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.
My student and I were doing pattern in ZZZ on Runway XX. Another airplane from ZZZ1 was also doing pattern. They were doing landings on the grass next to Runway XX and making radio calls for “Runway XX grass.”
My student and I departed Runway XX and within 10 seconds after our departure, the other plane was already departing from the grass next to Runway XX.
Throughout the entire pattern we were ahead of the traffic but he was VERY close to our tail following behind us, with very little spacing. Our traffic alerting system was going off for the entire downwind, base, and final.
We made all radio calls for each leg of the pattern. Upon making our call “turning final Runway XX”, the other plane called on the radio and said “Aircraft X turning final Runway XX grass, we are simulated engine failure and will be cutting in and landing in front of you.”
At this point my student and I were 1/2 to 3/4 mile from the touchdown zone and were forced to do a go-around due to the other plane cutting us off. I made the radio call “Aircraft Y going around Runway XX, and we would appreciate if you didn’t cut us off on the next trip in the pattern.” The other aircraft responded with “We aren’t using the same runway as you,” to which I did not respond.
When we made the decision to go-around we were within 500 feet of the other aircraft and would have been within 100 feet if we continued to land parallel to them.
They were not using the runway but the grass next to it, which does not allow sufficient spacing for a parallel approach. We were 1/2 mile ahead during the entire pattern and the other aircraft did not use proper right-of-way procedures resulting in a NMAC on short final.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 1924646
How come the guy that was landing on the grass didn’t use right hand traffic and the guy using the paved runway use left hand traffic pattern?
Maybe there was some kind of mentality carried over from the USAF where taking off, landing, and flying wing tip to wing tip is considered de riguer. Considering such operations as no big deal may have been useful in the old dog fight days, but really have little purpose today when aircraft battle each other with electronics from miles away and out of sight. (Yet the USAF continues to do so with what could be an avoidable accident rate if eliminated,) Just like this situation with close proximity of less than sharp maneuvering ability a/c, they are accident prone and should be avoided.
It would be very useful to know why this CFI had to practice anything by cutting someone off, Beyond safety, there is courtesy to consider.
Éste hecho que debió haber ocurrido en un artopuerto pueblerino , sin torre de control , ni autoridad alguna presente en el mismo y lejos del alcance de cualquier radar primario.
Eso anima a determinado tipo de gente a tener un comportamiento fuera de toda norma , igual beben alcohol y después salen a volar.
It would help to know which side of the paved runway the grass runway is and and do the runways have right or left patterns. It’s implied the pilot doing the simulated engine out landing crossed over the approach path of the other runway. Is that correct? It helps for parallel runways to have opposite direction patterns but that isn’t always possible. Even then when the two are close or adjacent such as is the case many times with grass and paved runways it’s not always possible. Even with opposite direction patterns it can get dicey with two planes on base facing each other.
“Near miss as pilot lands on grass next to runway instead of runway.”
WTH ?????
This “near miss” had absolutely nothing to do with grass landings………the article clearly states it was pattern work.
It appears TO ME that the reporting CFI has either a beef with the other CFI/pilot(s) or the reporting CFI is one of the latest in a growing number of grass use haters on the field.
This handwringing over grass vs asphalt reminds me of the 90s when snowboarders invaded the slopes and alpine skiers lost their minds…….”They’re dangerous”, they decried. Despite the resistance snowboarder numbers grew rapidly, the sport was accepted and the business operators in the surrounding community saw a substantial increase in revenues.
Today snowboarders and alpine skiers live in total harmony……well maybe not total harmony but you get the point.
Tailwheel and STOL aircraft sales have increased substantially over the past decade and many wise airport operators have accepted STOL ops and taken positive steps to accommodate grass landings. Today their operations thrive.
The airport managers and airport sponsors that decide to cease ops in existing areas where grass TOs and landings have existed for years and initiate policy changes that “prohibit” grass ops are rapidly losing users and revenue……….as a result many are turning into ghost towns and slowly dying.
Poor choice of words used to title this article GA News
You are correct; the “grass landings” part had nothing to do with it.
The problem…and the FAR violation… is this part: “… the other plane called on the radio and said “Aircraft X turning final Runway XX grass, we are simulated engine failure and will be cutting in and landing in front of you.”
14 CFR Part 91.113 doesn’t allow you to take/assume the right of way… just because you want to practice a simulated emergency. Just like it doesn’t allow you to fly a right-hand traffic pattern, when a left-hand pattern is indicated, in order to “practice an emergency”.
You also can’t “concede” the right of way, if it’s rightfully yours based on the category, status, and relative positions of the aircraft involved.
The fact that they were in contact, as stated earlier, “via radio and visually and both knew what each other was doing”, is irrevalent. Your only choice is to maneuver in sufficient time to ensure that WHO has the ROW is absolutely clear. Obviously that includes getting out of the way for an aircraft with a real emergency…not the case here.
The author chose to go-around to avoid what he perceived to be a potential conflict. If something bad had happened as a result of all this, I’m sure a 91.13 Careless or Reckless Operation violation would also be a player.
Appreciate your comments on “Practice Emergencies”, usually a practice engine out.
Some instructors seem to think a radio call at a non-towered airport gives them the freedom to fly whatever pattern they what, including, but not limited to opposite the prescribed pattern and descending into the downwind…..gotta wonder how many CFI’s read GA news, since the subject of traffic patterns comes up often.
Also, I try to bear in mind that an ASRA Report is only one side of the story. Wouldn’t it be interesting to hear the other pilot’s version?
This had absolulty nothing to do with the use of a grass runway. The problem was casued by a pilot failing to allow adequate distance from another aircraft ahead of him in the pattern. Had he chsen to, the offending pilot could have spaced himeslf adequately behind the aircraft ahead of him and used the grass to his heart’s content. Instead, he chose to create a collision hazard by following too closely, and by intentionally cutting off the aircraft ahead of him.
Two sides to every story. When snowboarders started invading ski slopes they did stupid, dangerous things that made skiers dislike them. You’d be on a speed run, come over a rise and suddenly see a line of the dopes just sitting there 20 feet in front of you in the middle of the run because they decided the center of an intermediate slope in a short visibility area was a great spot to spread out across the run and chat. You’d have to scramble to avoid mowing them down.
In other words, boarders of that generation earned their bad reputation by refusing to learn or follow basic etiquette and safety conventions. Much like what appears to have happened here.
Lee Airport near Annapolis used to have a grass strip immediately adjacent to their hard surfaced runway. I believe they inactivated that grass strip for this same reason!
Going around was the professional and mature action to take. Please don’t hesitate to turn people like this in to the FAA. No one has the right to create a potentially hazardous situation.
14 CFR Part 91.113 Right of Way Rules-Except Water Operations.
(g) Landings:
“When two or more aircraft are approaching an airport for the purpose of landing, the aircraft at the lower altitude has the right-of-way, but it shall not take advantage of this rule to cut in front of another which is on final approach to land or to overtake that aircraft.”
Note it says “approaching an airport”, not “approaching a runway”…
Doesn’t matter if it was to the same runway, the grass next to it, a parallel taxiway, or the airport cafe parking lot.
I’ve witnessed a lot of buffoonery under the guise of “I’m a simulated emergency”….
Get his N-number and report his a** to the FAA. Or better yet, visit him behind his hangar.
I will respectfully disagree with other posters. Both pilots were in contact with each other, via radio and visually and both knew what each other was doing.
The report said ‘landing on the grass beside the runway’ NOT l’landing on the grass strip beside the paved strip’.
Was the grass a designated runway or just grass beside the runway?
Either way, as one reader noted, you can’t
take over eight of way just because you are simulating an emergency.
The worst part is, the grass runway guy said ‘we are using the same runway’ WE.
Was he flying with a student? Not a very good example of pattern cooperation for a student pilot to see.
I guess kicking the grass guys ass would be overdoing it, and he sounds the type that would not listen to reason.
Perhaps counseling from the FAA would help. Probably not. It’s not that hard to ‘get along’ in the pattern. Unless you’re an overbearing horses patoot.
while I see your point, the fact is grass pilot was violating an FAR by cutting in front in the pattern.
Yes, they were in contact, but his action caused the pavement pilot to go around,
and did I mention he was violating an FAR?
I realize there are lots of us who violate FARs and judge for ourselves whether a particular FAR is worthy of obeying.
The regs are written, mostly, in blood. Because one pilot skirts the regs doesn’t mean another pilot affected by the skirting will react in the way the offending pilot assumed he would.
Why not give yourself spacing behind the
pavement pilot, as you would if landing on the same runway? No reason to
‘tailgate ‘ a guy in the pattern.
And if it were an actual grass runway, do you really think they would use the same
pattern? And if so, would it be acceptable to tailgate the guy ?
Doesn’t matter. 91.113 is very clear. The grass strip pilot cut off another aircraft that was in a position to land, and did it do to wanting to practice a simulated emergency landing.
This is a violation of 91.113. “I told the other pilot what I was doing” is not an exception listed in 91.113.
Ultimately the PIC is in charge. Give jerks lots of room and pray they don’t kill themselves and their passengers. Use airports with no jerks in the pattern.
With that jerk in the pattern, I would have either called it a day and landed for good, or flown to another nearby airport. There is no way to safely share the sky with an idiot like that.
Excellent program.
FAA gets a better idea of real world happenings – helps in drsign of safety topics.
Sounds another fake situation that didn’t happen .. it did turn into an informative discussion thought.
I have had a similar experience at KLHM. I was following a stol aircraft in the pattern. Turning final, I got a bit surprised to see the a/c sidestep to the left and land on the dead grass/weeds next to the runway. I went around thinking the a/c had a problem.
Afterward, I found that a number of these guys with big tundra tires prefer to not wear them out on the pavement.
The airport manager indicated that the only approved landing surface was the paved runway.
This, and other issues caused me to move my aircraft to a nearby airport, where all the rules are followed.
That sort of thing seems to happen everywhere, just like there is always someone driving like an idiot on the highway. I always take the high road like you did and go around, or create extra space. If I’m doing an exercise like that guy was I take it upon myself to do it only if it doesn’t affect anyone else, and even more so if the other planes in the pattern are students.
Yep. There are too many freeway NASCAR drivers, and too many General Aviation fighter jocks.
Pilots, or drivers, who willfully endanger the lives of others are irresponsible, period. That doesn’t mean they are either a NASCAR driver or a fighter pilot.