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 overhead ZZZ airport in a Cessna 180 Skywagon at 3,500 feet for teardrop entry to Runway XX. I observed this event and heard the radio calls.
A Glasair was turning base to final and a Pipistrel was on final having flown a bigger pattern. Note: The traffic pattern was full of aircraft.
The pilot in the Pipistrel made numerous radio calls that the Glasair was cutting him out of the pattern. He told the Glasair to “go around” while holding his final approach heading and pressing closer and closer towards the Glasair. The aircraft appeared to be less than 300 feet apart when the Pipistrel finally executed a go-around.
The pilot of the Pipistrel then made several unprofessional radio calls calling the pilot of the Glasair “an idiot and I’ll see you on the ramp about this.”
It appeared to me that the pilot of the Pipistrel could have safely executed a go-around after making his first radio call about the traffic conflict with the Glasair and this whole incident would not have occurred.
Instead he held his position on final, pressed on towards the Glasair while making numerous radio calls on an already busy Unicom frequency.
After landing I approached the pilot of the Pipistrel and found him to be very angry about the incident. I allowed him to explain his side of the incident and told him I would get the pilot of the Glasair for a debriefing.
The pilot of the Glasair and I introduced ourselves while the pilot of the Pipistrel said his name and that “I am a CFI-I and you can find my last name on the report that I’ll be filing.”
The CFI-I was quite aggressive in his side of the event while the pilot of the Glasair accepted responsibility for not seeing the Pipistrel on final and not hearing the radio calls.
Due to the aggressive and unprofessional attitude of the CFI-I we completed the debriefing and disengaged.
This incident highlights the importance of CFIs setting a good example in the air and on the ground. The pilot of the Pipistrel could have gone around early, made professional radio calls, and conducted a friendly debriefing on the ground.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2185492
When you click on the link it will take you to the ASRS Online Database. Click on Report Number and put the ACN in the search box, then click Search. On that page, click on “view only the 1 most recent report.”
Seems like the attitude of entitlement is gradually seeping into what should be an almost gentlemanly activity.
It’s a shame that students like me have to read things like this about so called ‘pilots’. He may be rated and certificated, but I bet his rating is number one, and his certificate doesn’t read ‘PILOT’ across the top… I bet it reads ‘Richard Cranium’
Radios do not make you”own” a traffic pattern. Calm courtesy, looking out for each other, humility in go-arounds and level headed thinking is a safe attitude. This person may have a rating, but that doesn’t test for a safe attitude or personality that will be a safe pilot.
Two thoughts. A Pipistrel on a typical approach should be about 55 kts. A Glasair almost 80. How did the Pipistrel catch up to him? Must have been trying very hard. As far as the comments on straight ins, it’s a non towered airport. Make a standard entry. Don’t expect everyone to get out of your way on your narcissistic approach. Bad form.
How can the Glasair pilot be in a busy pattern and “not hear any radio calls?” Was he MAKING calls? Why would he not be taking special care to be very aware of traffic in that environment?
Captain Oblivious was a real threat in that pattern.
The CFI may have been wrongfully aggressive and reacted unprofessionally but his anger was more than justified.
I recently had a similar experience at KGXY (Greeley, CO), my home field. A Bonanza was doing practice instrument approaches and announced that he was at WELDS inbound on the ILS. He didn’t state the actual distance, but as an instrument pilot, I know that WELDS is about 12 miles out, so at a normal approach speed, about 5 or 6 minutes at least. I was on a close downwind about to turn base, so I looked for the Bonanza, didn’t see him, and announced that I was turning base. Then just as I was turning final, the Bonanza pilot announced that he was going around, and began to chew me out for cutting him off. Rather than get into an argument over the radio, I apologized. But he continued his harangue. I landed and taxied to the hangars.
In reality, if he was indeed at WELDS when he announced his position, he was really rocketing down the glideslope for me to have interfered with him. If he’d had his landing lights on, I might have seen him. And of course, if I’d extended my downwind until he’d passed by, there wouldn’t have been an issue. So there’s fault by both of us.
But my point is the same—allowing yourself to become angry and lay into another pilot over the radio for an alleged misdeed isn’t professional, isn’t safe, and shouldn’t happen. If there’s a need to discuss something, do it on the ground later—and even then, be professional about it.
I’m “in the pattern” at a place called Big Bear in my Cessna 150. Made all my announcements prior. While on the down wind I’m just about ready to turn base when I hear a Cirrus announce that he is on a long straight-in final. I was irritated that he did not ask me if he wanted to land first or allow me to land first. So I extended my downwind and I let the ass hole land first.
CFI-I indeed. He missed the whole “dangerous attitude” portion of the FOI, I guess.
On the other hand, I see certain flight schools teach their students exceedingly wide traffic patterns, more suited to a turbine aircraft, which clogs the pattern and adds several minutes to a “lap”.
We all need a big dose of “being a good neighbor” in every walk of life…traffic patterns included.
CFI ACS, not FOI, I should’ve written.
How about an “edit” capability for us old guys? 😉
Safe flying, y’all!
Make that hazardous attitudes in the CFI-ACS.
How about an ‘edit’ feature for fat fingered typists?
Be safe