ATCT local controller was advised by a PA44 that had departed his airport, that he had an near midai...

Attributes
ACN	374223
Time
Date	199707
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vrb
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : vrb
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar pilot : instrument
Experience	controller non radar : 13 controller radar : 2 flight time total : 500
ASRS Report	374223
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 490 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

The PA44 departed runway 4 and climbed out to northeast, out of sight, then he reported traffic 3 mi northeast of airport sbound at 1800 ft, a white airplane 'like a piper cub' (small aircraft Y). The PA44 reported that they'd almost collided. I informed the PA44 that I was not aware of any traffic in that vicinity, but that if I had had radar I certainly would have issued an advisory. Later I asked the PA44 if evasive action had been taken, to which he replied that he had reduced both throttles to idle and turned hard left to pass behind the other aircraft by about 500 ft, same altitude. Human performance considerations: our congressman, unfortunately, doesn't live in this district to use his influence to get us radar as he has for sfb. Also, the multi-engine training environment in which the PA44 was engaged demands much attention inside the cockpit, and I can't see that far while still scanning my other traffic. Contributing factors: intensive student training activity (6000-8000 hours per month) originates from this airport, yet there's not so much as a little gold STAR on the sectional chart to alert transient pilots to this fact. Also, the FAA's failure to institute/endorse/permit low cost, user friendly airborne collision avoidance equipment for light aircraft. Lastly, the failure of the FAA to establish a dedicated radar approach control environment to serve the vrb-fpr area which routinely records traffic activity in the range of 1/3 of a million operations per yr.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT LCL CTLR WAS ADVISED BY A PA44 THAT HAD DEPARTED HIS ARPT, THAT HE HAD AN NMAC WITH AN UNKNOWN SMA APPROX 3 MI NE OF THE ARPT. THE CTLR HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE SMA AND CITES THE FACT THAT HIS TWR DOES NOT HAVE RADAR.

Narrative: THE PA44 DEPARTED RWY 4 AND CLBED OUT TO NE, OUT OF SIGHT, THEN HE RPTED TFC 3 MI NE OF ARPT SBOUND AT 1800 FT, A WHITE AIRPLANE 'LIKE A PIPER CUB' (SMA Y). THE PA44 RPTED THAT THEY'D ALMOST COLLIDED. I INFORMED THE PA44 THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY TFC IN THAT VICINITY, BUT THAT IF I HAD HAD RADAR I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE ISSUED AN ADVISORY. LATER I ASKED THE PA44 IF EVASIVE ACTION HAD BEEN TAKEN, TO WHICH HE REPLIED THAT HE HAD REDUCED BOTH THROTTLES TO IDLE AND TURNED HARD L TO PASS BEHIND THE OTHER ACFT BY ABOUT 500 FT, SAME ALT. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: OUR CONGRESSMAN, UNFORTUNATELY, DOESN'T LIVE IN THIS DISTRICT TO USE HIS INFLUENCE TO GET US RADAR AS HE HAS FOR SFB. ALSO, THE MULTI-ENG TRAINING ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE PA44 WAS ENGAGED DEMANDS MUCH ATTN INSIDE THE COCKPIT, AND I CAN'T SEE THAT FAR WHILE STILL SCANNING MY OTHER TFC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: INTENSIVE STUDENT TRAINING ACTIVITY (6000-8000 HRS PER MONTH) ORIGINATES FROM THIS ARPT, YET THERE'S NOT SO MUCH AS A LITTLE GOLD STAR ON THE SECTIONAL CHART TO ALERT TRANSIENT PLTS TO THIS FACT. ALSO, THE FAA'S FAILURE TO INSTITUTE/ENDORSE/PERMIT LOW COST, USER FRIENDLY AIRBORNE COLLISION AVOIDANCE EQUIP FOR LIGHT ACFT. LASTLY, THE FAILURE OF THE FAA TO ESTABLISH A DEDICATED RADAR APCH CTL ENVIRONMENT TO SERVE THE VRB-FPR AREA WHICH ROUTINELY RECORDS TFC ACTIVITY IN THE RANGE OF 1/3 OF A MILLION OPS PER YR.

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.

ATCT local controller was advised by a PA44 that had departed his airport, that he had an near midair collision with an unknown small aircraft approximately 3 mi northeast of the airport. The controller had no knowledge of the small aircraft and cites the fact that his tower does not have radar.