Narrative:

Atx X entering downwind leg of traffic pattern for right traffic, north landing, a commuter airplane landing on runway 19 crossed from my left, rear, above, to my right and below as he maneuvered for landing. Since he approached from behind and overtook me, I did not see him until he had passed over and slightly to my right. There was no time for evasive action on my part as he was past me, or passing, when I saw him. I had called the tower several mins earlier, prior to entering the air traffic area. The air carrier Y called initially shortly after my first call. We were both inbound from the northeast. His first call placed him about 6 mi behind me. He had requested runway 19 and was told to report 2 DME. I was told to report passing abeam of the wildwood NDB. Shortly after his 2 DME call, ATC stated to me, 'the air carrier Y appears to be crossing above and in front of you'. I responded that I was just coming abeam of the NDB and looking. I did not see him until he had crossed over me. No other ATC calls pertinent to our situation were made. After the air carrier Y had landed, I asked the pilot if he had seen me, as I was still on the downwind leg of my approach, on tower frequency. He replied 'negative.' at no time did ATC attempt to verify that the air carrier Y had me in sight. I feel it is important that an overtaking aircraft must be made aware of any aircraft he is overtaking as the slower aircraft cannot maneuver to avoid traffic he cannot see.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX X HELI HAD NMAC WITH ACR Y IN ARPT TFC PATTERN. SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: ATX X ENTERING DOWNWIND LEG OF TFC PATTERN FOR R TFC, N LNDG, A COMMUTER AIRPLANE LNDG ON RWY 19 CROSSED FROM MY L, REAR, ABOVE, TO MY R AND BELOW AS HE MANEUVERED FOR LNDG. SINCE HE APCHED FROM BEHIND AND OVERTOOK ME, I DID NOT SEE HIM UNTIL HE HAD PASSED OVER AND SLIGHTLY TO MY R. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR EVASIVE ACTION ON MY PART AS HE WAS PAST ME, OR PASSING, WHEN I SAW HIM. I HAD CALLED THE TWR SEVERAL MINS EARLIER, PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ATA. THE ACR Y CALLED INITIALLY SHORTLY AFTER MY FIRST CALL. WE WERE BOTH INBOUND FROM THE NE. HIS FIRST CALL PLACED HIM ABOUT 6 MI BEHIND ME. HE HAD REQUESTED RWY 19 AND WAS TOLD TO RPT 2 DME. I WAS TOLD TO RPT PASSING ABEAM OF THE WILDWOOD NDB. SHORTLY AFTER HIS 2 DME CALL, ATC STATED TO ME, 'THE ACR Y APPEARS TO BE XING ABOVE AND IN FRONT OF YOU'. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS JUST COMING ABEAM OF THE NDB AND LOOKING. I DID NOT SEE HIM UNTIL HE HAD CROSSED OVER ME. NO OTHER ATC CALLS PERTINENT TO OUR SITUATION WERE MADE. AFTER THE ACR Y HAD LANDED, I ASKED THE PLT IF HE HAD SEEN ME, AS I WAS STILL ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF MY APCH, ON TWR FREQ. HE REPLIED 'NEGATIVE.' AT NO TIME DID ATC ATTEMPT TO VERIFY THAT THE ACR Y HAD ME IN SIGHT. I FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT THAT AN OVERTAKING ACFT MUST BE MADE AWARE OF ANY ACFT HE IS OVERTAKING AS THE SLOWER ACFT CANNOT MANEUVER TO AVOID TFC HE CANNOT SEE.

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.