Narrative:

I was approaching the pnc airport from the east at 5-6 mi distance; inbound for landing. At that point a cessna called in at 5 mi south; inbound. I then called in and reported my location and intentions to land. As I was crossing the south end of the airport; he reported on a mid-field right downwind for runway 17 (the appropriate pattern for pnc runway 17). At that point I reported my position and that he was in sight and that I would follow him in and land #2 behind him. Upon turning downwind; I once again announced my position and my intention to land on the grass on the west side of the main runway between it and the main taxiway. I continued in the pattern behind the cessna and saw him land and roll out near the approach end of the runway. I thought he would take the first turnoff to the main taxiway; but instead he continued to taxi slowly down the main runway and start to turn off at the second turnoff; which also serves as the north boundary of the grass area available to those who wish to use it. At this point; I was approximately one quarter mi from and 200 ft above my intended touchdown point. I recognized that they could not see me and that there was a potential conflict in the making. I also thought that they would be on the main taxiway before I needed to cross the access taxiway to land. I maneuvered to the left back over to the right side of the main runway and held my altitude at approximately 100 ft AGL in order to increase the separation between our 2 aircraft. After crossing behind them as they were turning on to the main runway; I then quickly maneuvered back to the right over the grass area and slipped my aircraft in for a normal landing on the left side of the grass well downfield from the normal touchdown point and well ahead of the aircraft on the taxiway to my right. I had the other aircraft in sight all of the time until they disappeared behind me. I also felt that they would not see me until I appeared in front of them; either about to touch down or on rollout. In retrospect; I probably should have either landed on the main runway or executed a go around and returned to land. At the time; I felt that there was no danger of collision because they were on the main taxiway and I was well away from it. I had taken precautions to increase the separation between us and could see the other aircraft all of the time until I was well past it. In the future; I will use more discretion and maintain much greater separation distances in situations similar to this should one arise again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA12 PLT RPTS FLYING OVER A TAXIING C172 AT PNC WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON A GRASSY PORTION OF THE ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING THE PNC ARPT FROM THE E AT 5-6 MI DISTANCE; INBOUND FOR LNDG. AT THAT POINT A CESSNA CALLED IN AT 5 MI S; INBOUND. I THEN CALLED IN AND RPTED MY LOCATION AND INTENTIONS TO LAND. AS I WAS XING THE S END OF THE ARPT; HE RPTED ON A MID-FIELD R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17 (THE APPROPRIATE PATTERN FOR PNC RWY 17). AT THAT POINT I RPTED MY POS AND THAT HE WAS IN SIGHT AND THAT I WOULD FOLLOW HIM IN AND LAND #2 BEHIND HIM. UPON TURNING DOWNWIND; I ONCE AGAIN ANNOUNCED MY POS AND MY INTENTION TO LAND ON THE GRASS ON THE W SIDE OF THE MAIN RWY BTWN IT AND THE MAIN TXWY. I CONTINUED IN THE PATTERN BEHIND THE CESSNA AND SAW HIM LAND AND ROLL OUT NEAR THE APCH END OF THE RWY. I THOUGHT HE WOULD TAKE THE FIRST TURNOFF TO THE MAIN TXWY; BUT INSTEAD HE CONTINUED TO TAXI SLOWLY DOWN THE MAIN RWY AND START TO TURN OFF AT THE SECOND TURNOFF; WHICH ALSO SERVES AS THE N BOUNDARY OF THE GRASS AREA AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO WISH TO USE IT. AT THIS POINT; I WAS APPROX ONE QUARTER MI FROM AND 200 FT ABOVE MY INTENDED TOUCHDOWN POINT. I RECOGNIZED THAT THEY COULD NOT SEE ME AND THAT THERE WAS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT IN THE MAKING. I ALSO THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD BE ON THE MAIN TXWY BEFORE I NEEDED TO CROSS THE ACCESS TXWY TO LAND. I MANEUVERED TO THE L BACK OVER TO THE R SIDE OF THE MAIN RWY AND HELD MY ALT AT APPROX 100 FT AGL IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE SEPARATION BTWN OUR 2 ACFT. AFTER XING BEHIND THEM AS THEY WERE TURNING ON TO THE MAIN RWY; I THEN QUICKLY MANEUVERED BACK TO THE R OVER THE GRASS AREA AND SLIPPED MY ACFT IN FOR A NORMAL LNDG ON THE L SIDE OF THE GRASS WELL DOWNFIELD FROM THE NORMAL TOUCHDOWN POINT AND WELL AHEAD OF THE ACFT ON THE TXWY TO MY R. I HAD THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT ALL OF THE TIME UNTIL THEY DISAPPEARED BEHIND ME. I ALSO FELT THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE ME UNTIL I APPEARED IN FRONT OF THEM; EITHER ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN OR ON ROLLOUT. IN RETROSPECT; I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE EITHER LANDED ON THE MAIN RWY OR EXECUTED A GAR AND RETURNED TO LAND. AT THE TIME; I FELT THAT THERE WAS NO DANGER OF COLLISION BECAUSE THEY WERE ON THE MAIN TXWY AND I WAS WELL AWAY FROM IT. I HAD TAKEN PRECAUTIONS TO INCREASE THE SEPARATION BTWN US AND COULD SEE THE OTHER ACFT ALL OF THE TIME UNTIL I WAS WELL PAST IT. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL USE MORE DISCRETION AND MAINTAIN MUCH GREATER SEPARATION DISTANCES IN SITUATIONS SIMILAR TO THIS SHOULD ONE ARISE AGAIN.

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.