PA30 PLT ENCOUNTERS UNAUTH VEHICLE AND PERSONNEL ADJACENT TO THE RWY ON LNDG AT 70A.

Date: 2004-10 · Aircraft: PA-30 Twin Comanche

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|ground-event-encounter-vehicle|ground-event-encounter-other-unknown|ground-event-encounter-person-animal-bird

Synopsis

PA30 PLT ENCOUNTERS UNAUTH VEHICLE AND PERSONNEL ADJACENT TO THE RWY ON LNDG AT 70A.

Narrative

I DSNDED TO 1000 FT MSL AND FLEW ACROSS THE ONLY RWY (RWY 18/36) ON A WESTERLY HDG. WHILE XING THE RWY; I OBSERVED 2 PICK-UP TRUCKS AND PEOPLE AND OTHER EQUIP ON THE W SIDE OF THE RWY PAVEMENT ABOUT MID FIELD. I SUSPECTED (LATER IT WAS CONFIRMED) THEY WERE FLYING MODEL ACFT. I ENTERED A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36 AND MADE A RADIO CALL ON UNICOM OF MY INTENT TO LAND ON RWY 36. AFTER AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO GIVE THEM TIME TO CLR THE RWY; I TURNED FINAL. IT WAS LATE ON A HAZY DAY; BUT AS I GOT ON SHORT FINAL; IT DIDN'T APPEAR THE RWY WAS CLR. I FOUND OUT LATER THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF MY PRESENCE; SO I MADE A LOW PASS DOWN THE RWY TO MAKE MYSELF KNOWN. AFTER PASSING THE OBSTRUCTION; I MADE A CLBING L TURN AND RE-ENTERED DOWNWIND. ON MY SECOND FINAL APCH; I DECIDED TO MAKE ANOTHER LOW PASS TO ASSURE THE RWY WAS CLR. I DID THE SAME LOW PASS DOWN THE RWY WITH A CLBING L TURN AFTER PASSING THE TRUCKS WHICH WERE NOW JUST CLR OF THE RWY WITH THE PEOPLE STANDING ALMOST ON THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT. ON MY THIRD APCH; I SLOWED THE ACFT TO MINIMUM APCH SPD AND LANDED ON THE RWY END TO BE ABLE TO STOP IF ANYONE RAN ON THE RWY IN FRONT OF ME. AFTER HANGARING MY ACFT; I WENT ON THE RWY AND INTRODUCED MYSELF TO ONE OF THE MEN AND TOLD THEM THEY SHOULD PROTECT THEMSELVES; AND ME; BY GETTING FARTHER FROM THE RWY EDGES. A LADY WITH THE GROUP TOLD ME VERY ANGRILY THAT I HAD FRIGHTENED HER LITTLE BOY. THERE ARE SIGNS THAT NO VEHICLES ARE PERMITTED ON THE RAMP; BUT NO ONE PAYS THEM ANY ATTN. MY ACFT IS HANGARED THERE AND THE LCL PEOPLE USE THE PUBLIC RWY FOR ALMOST EVERYTHING BUT ACFT.

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