Narrative:

Approaching hayden/steamboat springs airport; we advised hdn unicom of our right downwind to runway 10 as we crossed over the field to the southwest to allow an airliner to depart; we heard aircraft Y report 25 southwest of hdn on unicom. At 8 miles and 9200 ft; we turned back toward the airport for a visual approach to runway 10; with the climbing airliner in sight and not a factor we also had a visual on the runway at 7 miles and reported turning final; at this time my first officer noticed aircraft Y descending from behind us and to the right at a high rate of descent; at first I believed he would turn right to enter a right downwind behind us; instead he announced he was turning a 6 mile final for runway 10; even with his dive for the runway at our 145 KTS we were quickly closing in on aircraft Y. I elected to do a 360 degree turn to allow separation (then continue to a near the ground go around due to aircraft on the runway). The WX was clear and good visibility 10 miles plus with light winds. We made the visual approach to landing with no further incident. We noticed aircraft Y unloading their passenger on the ramp. I advised our ground personnel that we had to tour the countryside while aircraft Y cut in front of us on landing. They advised me they heard the whole thing on the radio. I then questioned them if it was common for aircraft to jump in front of other aircraft like that. Their response is that it does happen often and they wished someone would do something about it. The volume of traffic in hdn this time of year with the large mix of corporate; airline; and GA is becoming a problem. I do not know if aircraft Y saw us or not or to please his boss he just rushed ahead to beat us to the runway; at any rate; someone needs to take a closer look at hdn airport to see if an operational tower is needed during the winter season. Had either of our paths been a little left or right; we would have never seen him high and behind us and unable to adjust our flight path. Not a good thing. Hdn has a good airport and facilities. A seasonal tower would help keep it that way.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter indicated that the traffic situation is extreme at the field during the ski season. He has operated into the airport for several years and indicated that with the advent of the fractional and charter aircraft; the traffic appears to have increased ten fold. He is employed by a part 121 carrier and was concerned that the mix of GA; corporate; and commercial aircraft without a tower could possibly lead to an incident. His discussion with the carrier's ground personnel after landing indicated that these types of incidents are very common and occur daily. His suggestion was for a seasonal tower to provide some sort of control. During his departure following the inbound incident; he related that he was #4 for takeoff behind several corporate and GA aircraft. All communications were on a unicom frequency between the aircraft and that it was completely 'self controled.' there were several aircraft waiting behind his aircraft; to include another air carrier.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG PIC REPORTED A TFC CONFLICT AT HDN ARPT AND HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A GA ACFT ON APCH TO THE SAME RWY. THERE WERE LIMITED COMS ON THE UNICOM FREQ FROM THE GA ACFT.

Narrative: APCHING HAYDEN/STEAMBOAT SPRINGS ARPT; WE ADVISED HDN UNICOM OF OUR R DOWNWIND TO RWY 10 AS WE CROSSED OVER THE FIELD TO THE SW TO ALLOW AN AIRLINER TO DEPART; WE HEARD ACFT Y REPORT 25 SW OF HDN ON UNICOM. AT 8 MILES AND 9200 FT; WE TURNED BACK TOWARD THE ARPT FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 10; WITH THE CLBING AIRLINER IN SIGHT AND NOT A FACTOR WE ALSO HAD A VISUAL ON THE RWY AT 7 MILES AND RPTED TURNING FINAL; AT THIS TIME MY FO NOTICED ACFT Y DSNDING FROM BEHIND US AND TO THE R AT A HIGH RATE OF DSCNT; AT FIRST I BELIEVED HE WOULD TURN R TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND BEHIND US; INSTEAD HE ANNOUNCED HE WAS TURNING A 6 MILE FINAL FOR RWY 10; EVEN WITH HIS DIVE FOR THE RWY AT OUR 145 KTS WE WERE QUICKLY CLOSING IN ON ACFT Y. I ELECTED TO DO A 360 DEG TURN TO ALLOW SEPARATION (THEN CONTINUE TO A NEAR THE GND GO AROUND DUE TO ACFT ON THE RWY). THE WX WAS CLEAR AND GOOD VISIBILITY 10 MILES PLUS WITH LIGHT WINDS. WE MADE THE VISUAL APCH TO LNDG WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. WE NOTICED ACFT Y UNLOADING THEIR PAX ON THE RAMP. I ADVISED OUR GND PERSONNEL THAT WE HAD TO TOUR THE COUNTRYSIDE WHILE ACFT Y CUT IN FRONT OF US ON LNDG. THEY ADVISED ME THEY HEARD THE WHOLE THING ON THE RADIO. I THEN QUESTIONED THEM IF IT WAS COMMON FOR ACFT TO JUMP IN FRONT OF OTHER ACFT LIKE THAT. THEIR RESPONSE IS THAT IT DOES HAPPEN OFTEN AND THEY WISHED SOMEONE WOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THE VOLUME OF TFC IN HDN THIS TIME OF YEAR WITH THE LARGE MIX OF CORPORATE; AIRLINE; AND GA IS BECOMING A PROBLEM. I DO NOT KNOW IF ACFT Y SAW US OR NOT OR TO PLEASE HIS BOSS HE JUST RUSHED AHEAD TO BEAT US TO THE RWY; AT ANY RATE; SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT HDN ARPT TO SEE IF AN OPERATIONAL TWR IS NEEDED DURING THE WINTER SEASON. HAD EITHER OF OUR PATHS BEEN A LITTLE L OR R; WE WOULD HAVE NEVER SEEN HIM HIGH AND BEHIND US AND UNABLE TO ADJUST OUR FLT PATH. NOT A GOOD THING. HDN HAS A GOOD ARPT AND FACILITIES. A SEASONAL TWR WOULD HELP KEEP IT THAT WAY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THE TFC SITUATION IS EXTREME AT THE FIELD DURING THE SKI SEASON. HE HAS OPERATED INTO THE ARPT FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND INDICATED THAT WITH THE ADVENT OF THE FRACTIONAL AND CHARTER ACFT; THE TFC APPEARS TO HAVE INCREASED TEN FOLD. HE IS EMPLOYED BY A PART 121 CARRIER AND WAS CONCERNED THAT THE MIX OF GA; CORPORATE; AND COMMERCIAL ACFT WITHOUT A TWR COULD POSSIBLY LEAD TO AN INCIDENT. HIS DISCUSSION WITH THE CARRIER'S GND PERSONNEL AFTER LNDG INDICATED THAT THESE TYPES OF INCIDENTS ARE VERY COMMON AND OCCUR DAILY. HIS SUGGESTION WAS FOR A SEASONAL TWR TO PROVIDE SOME SORT OF CTL. DURING HIS DEP FOLLOWING THE INBOUND INCIDENT; HE RELATED THAT HE WAS #4 FOR TKOF BEHIND SEVERAL CORPORATE AND GA ACFT. ALL COMS WERE ON A UNICOM FREQ BETWEEN THE ACFT AND THAT IT WAS COMPLETELY 'SELF CTLED.' THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT WAITING BEHIND HIS ACFT; TO INCLUDE ANOTHER AIR CARRIER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.