Aircraft on approach came in close proximity to another aircraft on downwind for a crossing runway.

Attributes
ACN	105219
Time
Date	198902
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sns
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 100 msl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mry tower : sns tower : slc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	105219
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

My aircraft was cleared for a second low approach to the ILS runway 31 approach at salinas, ca, airport. I was advised to maintain VFR at all times. Was asked to report 15 mi DME, and was told to stay on approach control frequency, and not to go to the salinas tower frequency. Made the approach west/O a hood, and with a safety pilot observing. We called at 15 DME and continued in. Looked for the OM, but received no signal on this and the previous low approach. Received MM about the time that we experienced a near miss with an small aircraft which was on a downwind for runway 26. When at decision height, leveled out and at that time was told to go over to the salinas tower frequency. The tower asked me where I had come from. I told him that I had been instructed to stay on approach control frequency, and not call the tower. He advised me that he thought I was still out 1 mi. I called mry approach on the radio and asked him what had happened, and he stated on the air, 'we had a communication breakdown.' the OM at salinas is intermittent according to tower. My receiver checked out perfectly on the bench the next day. Obviously, mry approach neglected to advise salinas tower that I had been cleared for a low approach. My safety pilot called out the small aircraft on downwind and called out the near miss. The mry approach supervisor told the salinas tower supervisor that I had done nothing wrong and had done what I should have. I was advised by salinas tower supervisor that no one was going to write me up for anything. This is a cya report. Mry approach control cannot maintain radar contact with aircraft on the low approach to runway 31 at salinas. This is a real problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ON APCH CAME IN CLOSE PROX TO ANOTHER ACFT ON DOWNWIND FOR A CROSSING RWY.

Narrative: MY ACFT WAS CLRED FOR A SECOND LOW APCH TO THE ILS RWY 31 APCH AT SALINAS, CA, ARPT. I WAS ADVISED TO MAINTAIN VFR AT ALL TIMES. WAS ASKED TO RPT 15 MI DME, AND WAS TOLD TO STAY ON APCH CTL FREQ, AND NOT TO GO TO THE SALINAS TWR FREQ. MADE THE APCH W/O A HOOD, AND WITH A SAFETY PLT OBSERVING. WE CALLED AT 15 DME AND CONTINUED IN. LOOKED FOR THE OM, BUT RECEIVED NO SIGNAL ON THIS AND THE PREVIOUS LOW APCH. RECEIVED MM ABOUT THE TIME THAT WE EXPERIENCED A NEAR MISS WITH AN SMA WHICH WAS ON A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26. WHEN AT DECISION HEIGHT, LEVELED OUT AND AT THAT TIME WAS TOLD TO GO OVER TO THE SALINAS TWR FREQ. THE TWR ASKED ME WHERE I HAD COME FROM. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO STAY ON APCH CTL FREQ, AND NOT CALL THE TWR. HE ADVISED ME THAT HE THOUGHT I WAS STILL OUT 1 MI. I CALLED MRY APCH ON THE RADIO AND ASKED HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND HE STATED ON THE AIR, 'WE HAD A COM BREAKDOWN.' THE OM AT SALINAS IS INTERMITTENT ACCORDING TO TWR. MY RECEIVER CHKED OUT PERFECTLY ON THE BENCH THE NEXT DAY. OBVIOUSLY, MRY APCH NEGLECTED TO ADVISE SALINAS TWR THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR A LOW APCH. MY SAFETY PLT CALLED OUT THE SMA ON DOWNWIND AND CALLED OUT THE NEAR MISS. THE MRY APCH SUPVR TOLD THE SALINAS TWR SUPVR THAT I HAD DONE NOTHING WRONG AND HAD DONE WHAT I SHOULD HAVE. I WAS ADVISED BY SALINAS TWR SUPVR THAT NO ONE WAS GOING TO WRITE ME UP FOR ANYTHING. THIS IS A CYA RPT. MRY APCH CTL CANNOT MAINTAIN RADAR CONTACT WITH ACFT ON THE LOW APCH TO RWY 31 AT SALINAS. THIS IS A REAL PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.