Narrative:

I was doing touch and goes in the pattern at lmo along with several other planes. At the time of the incident there were two other planes in the pattern. I believe they were both cessna single engine; either C172 or C152. I am fairly sure the other plane in question was a later model C172. My plane is a C182 with an engine upgrade; 270 hp. After several circuits I was catching up to the C172 in front of me; partially because of my greater speed and also because of his habit of flying fairly long downwind/base legs. Upon climb out in crosswind I announced my intention to pass him on the right on the downwind leg. I applied full power. It was a beautiful clear fall day and our closure rates were not all that fast. I passed him on the right (I should have announced this again at that moment; but didn't) and kept him in sight the whole time. I assumed he saw me as I passed abeam of him. I estimate I was 300 ft off his right and 50 ft above him. Even though I was watching him continuously; he must not have seen me until I was several feet in front of him. At that point he announced on the radio his intention to do a 360 degrees and that I was '200 ft away from him.' at the same time I watched him turn left into a 360 degree; and I was surprised by this maneuver since I don't think the situation was remotely dangerous. I did my touch and go; as did he after completing his 360 degrees; and he then left the pattern. In retrospect I was far too lackadaisical about the passing maneuver and probably shouldn't even have passed. While it didn't seem dangerous to me; I should have given him a much wider berth. I certainly had no intention of intimidating him or anything like that; I was just sloppy. Judging by his approachs and lndgs I suspect he was a student with an instructor (this was confirmed by 2 voices talking on the radio; sometimes one correcting the other). I feel horrible that I possibly scared a student. While I don't think I put anyone in danger; I did not provide that extra amount of safety margin that should always be present in flying. I also think I should have immediately apologized on the radio; which I did not do because of my surprise at his reaction. I felt defensive and mumbled something about having had him in sight the whole time. This was my first flight in almost 3 weeks; which may have contributed to my poor judgement. I intend to review the regulations regarding traffic patterns and right of way rules; but mostly this has made me resolve to scrutinize my behavior in the future to avoid such 'cowboy' tendencies.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT RPTS HE INTENTIONALLY PASSED ANOTHER ACFT IN A CTAF TFC PATTERN AND EXHIBITED POOR JUDGEMENT BECAUSE HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE OTHER ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS DOING TOUCH AND GOES IN THE PATTERN AT LMO ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER PLANES. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THERE WERE TWO OTHER PLANES IN THE PATTERN. I BELIEVE THEY WERE BOTH CESSNA SINGLE ENG; EITHER C172 OR C152. I AM FAIRLY SURE THE OTHER PLANE IN QUESTION WAS A LATER MODEL C172. MY PLANE IS A C182 WITH AN ENG UPGRADE; 270 HP. AFTER SEVERAL CIRCUITS I WAS CATCHING UP TO THE C172 IN FRONT OF ME; PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF MY GREATER SPD AND ALSO BECAUSE OF HIS HABIT OF FLYING FAIRLY LONG DOWNWIND/BASE LEGS. UPON CLBOUT IN XWIND I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION TO PASS HIM ON THE R ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. I APPLIED FULL PWR. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL CLR FALL DAY AND OUR CLOSURE RATES WERE NOT ALL THAT FAST. I PASSED HIM ON THE R (I SHOULD HAVE ANNOUNCED THIS AGAIN AT THAT MOMENT; BUT DIDN'T) AND KEPT HIM IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME. I ASSUMED HE SAW ME AS I PASSED ABEAM OF HIM. I ESTIMATE I WAS 300 FT OFF HIS R AND 50 FT ABOVE HIM. EVEN THOUGH I WAS WATCHING HIM CONTINUOUSLY; HE MUST NOT HAVE SEEN ME UNTIL I WAS SEVERAL FEET IN FRONT OF HIM. AT THAT POINT HE ANNOUNCED ON THE RADIO HIS INTENTION TO DO A 360 DEGS AND THAT I WAS '200 FT AWAY FROM HIM.' AT THE SAME TIME I WATCHED HIM TURN L INTO A 360 DEG; AND I WAS SURPRISED BY THIS MANEUVER SINCE I DON'T THINK THE SITUATION WAS REMOTELY DANGEROUS. I DID MY TOUCH AND GO; AS DID HE AFTER COMPLETING HIS 360 DEGS; AND HE THEN LEFT THE PATTERN. IN RETROSPECT I WAS FAR TOO LACKADAISICAL ABOUT THE PASSING MANEUVER AND PROBABLY SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE PASSED. WHILE IT DIDN'T SEEM DANGEROUS TO ME; I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM A MUCH WIDER BERTH. I CERTAINLY HAD NO INTENTION OF INTIMIDATING HIM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT; I WAS JUST SLOPPY. JUDGING BY HIS APCHS AND LNDGS I SUSPECT HE WAS A STUDENT WITH AN INSTRUCTOR (THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY 2 VOICES TALKING ON THE RADIO; SOMETIMES ONE CORRECTING THE OTHER). I FEEL HORRIBLE THAT I POSSIBLY SCARED A STUDENT. WHILE I DON'T THINK I PUT ANYONE IN DANGER; I DID NOT PROVIDE THAT EXTRA AMOUNT OF SAFETY MARGIN THAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE PRESENT IN FLYING. I ALSO THINK I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY APOLOGIZED ON THE RADIO; WHICH I DID NOT DO BECAUSE OF MY SURPRISE AT HIS REACTION. I FELT DEFENSIVE AND MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT HAVING HAD HIM IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT IN ALMOST 3 WKS; WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY POOR JUDGEMENT. I INTEND TO REVIEW THE REGS REGARDING TFC PATTERNS AND RIGHT OF WAY RULES; BUT MOSTLY THIS HAS MADE ME RESOLVE TO SCRUTINIZE MY BEHAVIOR IN THE FUTURE TO AVOID SUCH 'COWBOY' TENDENCIES.

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.