Narrative:

At PM05 hours, small aircraft X called heber valley unicom, reported a position 8 mi to the west of the airport, announced intention to land and requested TA's. Unicom responded with WX and active runway and when requested if there was traffic in the pattern, replied negative. At PM12, small aircraft X announced a 3 mi long final for runway 21 at heber, full stop. At PM14, small aircraft X was 200 ft past the numbers for runway 21, 55 KIAS, about 20 ft off the ground when small aircraft Y, a local heber small aircraft owned and operated by the flying service, flew overhead, approximately 15- 20 ft vertical separation and landed in front of small aircraft X. Both aircraft made uneventful lndgs. Small aircraft X proceeded to the ramp. Small aircraft Y continued to the end of the runway, back-taxied and executed another takeoff as if he had not noticed anything peculiar. 15 mins after the occurrence, small aircraft Y taxied to the ramp. Both myself and my ATP rated passenger made inquiries as to what the other aircraft had observed. The pilot of small aircraft Y was a local CFI giving instruction to a local student. The CFI said he hadn't noticed a thing and was flabbergasted that he had almost landed on top of another aircraft. He claimed he had been listening to unicom and had been making position reports although none had been heard by unicom or by small aircraft X. The local FBO commented that these kinds of things happen all the time and we shouldn't be so upset. Possibly the local CFI had his radio turned down a little too much and maybe he was a little distracted by his student but 'you know these kind of things happen and anyway this is uncontrolled airspace and radios aren't required around here.' in considering the chain of events, I conclude that small aircraft Y was not broadcasting position, either because his radio was off, turned down, or on wrong frequency. For this reason unicom did not know he was in the pattern. Possibly he had just returned from the practice area. Small aircraft X chose to make a straight in approach to landing rather than fly over the runway mid-field and enter a downwind pattern because unicom had announced the pattern was clear. Small aircraft X is a white airplane with green side striping. With snow on the ground it would be difficult to see from overhead until it was over the runway. The pilot of small aircraft Y obviously made the erroneous conclusion he had the airport to himself and therefore lowered his vigilance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA ALMOST LANDED ON TOP OF ANOTHER SMA AT AN UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: AT PM05 HRS, SMA X CALLED HEBER VALLEY UNICOM, RPTED A POS 8 MI TO THE W OF THE ARPT, ANNOUNCED INTENTION TO LAND AND REQUESTED TA'S. UNICOM RESPONDED WITH WX AND ACTIVE RWY AND WHEN REQUESTED IF THERE WAS TFC IN THE PATTERN, REPLIED NEGATIVE. AT PM12, SMA X ANNOUNCED A 3 MI LONG FINAL FOR RWY 21 AT HEBER, FULL STOP. AT PM14, SMA X WAS 200 FT PAST THE NUMBERS FOR RWY 21, 55 KIAS, ABOUT 20 FT OFF THE GND WHEN SMA Y, A LCL HEBER SMA OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE FLYING SVC, FLEW OVERHEAD, APPROX 15- 20 FT VERT SEPARATION AND LANDED IN FRONT OF SMA X. BOTH ACFT MADE UNEVENTFUL LNDGS. SMA X PROCEEDED TO THE RAMP. SMA Y CONTINUED TO THE END OF THE RWY, BACK-TAXIED AND EXECUTED ANOTHER TKOF AS IF HE HAD NOT NOTICED ANYTHING PECULIAR. 15 MINS AFTER THE OCCURRENCE, SMA Y TAXIED TO THE RAMP. BOTH MYSELF AND MY ATP RATED PAX MADE INQUIRIES AS TO WHAT THE OTHER ACFT HAD OBSERVED. THE PLT OF SMA Y WAS A LCL CFI GIVING INSTRUCTION TO A LCL STUDENT. THE CFI SAID HE HADN'T NOTICED A THING AND WAS FLABBERGASTED THAT HE HAD ALMOST LANDED ON TOP OF ANOTHER ACFT. HE CLAIMED HE HAD BEEN LISTENING TO UNICOM AND HAD BEEN MAKING POS RPTS ALTHOUGH NONE HAD BEEN HEARD BY UNICOM OR BY SMA X. THE LCL FBO COMMENTED THAT THESE KINDS OF THINGS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME AND WE SHOULDN'T BE SO UPSET. POSSIBLY THE LCL CFI HAD HIS RADIO TURNED DOWN A LITTLE TOO MUCH AND MAYBE HE WAS A LITTLE DISTRACTED BY HIS STUDENT BUT 'YOU KNOW THESE KIND OF THINGS HAPPEN AND ANYWAY THIS IS UNCTLED AIRSPACE AND RADIOS AREN'T REQUIRED AROUND HERE.' IN CONSIDERING THE CHAIN OF EVENTS, I CONCLUDE THAT SMA Y WAS NOT BROADCASTING POS, EITHER BECAUSE HIS RADIO WAS OFF, TURNED DOWN, OR ON WRONG FREQ. FOR THIS REASON UNICOM DID NOT KNOW HE WAS IN THE PATTERN. POSSIBLY HE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM THE PRACTICE AREA. SMA X CHOSE TO MAKE A STRAIGHT IN APCH TO LNDG RATHER THAN FLY OVER THE RWY MID-FIELD AND ENTER A DOWNWIND PATTERN BECAUSE UNICOM HAD ANNOUNCED THE PATTERN WAS CLR. SMA X IS A WHITE AIRPLANE WITH GREEN SIDE STRIPING. WITH SNOW ON THE GND IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM OVERHEAD UNTIL IT WAS OVER THE RWY. THE PLT OF SMA Y OBVIOUSLY MADE THE ERRONEOUS CONCLUSION HE HAD THE ARPT TO HIMSELF AND THEREFORE LOWERED HIS VIGILANCE.

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.