Narrative:

My flight on this evening was to tow an advertising banner. I had towed banners 479 times prior to this flight. The dkx airport has a tower; but the tower was not in operation. It is in operation only a few days a yr to support traffic arriving for special events. This was before a special event. There is a localizer approach for runway 26. Prior to my takeoff on runway 26 I heard 1 aircraft call on the CTAF 126.6 that he was southwest of the airport preparing to enter downwind for runway 26. I announced my intentions on the CTAF; 'aircraft and tail number departing runway 26; will remain in the pattern for banner pickup.' after takeoff I spotted the first aircraft on a wide downwind and heard another call approaching also from the southwest. I spotted the second aircraft while I was on crosswind. As I turned downwind I announced again 'aircraft and tail number; turning left downwind for runway 26 for banner pickup.' I maintained visual contact with the aircraft ahead of me which was now turning base for runway 26. The aircraft ahead of me was sufficiently far ahead; and flying sufficiently fast that I didn't expect him to be near the runway during my banner pickup; as a result I flew my normal pattern. On my turn to base I once again announced my intentions on the CTAF; by this time the 2ND aircraft I had heard on the CTAF was entering the pattern. Finally I made my turn to final announcing my intentions 'aircraft tail number turning final for 26 for banner pickup.' flying a high wing aircraft I normally make a visual check for traffic while turning due to the increased visibility the raised wing offers. The visual check is for traffic that may be making a straight in approach; especially on runway 26 where there is a localizer. I have no reason to think I didn't this time; but I don't remember it specifically. I rolled out on final lined up with my banner equipment which was setup in the grass beside the runway on the south side. Shortly after rolling out on final I see a beechcraft bonanza; level with me approximately 200 ft away and slightly ahead of me. The bonanza was flying considerably faster than I was. Typically at this phase in a banner pickup I would be flying 80 mph. We were approximately 1 mi from the runway threshold. He was sufficiently faster that no evasive action was necessary. At this point I made a comment on the CTAF that he must be on a different frequency. I decided to break off the approach and go around to give the bonanza time (and the aircraft behind me) time to clear the runway before my banner pickup. I did ask the pilot behind me if he saw the bonanza. He replied that he didn't until just before I made my radio call about him being on the wrong frequency. I can't help; but think that if I had rolled out aligned with the runway; instead of with my equipment 100-200 ft south of the runway; it would have been a classic low-wing descends on a high-wing midair. Contributing factors: I was self-announcing and keeping up with all the self-announced traffic and maintaining visual contact with them; yet the bonanza wasn't participating in the self-announce procedure. While I was alert and looking for non-radio traffic; I didn't see him (and that bothers me). Perhaps my focus was too far out the final approach course; not looking close enough. Perhaps; as close as he must have been; he was hidden by my raised wing during the turn to final. It is my belief that he made a straight-in approach. Furthermore I'm confident that if he was on an IFR flight plan ATC would have alerted him to traffic in the pattern. The nearest ATC facility is tys approximately 10 NM away. I don't think he ever saw me. He flew straight down final from the point I saw him to touchdown. The FBO personnel reported to me that they heard no calls on the unicom frequency. There is a history of aircraft making CTAF calls on the unicom frequency; so much so that there is a warning on the ASOS broadcast telling them to self-announce on 126.6. Some local pilots believe the confusion is encouraged by the way frequencys are listed in some GPS receivers' databases. The FBO personnel also reported that he was in a hurry; running late. He is not a local pilot; but flies in for special events. And of course; many pilots were originally trainedbefore CTAF and unicom frequencys were frequently used for self-announce at uncontrolled airports. I don't believe WX played a role; visibility was well above VFR minimums.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHAMPION 7GC WAS INVOLVED IN NMAC CONDUCTING VISUAL APCH TO UNCONTROLLED ARPT.

Narrative: MY FLT ON THIS EVENING WAS TO TOW AN ADVERTISING BANNER. I HAD TOWED BANNERS 479 TIMES PRIOR TO THIS FLT. THE DKX ARPT HAS A TWR; BUT THE TWR WAS NOT IN OP. IT IS IN OP ONLY A FEW DAYS A YR TO SUPPORT TFC ARRIVING FOR SPECIAL EVENTS. THIS WAS BEFORE A SPECIAL EVENT. THERE IS A LOC APCH FOR RWY 26. PRIOR TO MY TKOF ON RWY 26 I HEARD 1 ACFT CALL ON THE CTAF 126.6 THAT HE WAS SW OF THE ARPT PREPARING TO ENTER DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS ON THE CTAF; 'ACFT AND TAIL NUMBER DEPARTING RWY 26; WILL REMAIN IN THE PATTERN FOR BANNER PICKUP.' AFTER TKOF I SPOTTED THE FIRST ACFT ON A WIDE DOWNWIND AND HEARD ANOTHER CALL APCHING ALSO FROM THE SW. I SPOTTED THE SECOND ACFT WHILE I WAS ON XWIND. AS I TURNED DOWNWIND I ANNOUNCED AGAIN 'ACFT AND TAIL NUMBER; TURNING L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26 FOR BANNER PICKUP.' I MAINTAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ACFT AHEAD OF ME WHICH WAS NOW TURNING BASE FOR RWY 26. THE ACFT AHEAD OF ME WAS SUFFICIENTLY FAR AHEAD; AND FLYING SUFFICIENTLY FAST THAT I DIDN'T EXPECT HIM TO BE NEAR THE RWY DURING MY BANNER PICKUP; AS A RESULT I FLEW MY NORMAL PATTERN. ON MY TURN TO BASE I ONCE AGAIN ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS ON THE CTAF; BY THIS TIME THE 2ND ACFT I HAD HEARD ON THE CTAF WAS ENTERING THE PATTERN. FINALLY I MADE MY TURN TO FINAL ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS 'ACFT TAIL NUMBER TURNING FINAL FOR 26 FOR BANNER PICKUP.' FLYING A HIGH WING ACFT I NORMALLY MAKE A VISUAL CHK FOR TFC WHILE TURNING DUE TO THE INCREASED VISIBILITY THE RAISED WING OFFERS. THE VISUAL CHK IS FOR TFC THAT MAY BE MAKING A STRAIGHT IN APCH; ESPECIALLY ON RWY 26 WHERE THERE IS A LOC. I HAVE NO REASON TO THINK I DIDN'T THIS TIME; BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IT SPECIFICALLY. I ROLLED OUT ON FINAL LINED UP WITH MY BANNER EQUIP WHICH WAS SETUP IN THE GRASS BESIDE THE RWY ON THE S SIDE. SHORTLY AFTER ROLLING OUT ON FINAL I SEE A BEECHCRAFT BONANZA; LEVEL WITH ME APPROX 200 FT AWAY AND SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF ME. THE BONANZA WAS FLYING CONSIDERABLY FASTER THAN I WAS. TYPICALLY AT THIS PHASE IN A BANNER PICKUP I WOULD BE FLYING 80 MPH. WE WERE APPROX 1 MI FROM THE RWY THRESHOLD. HE WAS SUFFICIENTLY FASTER THAT NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS NECESSARY. AT THIS POINT I MADE A COMMENT ON THE CTAF THAT HE MUST BE ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. I DECIDED TO BREAK OFF THE APCH AND GO AROUND TO GIVE THE BONANZA TIME (AND THE ACFT BEHIND ME) TIME TO CLR THE RWY BEFORE MY BANNER PICKUP. I DID ASK THE PLT BEHIND ME IF HE SAW THE BONANZA. HE REPLIED THAT HE DIDN'T UNTIL JUST BEFORE I MADE MY RADIO CALL ABOUT HIM BEING ON THE WRONG FREQ. I CAN'T HELP; BUT THINK THAT IF I HAD ROLLED OUT ALIGNED WITH THE RWY; INSTEAD OF WITH MY EQUIP 100-200 FT S OF THE RWY; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CLASSIC LOW-WING DSNDS ON A HIGH-WING MIDAIR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I WAS SELF-ANNOUNCING AND KEEPING UP WITH ALL THE SELF-ANNOUNCED TFC AND MAINTAINING VISUAL CONTACT WITH THEM; YET THE BONANZA WASN'T PARTICIPATING IN THE SELF-ANNOUNCE PROC. WHILE I WAS ALERT AND LOOKING FOR NON-RADIO TFC; I DIDN'T SEE HIM (AND THAT BOTHERS ME). PERHAPS MY FOCUS WAS TOO FAR OUT THE FINAL APCH COURSE; NOT LOOKING CLOSE ENOUGH. PERHAPS; AS CLOSE AS HE MUST HAVE BEEN; HE WAS HIDDEN BY MY RAISED WING DURING THE TURN TO FINAL. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT HE MADE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH. FURTHERMORE I'M CONFIDENT THAT IF HE WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN ATC WOULD HAVE ALERTED HIM TO TFC IN THE PATTERN. THE NEAREST ATC FACILITY IS TYS APPROX 10 NM AWAY. I DON'T THINK HE EVER SAW ME. HE FLEW STRAIGHT DOWN FINAL FROM THE POINT I SAW HIM TO TOUCHDOWN. THE FBO PERSONNEL RPTED TO ME THAT THEY HEARD NO CALLS ON THE UNICOM FREQ. THERE IS A HISTORY OF ACFT MAKING CTAF CALLS ON THE UNICOM FREQ; SO MUCH SO THAT THERE IS A WARNING ON THE ASOS BROADCAST TELLING THEM TO SELF-ANNOUNCE ON 126.6. SOME LCL PLTS BELIEVE THE CONFUSION IS ENCOURAGED BY THE WAY FREQS ARE LISTED IN SOME GPS RECEIVERS' DATABASES. THE FBO PERSONNEL ALSO RPTED THAT HE WAS IN A HURRY; RUNNING LATE. HE IS NOT A LCL PLT; BUT FLIES IN FOR SPECIAL EVENTS. AND OF COURSE; MANY PLTS WERE ORIGINALLY TRAINEDBEFORE CTAF AND UNICOM FREQS WERE FREQUENTLY USED FOR SELF-ANNOUNCE AT UNCTLED ARPTS. I DON'T BELIEVE WX PLAYED A ROLE; VISIBILITY WAS WELL ABOVE VFR MINIMUMS.

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.