This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
I entered left downwind to Runway 12 at Marana Regional Airport (KAVQ) in Arizona for landing in my Bonanza 33. A Cessna was ahead of me on downwind for a touch and go, and I announced over CTAF that I was number 2 behind it.
To adjust for my greater airspeed than the aircraft I was following, I extended my downwind considerably, and turned base after the aircraft ahead was already on short final.
As I turned final, I realized that the distance to the aircraft ahead, which was nearing touchdown, was less than I had planned for. I considered going around, but determined that the aircraft ahead would already be airborne when I touched down, and therefore continued.
As I descended through about 100 feet AGL I encountered wake turbulence from the aircraft ahead, which was noticeable in the otherwise calm air, but not difficult to control. I touched down just prior to the aircraft ahead lifting off.
In retrospect, I should have gone around early and avoided the situation, which would have been a real hazard had the aircraft ahead decided to stop on the runway.
KAVQ is a very busy airport, with aircraft of widely varying performance. On my approach this day, a Phenom departed, several light aircraft were in closed traffic doing touch and goes, a Cessna 421 was waiting to depart, and another aircraft was inbound on the RNAV 12 approach. This airport needs a tower!
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ASRS Report Number: 1859777
Until I started reading comments like these, I hadn’t appreciated how many pilots there are who have vast experience and knowledge, never make errors of judgement, and never question their own infallibility. It’s astonishing have few I’ve known in real life, and I’ve been flying for quite a few years. Come to think of it, the few I have known are over-represented in NTSB reports.
Loving these comments!
Sounds like an increasingly typical ‘Day In The Life’ at a LOT of non-towered airports…and not even during rush hour. Adhere to Part 91, follow the guidance in AC 90-66B…and look out the window. If you can’t do that, pull up a lawn chair & watch the show from the grass.
A tower controller may or may not tell you to slow down if you don’t know enough to , or may tell you to do a 360 , smarter to pull back the throttle on downwind and be in control
A tower does not, and should not, take the place of a pilots good judgment. Nothing in this report rings true. “I extended my downwind until the other aircraft was on short final” doesn’t jibe with “as I turned final I realized my separation was less than I had planned for”.
Wake turbulence from a 172. Puleeeze!!!
A tower just won’t replace poor judgement and bad technique, which it sounds to me like the reporter exhibited some of both.
When in doubt, go around. A tower will sometimes let you do something dangerous–they think the spacing is OK, or whatever. Oh yeah, you can have a midair at a towered airport, or get cut off or cut someone off in the pattern, etc. The tower won’t make every and all decisions for you.
Sounds like a Karen driving a Debbie
A Bonanza will fly nicely at 90-100 mph on downwind, like the Cessna 172 does.!
Just because it can cruise at 200+ mph, doesn’t mean it has to fly faster that other traffic in the pattern.
Heck, a lot of the GA airports here in northern California are just as busy , or more… and we … ‘don’t need no stink’in towers’ [sarc].
Why does it need a Tower? A Tower would have likely said, “Report Left Base” leaving the Bo the discretion for where to turn. Did Bo really need a Tower to tell them to Go Around when Bo already knew they were too tight?
If you can’t be a Pilot in Command, then don’t expect someone else to be.
Exactly
I don’t understand why it needs a tower..
You landed behind a Cessna doing touch n go’s and you were a little too close. There are plenty of busy airports. Heck I was #8 in the pattern once in KBHB and we all managed just fine.
Been to KAVQ many times. To say it needs a tower is ridiculous. Fly your aircraft as “Pilot In Command” and quit asking for my tax dollars to help your shortcomings.
Yeah!!!