Near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	202715
Time
Date	199202
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : prc
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : prc tower : mco
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	202715
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

While on the prescott VOR runway 11 approach, we (my student and I) were informed by tower to report drake (drk) inbound at or above 6500 ft. We were on an instrument training flight and doing the approach in VFR conditions. 99 percent of the time prescott will not allow dscnts to mins at the FAF so we usually cross drake at 7500 so we at least have some descent at the FAF inbound. The main reason for this is that the pattern altitude is 6000 ft and they don't want VOR traffic going below or even near pattern traffic. On this occasion they did approve mins (5520 ft) which we accepted, but had to execute a steep descent since we were at 7500 ft at the time with less than 3 1/2 mi to go. Approaching the airport the tower told us to pass behind the aircraft abeam a certain taxiway. We saw a plane on takeoff roll that was passing that intersection so we assumed that was the traffic. It wasn't! The real traffic wasn't really even close to abeam that intersection (something this tower does quite often). We spotted the other traffic as he pulled up and we pushed down narrowly avoiding a mid-air collision. In retrospect, I'll never have my students dive for mins that close in and I'll try to clarify where the traffic to follow actually is.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE PRESCOTT VOR RWY 11 APCH, WE (MY STUDENT AND I) WERE INFORMED BY TWR TO RPT DRAKE (DRK) INBOUND AT OR ABOVE 6500 FT. WE WERE ON AN INST TRAINING FLT AND DOING THE APCH IN VFR CONDITIONS. 99 PERCENT OF THE TIME PRESCOTT WILL NOT ALLOW DSCNTS TO MINS AT THE FAF SO WE USUALLY CROSS DRAKE AT 7500 SO WE AT LEAST HAVE SOME DSCNT AT THE FAF INBOUND. THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THE PATTERN ALT IS 6000 FT AND THEY DON'T WANT VOR TFC GOING BELOW OR EVEN NEAR PATTERN TFC. ON THIS OCCASION THEY DID APPROVE MINS (5520 FT) WHICH WE ACCEPTED, BUT HAD TO EXECUTE A STEEP DSCNT SINCE WE WERE AT 7500 FT AT THE TIME WITH LESS THAN 3 1/2 MI TO GO. APCHING THE ARPT THE TWR TOLD US TO PASS BEHIND THE ACFT ABEAM A CERTAIN TAXIWAY. WE SAW A PLANE ON TKOF ROLL THAT WAS PASSING THAT INTXN SO WE ASSUMED THAT WAS THE TFC. IT WASN'T! THE REAL TFC WASN'T REALLY EVEN CLOSE TO ABEAM THAT INTXN (SOMETHING THIS TWR DOES QUITE OFTEN). WE SPOTTED THE OTHER TFC AS HE PULLED UP AND WE PUSHED DOWN NARROWLY AVOIDING A MID-AIR COLLISION. IN RETROSPECT, I'LL NEVER HAVE MY STUDENTS DIVE FOR MINS THAT CLOSE IN AND I'LL TRY TO CLARIFY WHERE THE TFC TO FOLLOW ACTUALLY IS.

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.