PLT OF EXPERIMENTAL BIPLANE HAS CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH BE80 IN UNCTLED TFC PATTERN AT W66.

Date: 2003-11 · Aircraft: Amateur/Home Built/Experimental · Phase: approach

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown

Synopsis

PLT OF EXPERIMENTAL BIPLANE HAS CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH BE80 IN UNCTLED TFC PATTERN AT W66.

Narrative

RETURN TO W66 (WARRENTON-FAUQUIER COUNTY ARPT) IN UNLIMITED VFR CONDITIONS FROM LCL PLEASURE FLT WITH PAX. I BEGAN MONITORING THE CTAF AT 10 MI OUT FROM THE SW AND STARTED A DSCNT FROM 2500 FT MSL TO 1300 FT MSL (TPA). DSCNT WAS COMPLETED AT 5 MI OUT FROM THE W. I REMAINED W OF RTE 17 TO AVOID ANY TFC AT THE NOTAMED 'BEALTEON FLYING CIRCUS AIRFIELD. AT 4.5 MI OUT AND ABEAM THE ARPT; I INITIATED A TURN TOWARDS THE ARPT FOR A XWIND ENTRY. I ANNOUNCED ON THE CTAF MY POS (4.5 MI W) AND INTENTIONS TO MAKE A XWIND ENTRY FOR RWY 14. THERE WERE 3 OTHER ACFT RPTING ON CTAF IN THE PATTERN OR ON APCH TO THE PATTERN: C182; AN ERCOUPE AND A GRUMMAN TIGER. I MADE A SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE CTAF RPTING 2.5 MI OUT ON A L XWIND ENTRY FOR RWY 14. I HAD VISUAL ON THE C182 (JUST DEPARTING) AND THE ERCOUPE (DOWNWIND) AND WAS LOOKING FOR THE GRUMMAN TIGER ON APCH IN ORDER TO PROPERLY SEQUENCE INTO TFC. I WAGGLED MY WINGS TO SEE ABOVE AND BELOW THEM (I AM OPERATING A BIPLANE WITH LIMITED VISIBILITY DUE TO WINGS/STRUTS AND FORWARD PAX SEATING) AND AT THAT POINT I SAW A TRAVEL AIR TWIN ON AN INTERSECTING COURSE (UPWIND TFC ENTRY) ABOUT 1000 FT TO MY L AND 50 FT ABOVE. I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A DIVING MANEUVER TO AVOID ANY POTENTIAL FOR TFC CONFLICT. THIS TFC AVOIDANCE MANEUVER PUT ME AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPD (FROM THE DIVE) AND LOW INTO THE AREA OF DOWNWIND TFC. I INITIATED A BRIEF S-TURN TO THE L AND R TO CHK FOR TFC. I NO LONGER HAD A VISUAL ON THE ERCOUPE; BUT HEARD HIS CALL FOR A TURN TO L BASE. I WAS CONCERNED THAT I WAS NOW DOWNWIND INSIDE HIS L BASE AND LOW (STILL AT 800 FT MSL FROM THE DIVE) AND DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE IN A DIRECT DOWNWIND AND CREATE A TFC CONFLICT. I INITIATED A R 360 DEG CLBING TURN TO ALLOW FOR PROPER SPACING; A RETURN TO TPA AND RESEQUENCING INTO THE DOWNWIND. AT THAT POINT; THE TRAVEL AIR TWIN (CONFLICT ACFT #2) RPTED BREAKING OFF FROM THE UPWIND AND RESEQUENCING INTO THE TFC PATTERN. THIS WAS THE FIRST CALL I HEARD FROM THE TRAVELAIR TWIN. I RE-ESTABLISHED VISUAL ON THE ERCOUPE (BASE TO FINAL); THE DEPARTING C182 AND THE TRAVEL AIR BREAKING OFF FROM THE UPWIND. THE GRUMMAN TIGER WAS STILL ON APCH. I RE-ENTERED THE DOWNWIND; ANNOUNCING MY TURNS; COMPLETED THE PATTERN AND LANDED. THE TRAVEL AIR TWIN RESEQUENCED INTO THE PATTERN AND LANDED.

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