Narrative:

I was the captain on flight from pit-swf and was flying the aircraft. We had been working ny approach control and cleared to 3000' some 20 NM from swf. On reading our company operating instructions for this airport, we noted that there was a caution note for orange country airport to the west of swf and the note said to avoid this airport if you were making a visibility to runway 9 at swf. We were expecting a 2500' on downwind (500' higher than a normal turbo jet pattern) for noise abatement. The WX was cavu and it was a sunday. We sighted swf at about 15 NM out and were cleared for a visibility approach. I also spotted orange country airport at 12 O'clock and about 4 mi. I cautioned the first officer to be especially vigilant since the WX was so good and it was the weekend. I decided to remain at 300' and fly directly over the center of orange county, as that is the safest place. We noted at least 3 aircraft in the pattern there, well below us. After passing the orange county airport and about 5 NM from swf, I started a descent to 2500' and entered downwind. The tower cleared us to land. At about 2 mi from the end of runway 9, I spotted a light aircraft in a stationary position on my wind shield at 12:30-1 O'clock, growing rapidly larger. He was heading approximately 300 degrees and my heading was 090 degrees. I rolled the aircraft into a 45 degree right turn and began a slight pull up maneuver. I believe that I pulled about 1 1/2-2 G's and was able to keep that aircraft in sight as he passed at less than 1/4 mi off my left (small aircraft X with 2 male occupants). He never made any evasive maneuver at all, which leads me to believe that he never saw us, even though our landing lights were on. On later reflection, I decided that we were probably coming out of the afternoon sun. We were now over the end of runway 9 and I started a left turn to put us back on a downwind for 27 and descended back to 2500'. Then I spotted another light aircraft small aircraft Y making a turn away from. He was at my 10 O'clock and level with us. Had we not already taken evasive action for the small aircraft Y, we would have had a conflict with the small aircraft Y, although he saw us too. I questioned the tower about why we were not warned of the light aircraft at our altitude in the air traffic area (3500' at this airport with no radar). He stated that he was not talking with them and did not know they were there. He stated that it was a common occurrence for light aircraft intrusion into his airspace and that they really needed radar at this airport. If we had been looking at a chart or busy inside the cockpit for about 5-10 seconds, there is no doubt in my mind that we would have hit that aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG 2 GA-SMA'S IN SWF ATA.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT FROM PIT-SWF AND WAS FLYING THE ACFT. WE HAD BEEN WORKING NY APCH CTL AND CLRED TO 3000' SOME 20 NM FROM SWF. ON READING OUR COMPANY OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS ARPT, WE NOTED THAT THERE WAS A CAUTION NOTE FOR ORANGE COUNTRY ARPT TO THE W OF SWF AND THE NOTE SAID TO AVOID THIS ARPT IF YOU WERE MAKING A VIS TO RWY 9 AT SWF. WE WERE EXPECTING A 2500' ON DOWNWIND (500' HIGHER THAN A NORMAL TURBO JET PATTERN) FOR NOISE ABATEMENT. THE WX WAS CAVU AND IT WAS A SUNDAY. WE SIGHTED SWF AT ABOUT 15 NM OUT AND WERE CLRED FOR A VIS APCH. I ALSO SPOTTED ORANGE COUNTRY ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT 4 MI. I CAUTIONED THE F/O TO BE ESPECIALLY VIGILANT SINCE THE WX WAS SO GOOD AND IT WAS THE WEEKEND. I DECIDED TO REMAIN AT 300' AND FLY DIRECTLY OVER THE CENTER OF ORANGE COUNTY, AS THAT IS THE SAFEST PLACE. WE NOTED AT LEAST 3 ACFT IN THE PATTERN THERE, WELL BELOW US. AFTER PASSING THE ORANGE COUNTY ARPT AND ABOUT 5 NM FROM SWF, I STARTED A DSNT TO 2500' AND ENTERED DOWNWIND. THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND. AT ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE END OF RWY 9, I SPOTTED A LIGHT ACFT IN A STATIONARY POS ON MY WIND SHIELD AT 12:30-1 O'CLOCK, GROWING RAPIDLY LARGER. HE WAS HDG APPROX 300 DEGS AND MY HDG WAS 090 DEGS. I ROLLED THE ACFT INTO A 45 DEG RIGHT TURN AND BEGAN A SLIGHT PULL UP MANEUVER. I BELIEVE THAT I PULLED ABOUT 1 1/2-2 G'S AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP THAT ACFT IN SIGHT AS HE PASSED AT LESS THAN 1/4 MI OFF MY LEFT (SMA X WITH 2 MALE OCCUPANTS). HE NEVER MADE ANY EVASIVE MANEUVER AT ALL, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT HE NEVER SAW US, EVEN THOUGH OUR LNDG LIGHTS WERE ON. ON LATER REFLECTION, I DECIDED THAT WE WERE PROBABLY COMING OUT OF THE AFTERNOON SUN. WE WERE NOW OVER THE END OF RWY 9 AND I STARTED A LEFT TURN TO PUT US BACK ON A DOWNWIND FOR 27 AND DSNDED BACK TO 2500'. THEN I SPOTTED ANOTHER LIGHT ACFT SMA Y MAKING A TURN AWAY FROM. HE WAS AT MY 10 O'CLOCK AND LEVEL WITH US. HAD WE NOT ALREADY TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION FOR THE SMA Y, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A CONFLICT WITH THE SMA Y, ALTHOUGH HE SAW US TOO. I QUESTIONED THE TWR ABOUT WHY WE WERE NOT WARNED OF THE LIGHT ACFT AT OUR ALT IN THE ATA (3500' AT THIS ARPT WITH NO RADAR). HE STATED THAT HE WAS NOT TALKING WITH THEM AND DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE THERE. HE STATED THAT IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR LIGHT ACFT INTRUSION INTO HIS AIRSPACE AND THAT THEY REALLY NEEDED RADAR AT THIS ARPT. IF WE HAD BEEN LOOKING AT A CHART OR BUSY INSIDE THE COCKPIT FOR ABOUT 5-10 SECS, THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT WE WOULD HAVE HIT THAT ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.