PLT OF AN SMA SEL BIPLANE HAD NMAC WITH ANOTHER SMA SEL ACFT IN THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TFC PATTERN OF AN UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative

LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON (APPROX XA30 EST) AFTER MAKING ABOUT 4 OR 5 TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS IN A BIPLANE ON RWY 32; I HAD JUST TAKEN OFF; MADE MY L-HAND TURN OUT; AND THEN PROCEEDED WITH A TURN FOR A DOWNWIND LEG IN THE PATTERN. I WAS CLBING TO TFC PATTERN ALT OF 1500 FT AND I WAS ABOUT 1300 FT MSL AT MIDFIELD WHEN I SAW THE SMA 2 ABOUT 50-100 FT ABOVE ME AND TO MY L. I MADE A R TURN WITH A DSCNT. I THEN SAW THE SMA 2 PULL UP AND TO THE L. I RETURNED TO THE DOWNWIND LEG AND CONTINUED WITH THE APCH AND LNDG. ABOUT 30 MINS LATER; THE PLT AND PAX IN THE OTHER PLANE DROVE UP TO MY END OF THE FIELD; RANTING AND RAVING AND CUSSING IN FRONT OF SEVERAL BYSTANDERS; INCLUDING A 7 YR OLD CHILD. THREATS OF TURNING ME IN TO THE FAA; ETC; ENSUED SINCE ONE OF THE MEN'S FATHER WAS THE ARPT MGR. HE ALSO MADE THE STATEMENT THAT I WAS DOING AEROBATICS IN THE TFC PATTERN. HE IS IN ERROR. AS FAR AS FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCIDENT. SINCE HE WAS COMING INTO THE PATTERN AT THE MIDFIELD XWIND POS; HE WAS PARTIALLY BLOCKED BY THE UPPER WING OF THE BIPLANE. IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON AND THE SUN WAS SETTING AND VERY BRIGHT. I COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE SUN FROM HIS POS; AND PARTIALLY BLINDED TO HIM. HIS ALT WAS TOO LOW IN THE TFC PATTERN FOR A XWIND APCH. SUGGESTION TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO DETERMINE; BUT POSSIBLY A XWIND APCH SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AT OR ABOVE TFC PATTERN ALT UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE APCH. AT THE POINT WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED; HE WOULD HAVE BEEN 200-300 FT ABOVE MY PLANE AT THE XWIND/DOWNWIND INTXN.