Narrative:

On an IFR flight plan, at 10000 ft, I was cleared for a visual approach to runway 30 at prescott-love airport, and to contact the tower. I called the tower reporting approximately 10 mi northeast for visual to runway 30. Tower instructed me to report a 5 mi final to runway 30, not to descend below 6500 ft. I proceeded sbound to arrive 5 mi southeast of airport for the final and began a descent to 6500 ft. Seeing I was quite high, I asked tower for permission to do a left 360 degree turn to lose altitude. That was approved but, 'not to descend below 6500 ft.' tower asked my position a min later and I told him I was about 6 mi but on more of a right base than final for runway 30. He instructed me to continue and maintain 6500 ft and report 5 mi final. Reporting a 4 1/2 mi final he told me I was in sight, to continue approach and clear to descend and contact tower on a second frequency for landing. Tuning in second frequency (by now I'm probably 2 1/2 mi final, tower frequency is congested). After a moment made contact tower cleared me to land saying 'in sight #2 behind seminole cleared to land.' at that time I couldn't see traffic and continued. Within seconds the seminole, a twin engine reciprocating low wing aircraft appeared ahead of me slightly to the left. He was in a left turn from a left base to final slightly above my altitude and descending. I immediately broke hard to the right and called tower of my turn. He cleared me for a right 360 degree and report re-established on final. I believe the other aircraft and the local controller never did see the conflict until I called the tower. After the 360 degrees I landed on runway 30 without incident. Tower told me to call them which I did. He agreed there was a communication problem that I was not cleared to descend out of 6500 ft, but yet I was cleared to land. Runway is a short runway my approach speed is 120 KTS. At 2 mi out I needed to descend to land. I don't know how he expected me to land without starting down. More vigilance in the cockpit is, without saying, something we all need to achieve. The tower supervisor told me their airport was the second busiest airport in az and the first busiest airport in the nation without radar. I think having 2 local controllers at such a busy airport is not the best idea. To have to change radio frequency inside of 3 mi final and then have to wait for a change to check in, all the while you are approaching the runway at 120 KTS, certainly can create conflict. It would also help, if the airport is known to have the most traffic in the nation, to install a radar facility. That would at least help sequence arrival traffic more efficiently.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR TWIN HAS TO PERFORM TWO 360 DEG TURN IN ORDER TO COMPLETE HIS VISUAL APCH TO PRC, AZ. ONE FOR ALT AND ONE FOR TFC.

Narrative: ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, AT 10000 FT, I WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 30 AT PRESCOTT-LOVE ARPT, AND TO CONTACT THE TWR. I CALLED THE TWR RPTING APPROX 10 MI NE FOR VISUAL TO RWY 30. TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO RPT A 5 MI FINAL TO RWY 30, NOT TO DSND BELOW 6500 FT. I PROCEEDED SBOUND TO ARRIVE 5 MI SE OF ARPT FOR THE FINAL AND BEGAN A DSCNT TO 6500 FT. SEEING I WAS QUITE HIGH, I ASKED TWR FOR PERMISSION TO DO A L 360 DEG TURN TO LOSE ALT. THAT WAS APPROVED BUT, 'NOT TO DSND BELOW 6500 FT.' TWR ASKED MY POS A MIN LATER AND I TOLD HIM I WAS ABOUT 6 MI BUT ON MORE OF A R BASE THAN FINAL FOR RWY 30. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTINUE AND MAINTAIN 6500 FT AND RPT 5 MI FINAL. RPTING A 4 1/2 MI FINAL HE TOLD ME I WAS IN SIGHT, TO CONTINUE APCH AND CLR TO DSND AND CONTACT TWR ON A SECOND FREQ FOR LNDG. TUNING IN SECOND FREQ (BY NOW I'M PROBABLY 2 1/2 MI FINAL, TWR FREQ IS CONGESTED). AFTER A MOMENT MADE CONTACT TWR CLRED ME TO LAND SAYING 'IN SIGHT #2 BEHIND SEMINOLE CLRED TO LAND.' AT THAT TIME I COULDN'T SEE TFC AND CONTINUED. WITHIN SECONDS THE SEMINOLE, A TWIN ENG RECIPROCATING LOW WING ACFT APPEARED AHEAD OF ME SLIGHTLY TO THE L. HE WAS IN A L TURN FROM A L BASE TO FINAL SLIGHTLY ABOVE MY ALT AND DSNDING. I IMMEDIATELY BROKE HARD TO THE R AND CALLED TWR OF MY TURN. HE CLRED ME FOR A R 360 DEG AND RPT RE-ESTABLISHED ON FINAL. I BELIEVE THE OTHER ACFT AND THE LCL CTLR NEVER DID SEE THE CONFLICT UNTIL I CALLED THE TWR. AFTER THE 360 DEGS I LANDED ON RWY 30 WITHOUT INCIDENT. TWR TOLD ME TO CALL THEM WHICH I DID. HE AGREED THERE WAS A COM PROB THAT I WAS NOT CLRED TO DSND OUT OF 6500 FT, BUT YET I WAS CLRED TO LAND. RWY IS A SHORT RWY MY APCH SPD IS 120 KTS. AT 2 MI OUT I NEEDED TO DSND TO LAND. I DON'T KNOW HOW HE EXPECTED ME TO LAND WITHOUT STARTING DOWN. MORE VIGILANCE IN THE COCKPIT IS, WITHOUT SAYING, SOMETHING WE ALL NEED TO ACHIEVE. THE TWR SUPERVISOR TOLD ME THEIR ARPT WAS THE SECOND BUSIEST ARPT IN AZ AND THE FIRST BUSIEST ARPT IN THE NATION WITHOUT RADAR. I THINK HAVING 2 LCL CTLRS AT SUCH A BUSY ARPT IS NOT THE BEST IDEA. TO HAVE TO CHANGE RADIO FREQ INSIDE OF 3 MI FINAL AND THEN HAVE TO WAIT FOR A CHANGE TO CHK IN, ALL THE WHILE YOU ARE APCHING THE RWY AT 120 KTS, CERTAINLY CAN CREATE CONFLICT. IT WOULD ALSO HELP, IF THE ARPT IS KNOWN TO HAVE THE MOST TFC IN THE NATION, TO INSTALL A RADAR FACILITY. THAT WOULD AT LEAST HELP SEQUENCE ARR TFC MORE EFFICIENTLY.

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.