SR22
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 79; Flight Crew Total 1085; Flight Crew Type 233
Situational Awareness
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
I was approaching the non-towered airport and started broadcasting my position about 10 miles out. I entered the traffic pattern and noticed another plane on the other side of the runway. I thought that the plane was going away from the airport and then as I turned base; saw that the other plane was turning toward the airport as well. I broke off the approach; saw the plane on final; and starting keying my microphone to ask him why he hadn't announced his position. It was then that I realized that I had the CTAF frequency in the standby position and that I had been broadcasting on the wrong frequency. And then it got worse. I realized that the runway I was landing on must have a right traffic pattern and I had been flying a standard left traffic pattern. I pride myself on being very careful and following procedures. How could this happen to me? As I thought about this after landing; I realized that I had not done two things that I should have. I had not double checked to make sure the CTAF frequency was in the right spot. I had also not checked the AFD for non-standard traffic patterns. Why hadn't I checked the AFD when I always do that? Because I had flown to this airport a number of times; enough to assume that I knew the airport. However; because of normal prevailing winds; I had always used the opposite runway; which has normal left traffic. So my assumed familiarity with the airport had led me to be complacent and not check the AFD for traffic pattern of this runway.This was a wakeup call for me and showed me how complacency can lead down a dangerous road. While there had been no danger of collision this time because I had had the other plane in sight the entire time; it clearly could in other circumstances have been dangerous. From now on; I will be absolutely faithful in following procedures and double check; familiar airport or not.
SR22 pilot reported he flew an incorrect pattern at a non-towered airport and was broadcasting on the wrong CTAF frequency.