Narrative:

At 2 mi out, I made my 4TH call, 'berz macomb traffic, aztec X is 2 mi from the north, inbound. I'll be entering a downwind, abeam runway 22 at a 45 degrees to runway 4, berz macomb.' at this point I saw a plane departing berz airport, runway 4. I called out for traffic, and said that I was entering my downwind and then asked if the departing traffic at berz was going to be in the pattern or leaving the area or had me in sight. There was no communication from the departing traffic. I watched the traffic turn left, towards us and asked what the intention of the traffic at berz was. No response. I continued my downwind as the departing traffic passed underneath me towards the west. When I was about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way on my downwind, we noticed that the traffic was headed back towards us. We were a bit higher and faster than the oncoming traffic. I made another call out to traffic, 'berz macomb traffic, aztec X, turning left base for runway 4, berz macomb.' at this point, I then made my call to final. 'Berz traffic, aztec X turning from base to final runway 4, berz.' this is when I saw the incoming traffic turning left, right in front and below of me on a final for the same runway. I called out again, 'traffic on final at berz, do you see me?' no response. Knowing that I could not continue on final without keeping the proper distance, I quickly turned right and did a 360 degree turn to avoid the traffic. I called out my intention and continued on final. At this point, I figured that the traffic either had no radio, the radio was off, or there was some kind of emergency. I touched down and noticed the traffic taxiing back to the departure end of runway 4. I asked if the departing traffic had a radio. No response. I said, 'departing traffic at berz, if you can hear me, do you realize that you cut me off on final?' to my astonishment, they came back and said, 'you're right #%?*! If you knew how to fly a pattern correctly, this wouldn't be a problem.' (he was probably referring to the 3/4 mi distance I took on downwind -- he needed less than I did.) it then hit me. This guy had his radio on the entire time and never once communicated to me, and then cut me off on final. I said that he was the a-- for cutting me off. I asked him if that was always his practice, cutting off other planes while they are in the same pattern? His response was, 'only when *#@! Like you are in the pattern!' knowing that he had no problem with his radio, and that there was no obvious emergency, I asked him why he would not respond to an airplane that was obviously approaching the same airport as he, and was in the same pattern. He starts to recite his right, not to talk to anyone if he doesn't feel like it. Then the berz unicom spoke out, 'we only use radios for radio checks here.' at this point, I was on the ramp, stopped but engines still idling, facing the traffic on the run-up pad. We exchanged words with each other. I told him how dangerous he was to this airport and these sits can often cause midair collisions, let alone very nervous pilots. He told me that he has 25000 hours and that I should mind my own business. I asked him for his tail number and name. He had no response and started to depart from runway 4. I determined that he was going to leave the airport and I wanted to get his numbers so I could file a report with the FAA. I taxied from the ramp to the side of the runway, but he was already past my point and I could not get his tail number. He departed, and I then taxied back to the ramp to drop off my passenger. The berz macomb unicom came on the radio and asked if we could come in and discuss the matter. The other aircraft had already departed so I informed them that I would be in touch with the airport manager tomorrow. I then taxied over to runway 4, departed the pattern and headed back. The next day I called berz macomb airport to ask for any staff that worked on saturday. They gave me the pilot's name and his tail number. They also informed me that the other pilot filed an FAA report on me, citing my language and my taxi to the side of the runway. (Whatever that means?) they (airport personnel) also stated that this pilot was an instructor and he had a student pilot with him that day. Airport personnel told me he tells his students to ignore all radio calls, and just concentrate on flying. My discussion with airport personnel ended with a comment. This pilot should not be teaching students. He is reckless and dangerous to other pilots. The far does indicate that a student pilot must be able to speak and understand the english language. This is for communication. Most midair collisions occur because of the lack of communication, and not the lack of flying skills. Why didn't the instructor make the radio calls? He was in the wrong for cutting the corner and intercepting the final course in front of me. When I brought this to his attention, he just shrugged it off. But the most important thing is why did they choose to cut me off? Does he do this often? They had no response, and said that I would have to take it up with him. A very, very dangerous attitude indeed. A very dangerous pilot. I ended my conversation with, 'I hope I do not read about, or see this pilot on the news some day. I feel he is giving the wrong impression to his students.' if instructors do not teach their student pilots how to communicate to other aircraft that are in very close proximity, and teach them to cut corners on final, this will eventually lead to a very bad day for someone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR BY AN INSTRUCTOR PLT CREATES A POTENTIAL CONFLICT IN THE TFC PATTERN OF A NON TWR ARPT AT UIZ, MI.

Narrative: AT 2 MI OUT, I MADE MY 4TH CALL, 'BERZ MACOMB TFC, AZTEC X IS 2 MI FROM THE N, INBOUND. I'LL BE ENTERING A DOWNWIND, ABEAM RWY 22 AT A 45 DEGS TO RWY 4, BERZ MACOMB.' AT THIS POINT I SAW A PLANE DEPARTING BERZ ARPT, RWY 4. I CALLED OUT FOR TFC, AND SAID THAT I WAS ENTERING MY DOWNWIND AND THEN ASKED IF THE DEPARTING TFC AT BERZ WAS GOING TO BE IN THE PATTERN OR LEAVING THE AREA OR HAD ME IN SIGHT. THERE WAS NO COM FROM THE DEPARTING TFC. I WATCHED THE TFC TURN L, TOWARDS US AND ASKED WHAT THE INTENTION OF THE TFC AT BERZ WAS. NO RESPONSE. I CONTINUED MY DOWNWIND AS THE DEPARTING TFC PASSED UNDERNEATH ME TOWARDS THE W. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 1/2 TO 3/4 OF THE WAY ON MY DOWNWIND, WE NOTICED THAT THE TFC WAS HEADED BACK TOWARDS US. WE WERE A BIT HIGHER AND FASTER THAN THE ONCOMING TFC. I MADE ANOTHER CALL OUT TO TFC, 'BERZ MACOMB TFC, AZTEC X, TURNING L BASE FOR RWY 4, BERZ MACOMB.' AT THIS POINT, I THEN MADE MY CALL TO FINAL. 'BERZ TFC, AZTEC X TURNING FROM BASE TO FINAL RWY 4, BERZ.' THIS IS WHEN I SAW THE INCOMING TFC TURNING L, RIGHT IN FRONT AND BELOW OF ME ON A FINAL FOR THE SAME RWY. I CALLED OUT AGAIN, 'TFC ON FINAL AT BERZ, DO YOU SEE ME?' NO RESPONSE. KNOWING THAT I COULD NOT CONTINUE ON FINAL WITHOUT KEEPING THE PROPER DISTANCE, I QUICKLY TURNED R AND DID A 360 DEG TURN TO AVOID THE TFC. I CALLED OUT MY INTENTION AND CONTINUED ON FINAL. AT THIS POINT, I FIGURED THAT THE TFC EITHER HAD NO RADIO, THE RADIO WAS OFF, OR THERE WAS SOME KIND OF EMER. I TOUCHED DOWN AND NOTICED THE TFC TAXIING BACK TO THE DEP END OF RWY 4. I ASKED IF THE DEPARTING TFC HAD A RADIO. NO RESPONSE. I SAID, 'DEPARTING TFC AT BERZ, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, DO YOU REALIZE THAT YOU CUT ME OFF ON FINAL?' TO MY ASTONISHMENT, THEY CAME BACK AND SAID, 'YOU'RE RIGHT #%?*! IF YOU KNEW HOW TO FLY A PATTERN CORRECTLY, THIS WOULDN'T BE A PROB.' (HE WAS PROBABLY REFERRING TO THE 3/4 MI DISTANCE I TOOK ON DOWNWIND -- HE NEEDED LESS THAN I DID.) IT THEN HIT ME. THIS GUY HAD HIS RADIO ON THE ENTIRE TIME AND NEVER ONCE COMMUNICATED TO ME, AND THEN CUT ME OFF ON FINAL. I SAID THAT HE WAS THE A-- FOR CUTTING ME OFF. I ASKED HIM IF THAT WAS ALWAYS HIS PRACTICE, CUTTING OFF OTHER PLANES WHILE THEY ARE IN THE SAME PATTERN? HIS RESPONSE WAS, 'ONLY WHEN *#@! LIKE YOU ARE IN THE PATTERN!' KNOWING THAT HE HAD NO PROB WITH HIS RADIO, AND THAT THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS EMER, I ASKED HIM WHY HE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO AN AIRPLANE THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY APCHING THE SAME ARPT AS HE, AND WAS IN THE SAME PATTERN. HE STARTS TO RECITE HIS RIGHT, NOT TO TALK TO ANYONE IF HE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT. THEN THE BERZ UNICOM SPOKE OUT, 'WE ONLY USE RADIOS FOR RADIO CHKS HERE.' AT THIS POINT, I WAS ON THE RAMP, STOPPED BUT ENGS STILL IDLING, FACING THE TFC ON THE RUN-UP PAD. WE EXCHANGED WORDS WITH EACH OTHER. I TOLD HIM HOW DANGEROUS HE WAS TO THIS ARPT AND THESE SITS CAN OFTEN CAUSE MIDAIR COLLISIONS, LET ALONE VERY NERVOUS PLTS. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAS 25000 HRS AND THAT I SHOULD MIND MY OWN BUSINESS. I ASKED HIM FOR HIS TAIL NUMBER AND NAME. HE HAD NO RESPONSE AND STARTED TO DEPART FROM RWY 4. I DETERMINED THAT HE WAS GOING TO LEAVE THE ARPT AND I WANTED TO GET HIS NUMBERS SO I COULD FILE A RPT WITH THE FAA. I TAXIED FROM THE RAMP TO THE SIDE OF THE RWY, BUT HE WAS ALREADY PAST MY POINT AND I COULD NOT GET HIS TAIL NUMBER. HE DEPARTED, AND I THEN TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP TO DROP OFF MY PAX. THE BERZ MACOMB UNICOM CAME ON THE RADIO AND ASKED IF WE COULD COME IN AND DISCUSS THE MATTER. THE OTHER ACFT HAD ALREADY DEPARTED SO I INFORMED THEM THAT I WOULD BE IN TOUCH WITH THE ARPT MGR TOMORROW. I THEN TAXIED OVER TO RWY 4, DEPARTED THE PATTERN AND HEADED BACK. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED BERZ MACOMB ARPT TO ASK FOR ANY STAFF THAT WORKED ON SATURDAY. THEY GAVE ME THE PLT'S NAME AND HIS TAIL NUMBER. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE OTHER PLT FILED AN FAA RPT ON ME, CITING MY LANGUAGE AND MY TAXI TO THE SIDE OF THE RWY. (WHATEVER THAT MEANS?) THEY (ARPT PERSONNEL) ALSO STATED THAT THIS PLT WAS AN INSTRUCTOR AND HE HAD A STUDENT PLT WITH HIM THAT DAY. ARPT PERSONNEL TOLD ME HE TELLS HIS STUDENTS TO IGNORE ALL RADIO CALLS, AND JUST CONCENTRATE ON FLYING. MY DISCUSSION WITH ARPT PERSONNEL ENDED WITH A COMMENT. THIS PLT SHOULD NOT BE TEACHING STUDENTS. HE IS RECKLESS AND DANGEROUS TO OTHER PLTS. THE FAR DOES INDICATE THAT A STUDENT PLT MUST BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND UNDERSTAND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. THIS IS FOR COM. MOST MIDAIR COLLISIONS OCCUR BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF COM, AND NOT THE LACK OF FLYING SKILLS. WHY DIDN'T THE INSTRUCTOR MAKE THE RADIO CALLS? HE WAS IN THE WRONG FOR CUTTING THE CORNER AND INTERCEPTING THE FINAL COURSE IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN I BROUGHT THIS TO HIS ATTN, HE JUST SHRUGGED IT OFF. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS WHY DID THEY CHOOSE TO CUT ME OFF? DOES HE DO THIS OFTEN? THEY HAD NO RESPONSE, AND SAID THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT UP WITH HIM. A VERY, VERY DANGEROUS ATTITUDE INDEED. A VERY DANGEROUS PLT. I ENDED MY CONVERSATION WITH, 'I HOPE I DO NOT READ ABOUT, OR SEE THIS PLT ON THE NEWS SOME DAY. I FEEL HE IS GIVING THE WRONG IMPRESSION TO HIS STUDENTS.' IF INSTRUCTORS DO NOT TEACH THEIR STUDENT PLTS HOW TO COMMUNICATE TO OTHER ACFT THAT ARE IN VERY CLOSE PROX, AND TEACH THEM TO CUT CORNERS ON FINAL, THIS WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A VERY BAD DAY FOR SOMEONE.

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.