (ESTIMATE 100 YARDS, SLIGHTLY ABOVE US) AND I IMMEDIATELY BROKE OFF DOWNWIND TO THE R, EXITING THE PATTERN IN A DIVING TURN TO ABOUT A 150 DEG HDG AS I ASSUMED THE ACFT WAS SETTING UP A DOWNWIND AND DIDN'T SEE US -- HE WAS EXACTLY WHERE YOU'D EXPECT HIM TO BE FOR DOWNWIND, IN CLOSE TO THE RWY (ABOUT 1/2 MI S OF THE FIELD). I COULDN'T GO L BACK ACROSS THE FIELD AS HE WAS JUST INSIDE US IN THE PATTERN AND THAT WOULD HAVE PUT US IN FRONT OF HIM. WE LOOKED BACK, NOW AT ABOUT 600 FT AGL AND SBOUND, AND HE WAS RIGHT BEHIND US, CHASING US. WE MADE A TURN BACK TO THE E, NOW ABOUT 2 MI S OF THE FIELD, AND HE AGAIN FOLLOWED US, VERY CLOSE. HE DID NOT RESPOND TO CALLS ON 122.9 OR 122.75. WE ENTERED A R 360 DEGS, HOPING HE WOULD FLY BY AND NOT FOLLOW US AROUND. WE LOST SIGHT OF HIM IN THE TURN. AS WE ROLLED OUT, AGAIN EBOUND AND WELL CLR OF THE PATTERN NOW TO THE SE, HE FLASHED BY 100 FT OR SO DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US IN A L TURN -- I COULD ABOUT SEE THE PLT'S NOSE -- R TO L, WHICH MEANS HE MUST HAVE TRIED TO FOLLOW OUR R TURN, THEN CUT BACK ACROSS IN FRONT OF US ON A NORTHERLY HEADING. WE IMMEDIATELY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FIELD AND LANDED, AS IT WAS OBVIOUS HE HAD NO INTENTION OF LNDG AND WAS CHASING US -- AND HE DIDN'T FOLLOW US DOWN. AFTER LNDG WE AGAIN SPOTTED HIM, OVERHEAD THE FIELD SBOUND AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL, AND HE DIDN'T COME BACK. I CONTACTED LANSING FSS IMMEDIATELY AND RPTED THE INCIDENT. I RECOGNIZE THE ACFT. AS I DESCRIBE IT TO OTHER PLTS THEY HAVE DISTINCTLY REMEMBERED IT, BUT DO NOT KNOW THE PLT. IT IS DEFINITELY NOT A PITTS, BUT IS ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS AN S1 SERIES PITTS. I DON'T KNOW THE N NUMBER OR THE HOME ARPT FOR THE ACFT, BUT I AM LOOKING AT THIS TIME AND HOPE TO BE ABLE TO RPT THE ACFT IDENTITY TO THE FSDO.

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.