Near midair collision in the traffic pattern at non twred airport.

Attributes
ACN	292244
Time
Date	199412
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pgd
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 1075
ASRS Report	292244
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 450 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I approached the punta gorda (charlotte co) airport from the east on a cavu day. Traffic which was fairly heavy was using runway 33. I entered the traffic pattern on a crosswind. While still about 1 mi to the east when I was about to announce my location and intentions, another aircraft called on the unicom frequency requesting ground personnel to open his flight plan. This was a very long tie-up on the frequency and many exchanges between this aircraft and the ground. At approximately the same time, a cherokee/warrior departed runway 33. I noticed this aircraft as I was approaching the runway centerline. He was approximately 200 ft below and 500 ft to my left (approximately 10 O'clock position). I accelerated and maintained my basic course/altitude to clear his flight path. Clearly, I should have made a wider arc around the airport and entered the traffic pattern with a 45 degree downwind. The other factor that added to this was the inability of myself or the cherokee to announce or position/intentions. The cherokee didn't announce his take off and I couldn't announce my position approaching the runway centerline. The lesson is to enter traffic patterns at uncontrolled fields more conventionally. You can't count on using the unicom frequency at all times.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC IN THE TFC PATTERN AT NON TWRED ARPT.

Narrative: I APCHED THE PUNTA GORDA (CHARLOTTE CO) ARPT FROM THE E ON A CAVU DAY. TFC WHICH WAS FAIRLY HVY WAS USING RWY 33. I ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN ON A XWIND. WHILE STILL ABOUT 1 MI TO THE E WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO ANNOUNCE MY LOCATION AND INTENTIONS, ANOTHER ACFT CALLED ON THE UNICOM FREQ REQUESTING GND PERSONNEL TO OPEN HIS FLT PLAN. THIS WAS A VERY LONG TIE-UP ON THE FREQ AND MANY EXCHANGES BTWN THIS ACFT AND THE GND. AT APPROX THE SAME TIME, A CHEROKEE/WARRIOR DEPARTED RWY 33. I NOTICED THIS ACFT AS I WAS APCHING THE RWY CTRLINE. HE WAS APPROX 200 FT BELOW AND 500 FT TO MY L (APPROX 10 O'CLOCK POS). I ACCELERATED AND MAINTAINED MY BASIC COURSE/ALT TO CLR HIS FLT PATH. CLRLY, I SHOULD HAVE MADE A WIDER ARC AROUND THE ARPT AND ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN WITH A 45 DEG DOWNWIND. THE OTHER FACTOR THAT ADDED TO THIS WAS THE INABILITY OF MYSELF OR THE CHEROKEE TO ANNOUNCE OR POS/INTENTIONS. THE CHEROKEE DIDN'T ANNOUNCE HIS TAKE OFF AND I COULDN'T ANNOUNCE MY POS APCHING THE RWY CTRLINE. THE LESSON IS TO ENTER TFC PATTERNS AT UNCTLED FIELDS MORE CONVENTIONALLY. YOU CAN'T COUNT ON USING THE UNICOM FREQ AT ALL TIMES.

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.