The PA-25 was not maneuvering prior to the merge nor after the merge, implying that the PA-25 pilot did not see the ultralight.
ASRS Reports
Someone is going to get killed if this doesn’t stop
The Aircraft Y cowboys seem to think this kind of behavior is normal and acceptable. It isn’t. Landing or taking off into opposing traffic, overtaking and passing on downwind, using non-standard procedures at a one runway non-towered airport, cutting off traffic on final all have been all too frequent at KSOP.
Near miss as pilot lands on grass next to runway instead of runway
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.
Homebuilt pilot has more questions than answers after near miss
When I spoke to the pilot while he was refueling, he insisted I had done something wrong and dangerous. I asked if he wanted to talk about it to see if there was anything to be learned. He was hostile, angry, and said “no” several times, finished refueling and left via 36, again with a tailwind.
How can I go wrong?
Preparation, planning, implementation, and mental focus were lacking in this case.
I thought I was going to crash
I had very little control of the plane. I felt like I was in a dust devil or some other type of turbulence.
Would this airport be safer without a control tower?
I’m very disappointed in how the Tower was not helpful in my situation. Even on a normal day, that controller seems overwhelmed and stressed out, spacing airplanes on 5+ mile finals, yelling at planes to widen the base leg to abnormal sizes, then when I experienced my problem, gives me instructions contrary to what I felt was the safest course of action and unhelpful overall.
Airplanes vs. helicopters
The improvement I am hoping this report will bring is more vigilance on behalf of the tower controllers at KFCM, as well as all the flight instructors and students. Even in a tower-controlled environment, operational errors are present with the saturation of flight training that occurs at this airport.
A gap in pattern protocol
Tower angrily informs me that I have cut in front of the above Cessna, who is also on downwind departure. I apologize and said that I was unaware of their position and presumed that I was far behind them.