Narrative:

At cruise en route from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2; my engine started running rough. I could no longer hold my altitude. I had to start a slow descent; in order to keep the engine from completely quitting. I pushed the 'nearest airport' button on the garmin 196 GPS. ZZZ3 showed 2 mi away. When I flew overhead I realized that it led to the ZZZ hospital helicopter pad. As I was still losing altitude; I pushed the 'nearest airport' button again and saw my error in selecting the hospital in lieu of the airport. After selecting ZZZ I started toward the field (8 NM away). I was still losing altitude. The nearest airport I could find was ZZZ. I was in a slow descent. By the time I made it to the south end of ZZZ; I had lost all but approximately 150 ft AGL. I had only 1 choice to land on runway 4 with a 10 KT tailwind; and landing against traffic. I landed and was able to clear the runway uneventfully. There was another aircraft on short final to the opposite end of the runway. I spoke with that pilot later. He elected to continue to land just as I pulled off of the runway. There are 2 troubling issues in this scenario. First is the ambiguous nature of the 'nearest airport' function. In an emergency situation it was very easy to be led to a hospital helipad instead of an airport. This was very easy to confuse while in a high stress environment. The second issue was the pilot on opposite short final's decision to continue with a touchdown at the exact time I was clearing the runway. When I later spoke with him; he confessed that he had been mad with me; mistakenly thinking that I was just back taxiing on the runway; when in reality I was landing in a distressed state. I believe he had something to prove to me by still touching down at the same time that I was exiting. When he learned that I had experienced engine trouble he changed his attitude completely. My concern is; what difference does it make if he was landing opposite of an emergency aircraft or a novice that spends too much time on the runway. The correct course of action is an immediate go around. You can always ask questions later. I hope we are not seeing the entrance of 'road-rage' into the historically professional aviation arena.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF VINTAGE DE HAVILLAND GYPSY MOTH BIPLANE EXPERIENCES LOSS OF POWER AND HAS DIFFICULTY FINDING APPROPRIATE DIVERSION ARPT ON HAND HELD GPS. LANDS OPPOSITE TO TRAFFIC PATTERN TOWARD ACFT LANDING THE OTHER WAY.

Narrative: AT CRUISE ENRTE FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2; MY ENG STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. I COULD NO LONGER HOLD MY ALT. I HAD TO START A SLOW DSCNT; IN ORDER TO KEEP THE ENG FROM COMPLETELY QUITTING. I PUSHED THE 'NEAREST ARPT' BUTTON ON THE GARMIN 196 GPS. ZZZ3 SHOWED 2 MI AWAY. WHEN I FLEW OVERHEAD I REALIZED THAT IT LED TO THE ZZZ HOSPITAL HELI PAD. AS I WAS STILL LOSING ALT; I PUSHED THE 'NEAREST ARPT' BUTTON AGAIN AND SAW MY ERROR IN SELECTING THE HOSPITAL IN LIEU OF THE ARPT. AFTER SELECTING ZZZ I STARTED TOWARD THE FIELD (8 NM AWAY). I WAS STILL LOSING ALT. THE NEAREST ARPT I COULD FIND WAS ZZZ. I WAS IN A SLOW DSCNT. BY THE TIME I MADE IT TO THE S END OF ZZZ; I HAD LOST ALL BUT APPROX 150 FT AGL. I HAD ONLY 1 CHOICE TO LAND ON RWY 4 WITH A 10 KT TAILWIND; AND LNDG AGAINST TFC. I LANDED AND WAS ABLE TO CLR THE RWY UNEVENTFULLY. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT ON SHORT FINAL TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY. I SPOKE WITH THAT PLT LATER. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO LAND JUST AS I PULLED OFF OF THE RWY. THERE ARE 2 TROUBLING ISSUES IN THIS SCENARIO. FIRST IS THE AMBIGUOUS NATURE OF THE 'NEAREST ARPT' FUNCTION. IN AN EMER SITUATION IT WAS VERY EASY TO BE LED TO A HOSPITAL HELIPAD INSTEAD OF AN ARPT. THIS WAS VERY EASY TO CONFUSE WHILE IN A HIGH STRESS ENVIRONMENT. THE SECOND ISSUE WAS THE PLT ON OPPOSITE SHORT FINAL'S DECISION TO CONTINUE WITH A TOUCHDOWN AT THE EXACT TIME I WAS CLRING THE RWY. WHEN I LATER SPOKE WITH HIM; HE CONFESSED THAT HE HAD BEEN MAD WITH ME; MISTAKENLY THINKING THAT I WAS JUST BACK TAXIING ON THE RWY; WHEN IN REALITY I WAS LNDG IN A DISTRESSED STATE. I BELIEVE HE HAD SOMETHING TO PROVE TO ME BY STILL TOUCHING DOWN AT THE SAME TIME THAT I WAS EXITING. WHEN HE LEARNED THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED ENG TROUBLE HE CHANGED HIS ATTITUDE COMPLETELY. MY CONCERN IS; WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF HE WAS LNDG OPPOSITE OF AN EMER ACFT OR A NOVICE THAT SPENDS TOO MUCH TIME ON THE RWY. THE CORRECT COURSE OF ACTION IS AN IMMEDIATE GAR. YOU CAN ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS LATER. I HOPE WE ARE NOT SEEING THE ENTRANCE OF 'ROAD-RAGE' INTO THE HISTORICALLY PROFESSIONAL AVIATION ARENA.

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.