Narrative:

Return to W66 (warrenton-fauquier county airport) in unlimited VFR conditions from local pleasure flight with passenger. I began monitoring the CTAF at 10 mi out from the southwest and started a descent from 2500 ft MSL to 1300 ft MSL (tpa). Descent was completed at 5 mi out from the west. I remained west of route 17 to avoid any traffic at the notamed 'bealteon flying circus airfield. At 4.5 mi out and abeam the airport, I initiated a turn towards the airport for a crosswind entry. I announced on the CTAF my position (4.5 mi west) and intentions to make a crosswind entry for runway 14. There were 3 other aircraft reporting on CTAF in the pattern or on approach to the pattern: C182, an ercoupe and a grumman tiger. I made a second announcement on the CTAF reporting 2.5 mi out on a left crosswind entry for runway 14. I had visual on the C182 (just departing) and the ercoupe (downwind) and was looking for the grumman tiger on approach in order to properly sequence into traffic. I waggled my wings to see above and below them (I am operating a biplane with limited visibility due to wings/struts and forward passenger seating) and at that point I saw a travel air twin on an intersecting course (upwind traffic entry) about 1000 ft to my left and 50 ft above. I immediately executed a diving maneuver to avoid any potential for traffic conflict. This traffic avoidance maneuver put me at a higher rate of speed (from the dive) and low into the area of downwind traffic. I initiated a brief s-turn to the left and right to check for traffic. I no longer had a visual on the ercoupe, but heard his call for a turn to left base. I was concerned that I was now downwind inside his left base and low (still at 800 ft MSL from the dive) and did not want to continue in a direct downwind and create a traffic conflict. I initiated a right 360 degree climbing turn to allow for proper spacing, a return to tpa and resequencing into the downwind. At that point, the travel air twin (conflict aircraft #2) reported breaking off from the upwind and resequencing into the traffic pattern. This was the first call I heard from the travelair twin. I re-established visual on the ercoupe (base to final), the departing C182 and the travel air breaking off from the upwind. The grumman tiger was still on approach. I re-entered the downwind, announcing my turns, completed the pattern and landed. The travel air twin resequenced into the pattern and landed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF EXPERIMENTAL BIPLANE HAS CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH BE80 IN UNCTLED TFC PATTERN AT W66.

Narrative: RETURN TO W66 (WARRENTON-FAUQUIER COUNTY ARPT) IN UNLIMITED VFR CONDITIONS FROM LCL PLEASURE FLT WITH PAX. I BEGAN MONITORING THE CTAF AT 10 MI OUT FROM THE SW AND STARTED A DSCNT FROM 2500 FT MSL TO 1300 FT MSL (TPA). DSCNT WAS COMPLETED AT 5 MI OUT FROM THE W. I REMAINED W OF RTE 17 TO AVOID ANY TFC AT THE NOTAMED 'BEALTEON FLYING CIRCUS AIRFIELD. AT 4.5 MI OUT AND ABEAM THE ARPT, I INITIATED A TURN TOWARDS THE ARPT FOR A XWIND ENTRY. I ANNOUNCED ON THE CTAF MY POS (4.5 MI W) AND INTENTIONS TO MAKE A XWIND ENTRY FOR RWY 14. THERE WERE 3 OTHER ACFT RPTING ON CTAF IN THE PATTERN OR ON APCH TO THE PATTERN: C182, AN ERCOUPE AND A GRUMMAN TIGER. I MADE A SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE CTAF RPTING 2.5 MI OUT ON A L XWIND ENTRY FOR RWY 14. I HAD VISUAL ON THE C182 (JUST DEPARTING) AND THE ERCOUPE (DOWNWIND) AND WAS LOOKING FOR THE GRUMMAN TIGER ON APCH IN ORDER TO PROPERLY SEQUENCE INTO TFC. I WAGGLED MY WINGS TO SEE ABOVE AND BELOW THEM (I AM OPERATING A BIPLANE WITH LIMITED VISIBILITY DUE TO WINGS/STRUTS AND FORWARD PAX SEATING) AND AT THAT POINT I SAW A TRAVEL AIR TWIN ON AN INTERSECTING COURSE (UPWIND TFC ENTRY) ABOUT 1000 FT TO MY L AND 50 FT ABOVE. I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A DIVING MANEUVER TO AVOID ANY POTENTIAL FOR TFC CONFLICT. THIS TFC AVOIDANCE MANEUVER PUT ME AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPD (FROM THE DIVE) AND LOW INTO THE AREA OF DOWNWIND TFC. I INITIATED A BRIEF S-TURN TO THE L AND R TO CHK FOR TFC. I NO LONGER HAD A VISUAL ON THE ERCOUPE, BUT HEARD HIS CALL FOR A TURN TO L BASE. I WAS CONCERNED THAT I WAS NOW DOWNWIND INSIDE HIS L BASE AND LOW (STILL AT 800 FT MSL FROM THE DIVE) AND DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE IN A DIRECT DOWNWIND AND CREATE A TFC CONFLICT. I INITIATED A R 360 DEG CLBING TURN TO ALLOW FOR PROPER SPACING, A RETURN TO TPA AND RESEQUENCING INTO THE DOWNWIND. AT THAT POINT, THE TRAVEL AIR TWIN (CONFLICT ACFT #2) RPTED BREAKING OFF FROM THE UPWIND AND RESEQUENCING INTO THE TFC PATTERN. THIS WAS THE FIRST CALL I HEARD FROM THE TRAVELAIR TWIN. I RE-ESTABLISHED VISUAL ON THE ERCOUPE (BASE TO FINAL), THE DEPARTING C182 AND THE TRAVEL AIR BREAKING OFF FROM THE UPWIND. THE GRUMMAN TIGER WAS STILL ON APCH. I RE-ENTERED THE DOWNWIND, ANNOUNCING MY TURNS, COMPLETED THE PATTERN AND LANDED. THE TRAVEL AIR TWIN RESEQUENCED INTO THE PATTERN AND LANDED.

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.