Narrative:

I was in radar contact with rno arsa and had just been given a 090 degree heading to enter the right traffic pattern for 16R at rno. My instrument and I observed traffic at 12 O'clock less than a mile climbing toward us. I continued my turn and descent. Approach called the traffic to us and we acknowledged and continued turning to avoid him. He passed very close to us at co-altitude banking to his right. The other aircraft asked approach what was going on, he thought he was in radar contact, why wasn't he aware of the conflicting traffic. Approach answered him with the response that the other aircraft (me) had him sight, so no problem. After speaking with TRACON after landing, it seems to me that the problem was with the handoff from tower to approach/departure. When we first sighted the other aircraft, he was still on tower frequency, so neither one of us had the advantage of hearing the radio xmissions to each other. The other aircraft was also climbing into the sun. Rno is also a training facility and I get the impression that the supervisors aren't paying enough attention. That same day, I witnessed 2 other incidents involving the tower. One involved an aircraft lined up to land on the taxiway. The tower did not catch the obvious until the landing aircraft flew over an air carrier medium large transport on the taxiway. Shortly thereafter, the tower tried to taxi that same medium large transport over us for takeoff. We were #1 on the hold short line for takeoff. Tower requested that we turn left and get out of the way because medium large transport had to takeoff. We had been sitting there for about 10-12 mins waiting to takeoff while they fiddled around the lost airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX 2 GA ACFT IN RNO ARSA. REPORTER QUESTIONS COMPETENCE VIGILANCE OF RNO ATC TRAINING SUPVRS.

Narrative: I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT WITH RNO ARSA AND HAD JUST BEEN GIVEN A 090 DEG HDG TO ENTER THE RIGHT TFC PATTERN FOR 16R AT RNO. MY INSTR AND I OBSERVED TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK LESS THAN A MILE CLBING TOWARD US. I CONTINUED MY TURN AND DSCNT. APCH CALLED THE TFC TO US AND WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND CONTINUED TURNING TO AVOID HIM. HE PASSED VERY CLOSE TO US AT CO-ALT BANKING TO HIS RIGHT. THE OTHER ACFT ASKED APCH WHAT WAS GOING ON, HE THOUGHT HE WAS IN RADAR CONTACT, WHY WASN'T HE AWARE OF THE CONFLICTING TFC. APCH ANSWERED HIM WITH THE RESPONSE THAT THE OTHER ACFT (ME) HAD HIM SIGHT, SO NO PROB. AFTER SPEAKING WITH TRACON AFTER LNDG, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE PROB WAS WITH THE HDOF FROM TWR TO APCH/DEP. WHEN WE FIRST SIGHTED THE OTHER ACFT, HE WAS STILL ON TWR FREQ, SO NEITHER ONE OF US HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF HEARING THE RADIO XMISSIONS TO EACH OTHER. THE OTHER ACFT WAS ALSO CLBING INTO THE SUN. RNO IS ALSO A TRNING FAC AND I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THE SUPVRS AREN'T PAYING ENOUGH ATTN. THAT SAME DAY, I WITNESSED 2 OTHER INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE TWR. ONE INVOLVED AN ACFT LINED UP TO LAND ON THE TXWY. THE TWR DID NOT CATCH THE OBVIOUS UNTIL THE LNDG ACFT FLEW OVER AN ACR MLG ON THE TXWY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE TWR TRIED TO TAXI THAT SAME MLG OVER US FOR TKOF. WE WERE #1 ON THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR TKOF. TWR REQUESTED THAT WE TURN LEFT AND GET OUT OF THE WAY BECAUSE MLG HAD TO TKOF. WE HAD BEEN SITTING THERE FOR ABOUT 10-12 MINS WAITING TO TKOF WHILE THEY FIDDLED AROUND THE LOST AIRPLANE.

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.