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 was flying to Carroll County Regional Airport/Jack B Poage Field (KDMW) in Westminster, Maryland, from the west to enter the pattern when I noticed Aircraft Y also flying around the area.
I tried to make several attempts to make contact with him but I could not hear him on my radio while I heard others on the radio.
I was at 3,000 feet when I noticed they were significantly lower than my aircraft, around 1,200 feet.
He was doing 360s around the area when no one else was in the pattern and I wanted to know his intentions.
I had to fly further out to avoid him and I finally made contact with him on the radio.
He seemed very upset and argumentative saying his intentions were to land at the airport. He continued to try to enter the pattern but then continued to do circles around the area at very low altitudes.
KDMW has a pattern altitude of 1,600 and there was other traffic coming in.
He finally did come in for a landing to do a simulated engine out and then did a very low go-around. He proceeded in the pattern a few more times and went to ZZZ.
On the way to ZZZ he was directly behind me at my 6 o’clock and only 100 feet below me. I received a traffic alert from ATC and told them I was climbing to avoid the traffic and they also saw me. I had to climb 700 feet to feel safe around this aircraft.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2143455
Fly your plane…too many people rely on radios and “their need to communicate with others and know their intentions “.
If you feel safe, land…if you don’t feel safe, go somewhere else. To have so little stress in your life to call this havoc is absolutely unnecessary…my opinion is the other pilot seemed to have everything under control…you my good man are the one who should reconsider continuing flying if this upsets you this much.
Sure glad I got a good English lesson from you fellers….oops. Sorry. Should have said fellows.
No worries; this one’s on the House.
Not menacing words, not all pilots should be flying and are in fact impediments to GA on multiple levels.
“Not menacing words”, maybe “ not MINCING words” ????
Nah … He meant “peaceful words”, as in “not menacing”. Clear as 1/2SM HZ FG!
Sometimes the only way avoid conflicts and danger of collision is to accelerate to 250kts and get the heck out of Dodge.
This ASRS report of a NMAC is a little vague and short on the details, but:
“Pilot’s unclear intentions create havoc in the pattern”
Really?
“HAVOC”
Definition from Oxford Languages:
Verb:
1. Lay waste to; devastate
Noun:
1. Widespread destruction. Great destruction or devastation; ruinous damage.
2. Great confusion or disorder.***
***There was ONE other airplane in/near the pattern. No mention of any great confusion by the “other traffic coming in”.
It also sounds like the actual NMAC happened enroute to “ZZZ”, not in the “DMW” traffic pattern.
But regardless; “havoc”?
C’mon…
Absolutely; I say. Within the scope presented; there’s definitely justification. Bad behavior is bad behavior no matter how many are around.