Near midair collision in the traffic pattern at a non tower airport during a dusk operation.

Attributes
ACN	418663
Time
Date	199811
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : w54 airport : w54
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1400 msl bound upper : 1400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	418663
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment 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

Narrative:

Aircraft #1 was approaching W54 to land, and had radioed entering right downwind for runway 34, in particular entering long downwind. A listening watch on CTAF indicated no aircraft in the pattern or about to enter it or operating at the airport. Visual watch also indicated no aircraft in the pattern. When abeam the departure end of runway 34, aircraft #1 noticed aircraft #2 flying crosswind leg on a closed pattern, climbing out. Aircraft #2 was climbing, about 200 ft below and 200 ft to starboard of aircraft #1. Aircraft #1 had pulsing landing/taxi lights in operation, as well as full strobes and navigation lights. Aircraft #2 had a landing light and a red beacon, but no strobes or navigation lights. Aircraft #1 kept a watch on aircraft #2 as it crossed behind aircraft #1 and turned downwind, off the port wing of aircraft #1. Aircraft #1 sensed no evasive action on the part of aircraft #2, so aircraft #1 added power and climbed out of the pattern, later returning to land. Although aircraft #2 was heard by aircraft #1 as broadcasting turning to final, no other broadcasts from aircraft #2 were heard by aircraft #1. Aircraft #1 called aircraft #2 on the ground and asked if he could hear aircraft #1's radio, to which aircraft #2 responded in the affirmative. This stresses importance of use of CTAF, need to check for traffic on runway before entering downwind, and importance of strobes on all aircraft at dusk.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC IN THE TFC PATTERN AT A NON TWR ARPT DURING A DUSK OP.

Narrative: ACFT #1 WAS APCHING W54 TO LAND, AND HAD RADIOED ENTERING R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34, IN PARTICULAR ENTERING LONG DOWNWIND. A LISTENING WATCH ON CTAF INDICATED NO ACFT IN THE PATTERN OR ABOUT TO ENTER IT OR OPERATING AT THE ARPT. VISUAL WATCH ALSO INDICATED NO ACFT IN THE PATTERN. WHEN ABEAM THE DEP END OF RWY 34, ACFT #1 NOTICED ACFT #2 FLYING XWIND LEG ON A CLOSED PATTERN, CLBING OUT. ACFT #2 WAS CLBING, ABOUT 200 FT BELOW AND 200 FT TO STARBOARD OF ACFT #1. ACFT #1 HAD PULSING LNDG/TAXI LIGHTS IN OP, AS WELL AS FULL STROBES AND NAV LIGHTS. ACFT #2 HAD A LNDG LIGHT AND A RED BEACON, BUT NO STROBES OR NAV LIGHTS. ACFT #1 KEPT A WATCH ON ACFT #2 AS IT CROSSED BEHIND ACFT #1 AND TURNED DOWNWIND, OFF THE PORT WING OF ACFT #1. ACFT #1 SENSED NO EVASIVE ACTION ON THE PART OF ACFT #2, SO ACFT #1 ADDED PWR AND CLBED OUT OF THE PATTERN, LATER RETURNING TO LAND. ALTHOUGH ACFT #2 WAS HEARD BY ACFT #1 AS BROADCASTING TURNING TO FINAL, NO OTHER BROADCASTS FROM ACFT #2 WERE HEARD BY ACFT #1. ACFT #1 CALLED ACFT #2 ON THE GND AND ASKED IF HE COULD HEAR ACFT #1'S RADIO, TO WHICH ACFT #2 RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THIS STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF USE OF CTAF, NEED TO CHK FOR TFC ON RWY BEFORE ENTERING DOWNWIND, AND IMPORTANCE OF STROBES ON ALL ACFT AT DUSK.

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.