AN SMA TRAINING FLT CFI STOPS HER ACFT NEAR THE EDGE OF A GRASS STRIP RWY WHICH WAS AN INTENDED LNDG RWY FOR AN UNANNOUNCED CROP DUSTER THAT BUZZED THEM PRIOR TO LNDG AT 0D1; MI.

Date: 2001-06 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|ground-incursion-runway

Synopsis

AN SMA TRAINING FLT CFI STOPS HER ACFT NEAR THE EDGE OF A GRASS STRIP RWY WHICH WAS AN INTENDED LNDG RWY FOR AN UNANNOUNCED CROP DUSTER THAT BUZZED THEM PRIOR TO LNDG AT 0D1; MI.

Narrative

WHEN WE WERE APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE S ABOUT 10 MI; I WAS MONITORING THE UNICOM FREQ. NOT HEARING ANYONE; MY OTHER CFI ON BOARD IN THE BACK SEAT REMINDED ME THAT MICHIGAN IS 1 HR AHEAD OF US; AND IT WAS XA00 OUR TIME SO THEY WERE PROBABLY CLOSED ALREADY. SO WE CIRCLED THE ARPT TO THE N SO WE COULD ENTER AT THE 45 DEG TO THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 4. WE GOT ABOUT 5 MI N AND MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT WE WERE 5 MI TO THE N INBOUND FOR RWY 4. AROUND THE SAME TIME WE HEARD SOMEONE SAY HE WAS; I BELIEVE; ABOUT 5 MI S. THAT'S ALL; NEVER SAID HE WAS INBOUND OR PASSING TO THE S -- JUST THAT HE WAS THERE. SO WE PROCEEDED INBOUND; ANNOUNCED THE DOWNWIND; BASE; AND FINAL FOR RWY 4. NONE OF US -- MYSELF; MY STUDENT (WHOM I WAS GIVING SOME HIGH PERFORMANCE TIME) OR THE OTHER CFI IN THE BACK SEAT ROW HEARD ANYONE IN OR AROUND THE PATTERN. LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT; TAXIED CLR ONTO THE PARALLEL TXWY BACK TO RWY 4. MY STUDENT; WHO WAS NOT USED TO SUCH A HVY PLANE WITH STIFF RUDDERS; WAS HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY KEEPING IT STRAIGHT; BUT SINCE THE ARPT APPEARED TO BE DEAD; I LET HER CONTINUE TO TRY AND GET A BETTER FEEL FOR THIS TYPE OF PLANE. AS WE TAXIED DOWN; WE STILL DID NOT SEE OR HEAR ANYONE. WE ALSO DID NOT SEE ANY SIGNS FOR THE XING GRASS STRIP. THE STUDENT DECIDED SHE WOULD LET THE OTHER CFI FLY HOME. WE WERE AT WHAT APPEARED WAS THE END OF THE TXWY. AFTER LOOKING BUT STILL NOT SEEING ANYONE; PULLED OFF TO CHANGE PLTS. AND; AS WE WERE CLBING OUT OF THE PLANE; A CROP DUSTER (WHITE) FLEW OVER OUR HEADS BY MAYBE 200 FT THEN HE DID A VERY STEEP TURN TO THE L AND CAME BACK DOWN AND LANDED. I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF IT WAS A PAVED RWY OR GRASS STRIP OR WHAT HE LANDED ON. HE TAXIED OVER TO US AS WE WERE TRYING TO START OUR PLANE. HE SAID SOMETHING WE DON'T KNOW WHAT. WE APOLOGIZED BUT SAID WE DID NOT HEAR OR SEE HIM. HE TAXIED OVER TO A NEARBY HANGAR AND WE DEPARTED. WE DID LOOK AS WE APCHED THE GRASS STRIP BUT PERHAPS IF THERE HAD BEEN MORE SIGNS; WE WOULD HAVE LOOKED MORE AND PERHAPS SAW THE OTHER ACFT THAT WE NEVER HEARD.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.