Narrative:

I was flying my 1945 piper J-3 cub into great falls, mt, on a windy VFR day. I was in radar contact with great falls approach and was told by approach control that I was cleared for runway 25. I was approximately 2 mi from the airport when approach control handed me off to great falls tower. The tower immediately cleared me for runway 21, 'follow aircraft.' I confirmed twice with the tower that I was to land on runway 21 and not runway 25. The tower advised me to land #2 behind aircraft on runway 21. My ground speed was approximately 38 KTS. I advised the tower that I would make a short, close-in base, with minimum time on the runway. The tower called me a super cub several times. I corrected the tower stating I was a J-3 cub. I continued the approach by landing long on runway 21 close to the reverse high speed taxiway. I was approximately 40 degrees across the runway. I was not able to land runway heading due to the crosswind. My landing rollout was approximately 50 ft, just about into the wind. I attempted to clear the runway by making a turn for the reverse high speed. Since my concern was keeping the cub on the ground with the high wind, I was not able to expedite a high speed taxi. The tower did not make a request for a high speed taxi nor did they ask me to clear the runway as soon as possible. What I did not know, during the landing phase, is that there was a second aircraft jet on final for runway 21, following the cub. My guess is that the jet was handed off to the tower, on a short final for runway 21. If the tower had advised me or if I had copied the traffic behind me for runway 21, I would have immediately requested a go around for resequencing. When I turned to make the reverse high speed I observed the aircraft jet on close final. This was the first time that I was aware that a jet was following me on runway 21. I know that I could not make the reverse high speed in time and the tower had not yet called a go around for the aircraft jet. I immediately evacuate/evacuationed the runway by taxiing the cub into the grass, continuing for a safe distance to the reverse high speed taxiway. The tower then called a go around for the aircraft jet on final and advised me that I did not need to clear the runway into the grass. After parking, I called and spoke with the approach controller. His only statement to me was not to do a 180 degree turn on the runway. He advised me that he would contact the local controller regarding the landing. Lessons learned: ATC: the approach controller was on the ball. He had me set up for runway 25. Had the tower controller landed me on runway 25, there would not have been a problem. The tower controller was off base on attempting to land a piper cub in front of a jet on short final for runway 21. Furthermore, the tower controller did not advise me of the jet traffic on final. Pilot: if I had not attempted to make a 180 degree on the runway (for the reverse high speed) and had made a wheel landing, I might have been able to drive the cub to the exit taxiway. However, the cub is not very stable on the ground in high winds and can only be taxied at slow speed. I could have refused runway 21 and stated runway 25 only, but I have many hours in tailwheel aircraft and have landed in high winds before. Runway 21 was also closer to the FBO, requiring less downwind taxi time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: J3 PLT AT GTF MAKES 180 DEG TURN AFTER LNDG TO EXIT RWY RESULTING IN B737 GAR.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING MY 1945 PIPER J-3 CUB INTO GREAT FALLS, MT, ON A WINDY VFR DAY. I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT WITH GREAT FALLS APCH AND WAS TOLD BY APCH CTL THAT I WAS CLRED FOR RWY 25. I WAS APPROX 2 MI FROM THE ARPT WHEN APCH CTL HANDED ME OFF TO GREAT FALLS TWR. THE TWR IMMEDIATELY CLRED ME FOR RWY 21, 'FOLLOW ACFT.' I CONFIRMED TWICE WITH THE TWR THAT I WAS TO LAND ON RWY 21 AND NOT RWY 25. THE TWR ADVISED ME TO LAND #2 BEHIND ACFT ON RWY 21. MY GND SPD WAS APPROX 38 KTS. I ADVISED THE TWR THAT I WOULD MAKE A SHORT, CLOSE-IN BASE, WITH MINIMUM TIME ON THE RWY. THE TWR CALLED ME A SUPER CUB SEVERAL TIMES. I CORRECTED THE TWR STATING I WAS A J-3 CUB. I CONTINUED THE APCH BY LNDG LONG ON RWY 21 CLOSE TO THE REVERSE HIGH SPD TXWY. I WAS APPROX 40 DEGS ACROSS THE RWY. I WAS NOT ABLE TO LAND RWY HEADING DUE TO THE XWIND. MY LNDG ROLLOUT WAS APPROX 50 FT, JUST ABOUT INTO THE WIND. I ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR THE RWY BY MAKING A TURN FOR THE REVERSE HIGH SPD. SINCE MY CONCERN WAS KEEPING THE CUB ON THE GND WITH THE HIGH WIND, I WAS NOT ABLE TO EXPEDITE A HIGH SPD TAXI. THE TWR DID NOT MAKE A REQUEST FOR A HIGH SPD TAXI NOR DID THEY ASK ME TO CLR THE RWY ASAP. WHAT I DID NOT KNOW, DURING THE LNDG PHASE, IS THAT THERE WAS A SECOND ACFT JET ON FINAL FOR RWY 21, FOLLOWING THE CUB. MY GUESS IS THAT THE JET WAS HANDED OFF TO THE TWR, ON A SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 21. IF THE TWR HAD ADVISED ME OR IF I HAD COPIED THE TFC BEHIND ME FOR RWY 21, I WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A GAR FOR RESEQUENCING. WHEN I TURNED TO MAKE THE REVERSE HIGH SPD I OBSERVED THE ACFT JET ON CLOSE FINAL. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I WAS AWARE THAT A JET WAS FOLLOWING ME ON RWY 21. I KNOW THAT I COULD NOT MAKE THE REVERSE HIGH SPD IN TIME AND THE TWR HAD NOT YET CALLED A GAR FOR THE ACFT JET. I IMMEDIATELY EVACED THE RWY BY TAXIING THE CUB INTO THE GRASS, CONTINUING FOR A SAFE DISTANCE TO THE REVERSE HIGH SPD TXWY. THE TWR THEN CALLED A GAR FOR THE ACFT JET ON FINAL AND ADVISED ME THAT I DID NOT NEED TO CLR THE RWY INTO THE GRASS. AFTER PARKING, I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH THE APCH CTLR. HIS ONLY STATEMENT TO ME WAS NOT TO DO A 180 DEG TURN ON THE RWY. HE ADVISED ME THAT HE WOULD CONTACT THE LCL CTLR REGARDING THE LNDG. LESSONS LEARNED: ATC: THE APCH CTLR WAS ON THE BALL. HE HAD ME SET UP FOR RWY 25. HAD THE TWR CTLR LANDED ME ON RWY 25, THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROB. THE TWR CTLR WAS OFF BASE ON ATTEMPTING TO LAND A PIPER CUB IN FRONT OF A JET ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 21. FURTHERMORE, THE TWR CTLR DID NOT ADVISE ME OF THE JET TFC ON FINAL. PLT: IF I HAD NOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A 180 DEG ON THE RWY (FOR THE REVERSE HIGH SPD) AND HAD MADE A WHEEL LNDG, I MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE CUB TO THE EXIT TXWY. HOWEVER, THE CUB IS NOT VERY STABLE ON THE GND IN HIGH WINDS AND CAN ONLY BE TAXIED AT SLOW SPD. I COULD HAVE REFUSED RWY 21 AND STATED RWY 25 ONLY, BUT I HAVE MANY HRS IN TAILWHEEL ACFT AND HAVE LANDED IN HIGH WINDS BEFORE. RWY 21 WAS ALSO CLOSER TO THE FBO, REQUIRING LESS DOWNWIND TAXI TIME.

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.