A C182 PLT RPTS HE INTENTIONALLY PASSED ANOTHER ACFT IN A CTAF TFC PATTERN AND EXHIBITED POOR JUDGEMENT BECAUSE HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE OTHER ACFT.

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I WAS DOING TOUCH AND GOES IN THE PATTERN AT LMO ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER PLANES. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THERE WERE TWO OTHER PLANES IN THE PATTERN. I BELIEVE THEY WERE BOTH CESSNA SINGLE ENG; EITHER C172 OR C152. I AM FAIRLY SURE THE OTHER PLANE IN QUESTION WAS A LATER MODEL C172. MY PLANE IS A C182 WITH AN ENG UPGRADE; 270 HP. AFTER SEVERAL CIRCUITS I WAS CATCHING UP TO THE C172 IN FRONT OF ME; PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF MY GREATER SPD AND ALSO BECAUSE OF HIS HABIT OF FLYING FAIRLY LONG DOWNWIND/BASE LEGS. UPON CLBOUT IN XWIND I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION TO PASS HIM ON THE R ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. I APPLIED FULL PWR. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL CLR FALL DAY AND OUR CLOSURE RATES WERE NOT ALL THAT FAST. I PASSED HIM ON THE R (I SHOULD HAVE ANNOUNCED THIS AGAIN AT THAT MOMENT; BUT DIDN'T) AND KEPT HIM IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME. I ASSUMED HE SAW ME AS I PASSED ABEAM OF HIM. I ESTIMATE I WAS 300 FT OFF HIS R AND 50 FT ABOVE HIM. EVEN THOUGH I WAS WATCHING HIM CONTINUOUSLY; HE MUST NOT HAVE SEEN ME UNTIL I WAS SEVERAL FEET IN FRONT OF HIM. AT THAT POINT HE ANNOUNCED ON THE RADIO HIS INTENTION TO DO A 360 DEGS AND THAT I WAS '200 FT AWAY FROM HIM.' AT THE SAME TIME I WATCHED HIM TURN L INTO A 360 DEG; AND I WAS SURPRISED BY THIS MANEUVER SINCE I DON'T THINK THE SITUATION WAS REMOTELY DANGEROUS. I DID MY TOUCH AND GO; AS DID HE AFTER COMPLETING HIS 360 DEGS; AND HE THEN LEFT THE PATTERN. IN RETROSPECT I WAS FAR TOO LACKADAISICAL ABOUT THE PASSING MANEUVER AND PROBABLY SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE PASSED. WHILE IT DIDN'T SEEM DANGEROUS TO ME; I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM A MUCH WIDER BERTH. I CERTAINLY HAD NO INTENTION OF INTIMIDATING HIM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT; I WAS JUST SLOPPY. JUDGING BY HIS APCHS AND LNDGS I SUSPECT HE WAS A STUDENT WITH AN INSTRUCTOR (THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY 2 VOICES TALKING ON THE RADIO; SOMETIMES ONE CORRECTING THE OTHER). I FEEL HORRIBLE THAT I POSSIBLY SCARED A STUDENT. WHILE I DON'T THINK I PUT ANYONE IN DANGER; I DID NOT PROVIDE THAT EXTRA AMOUNT OF SAFETY MARGIN THAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE PRESENT IN FLYING. I ALSO THINK I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY APOLOGIZED ON THE RADIO; WHICH I DID NOT DO BECAUSE OF MY SURPRISE AT HIS REACTION. I FELT DEFENSIVE AND MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT HAVING HAD HIM IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT IN ALMOST 3 WKS; WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY POOR JUDGEMENT. I INTEND TO REVIEW THE REGS REGARDING TFC PATTERNS AND RIGHT OF WAY RULES; BUT MOSTLY THIS HAS MADE ME RESOLVE TO SCRUTINIZE MY BEHAVIOR IN THE FUTURE TO AVOID SUCH 'COWBOY' TENDENCIES.