<< >> NASA ASRS Report 110157, May 1989

Reporter tries to cut out another small aircraft in the pattern and winds up having an near midair collision with it.

Attributes
ACN	110157
Time
Date	198905
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : toa
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1100
ASRS Report	110157
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Turned base behind an small aircraft X on final, not seeing an small aircraft Y ahead on downwind. Had to go around when the small aircraft X failed to clear runway in time. Small aircraft Y was already in process of going around. I spotted the small aircraft Y above about 200' and instructed its pilot to continue straight out while I turned crosswind. He complied and both aircraft landed west/O further incident. Failed to see the small aircraft Y in front and lower on the downwind. Believing I had it in sight several mi ahead on the downwind, it was actually only about a 1/2 mi ahead and was camouflaged by the city lights below. Biggest factor: impatient to bring the flight to a close, I turned base believing the small aircraft Y to be so far ahead that it would take me another 10 mins to get down if I followed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER TRIES TO CUT OUT ANOTHER SMA IN THE PATTERN AND WINDS UP HAVING AN NMAC WITH IT.

Narrative: TURNED BASE BEHIND AN SMA X ON FINAL, NOT SEEING AN SMA Y AHEAD ON DOWNWIND. HAD TO GO AROUND WHEN THE SMA X FAILED TO CLR RWY IN TIME. SMA Y WAS ALREADY IN PROCESS OF GOING AROUND. I SPOTTED THE SMA Y ABOVE ABOUT 200' AND INSTRUCTED ITS PLT TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT OUT WHILE I TURNED XWIND. HE COMPLIED AND BOTH ACFT LANDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. FAILED TO SEE THE SMA Y IN FRONT AND LOWER ON THE DOWNWIND. BELIEVING I HAD IT IN SIGHT SEVERAL MI AHEAD ON THE DOWNWIND, IT WAS ACTUALLY ONLY ABOUT A 1/2 MI AHEAD AND WAS CAMOUFLAGED BY THE CITY LIGHTS BELOW. BIGGEST FACTOR: IMPATIENT TO BRING THE FLT TO A CLOSE, I TURNED BASE BELIEVING THE SMA Y TO BE SO FAR AHEAD THAT IT WOULD TAKE ME ANOTHER 10 MINS TO GET DOWN IF I FOLLOWED.

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.