Narrative:

On the morning of dec/fri/99, at approximately XA45 am MST, a cessna 172 was involved in an near midair collision with another cessna 172 (unknown aircraft identify) during a training flight at the benson municipal airport (E95). During an approach to land on runway 28 (winds were calm), I had my student initiate a go around -- as part of the syllabus requirements for that particular lesson. During the upwind climb, my attention was inside the cockpit teaching my student to properly execute the climb while 'cleaning up' the aircraft. During our crosswind turn, I looked back towards the runway only to see a second C172 approaching to land on runway 10. Although not 100% certain, it is my belief that this second cessna entered the runway 10 pattern straight-in from the west. It is my estimation that the aircraft passed only 50-100 ft below us at a horizontal distance of approximately 300-400 ft. It is also my belief that had we not been practicing go around procedures, we would have collided with the other aircraft either on the runway, or during our upwind climb. I believe this incident occurred because the benson airport had only recently opened to the public, and the CTAF frequency was, at the time, unpublished. Prior to our departure, I was unable to find the CTAF frequency in either the airport facility directory or on the phoenix sectional. I then contacted the prescott FSS and they informed me that the CTAF for benson was 122.8. When this incident occurred, we were making all of the appropriate radio calls on this frequency. It should be noted that another aircraft, a mooney, was also in the pattern for runway 28, making appropriate radio calls on 122.8. The unknown cessna, however, either made no radio calls, or was transmitting on another frequency. In either case, such a pilot is a threat to any and all other aircraft sharing the same airspace. After touchdown, the other cessna quickly departed the airport to the northeast, again making no radio calls. I believe this problem can be corrected by requiring all uncontrolled airports, especially new ones, to paint the airport's name, identifier, and frequency on the parallel taxiway when possible. This would allow pilots to quickly identify and verify this information prior to entering the traffic pattern. When no traffic is present, or when wind/runway advisories are unavailable, I teach my students to cross mid-field of an uncontrolled airport 500-1000 ft above traffic pattern altitude to verify wind direction. The student can then descend and enter a standard traffic pattern at 45 degrees to the downwind. While straight-in lndgs are convenient and are sometimes possible when no other traffic is present, they are dangerous when other aircraft are established in the traffic pattern. I also believe that an airport should not be allowed to open without airport information first appearing on the appropriate sectional and/or in the appropriate airport facility directory. I also believe that local politics were a factor. I believe that local officials were in a rush to open the airport to keep pace with the recent opening of nearby kartchner caverns.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 CFI AND STUDENT EXPERIENCE AN NMAC AT THE NEWLY OPENED E95 ARPT.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF DEC/FRI/99, AT APPROX XA45 AM MST, A CESSNA 172 WAS INVOLVED IN AN NMAC WITH ANOTHER CESSNA 172 (UNKNOWN ACFT IDENT) DURING A TRAINING FLT AT THE BENSON MUNICIPAL ARPT (E95). DURING AN APCH TO LAND ON RWY 28 (WINDS WERE CALM), I HAD MY STUDENT INITIATE A GAR -- AS PART OF THE SYLLABUS REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT PARTICULAR LESSON. DURING THE UPWIND CLB, MY ATTN WAS INSIDE THE COCKPIT TEACHING MY STUDENT TO PROPERLY EXECUTE THE CLB WHILE 'CLEANING UP' THE ACFT. DURING OUR XWIND TURN, I LOOKED BACK TOWARDS THE RWY ONLY TO SEE A SECOND C172 APCHING TO LAND ON RWY 10. ALTHOUGH NOT 100% CERTAIN, IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS SECOND CESSNA ENTERED THE RWY 10 PATTERN STRAIGHT-IN FROM THE W. IT IS MY ESTIMATION THAT THE ACFT PASSED ONLY 50-100 FT BELOW US AT A HORIZ DISTANCE OF APPROX 300-400 FT. IT IS ALSO MY BELIEF THAT HAD WE NOT BEEN PRACTICING GAR PROCS, WE WOULD HAVE COLLIDED WITH THE OTHER ACFT EITHER ON THE RWY, OR DURING OUR UPWIND CLB. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED BECAUSE THE BENSON ARPT HAD ONLY RECENTLY OPENED TO THE PUBLIC, AND THE CTAF FREQ WAS, AT THE TIME, UNPUBLISHED. PRIOR TO OUR DEP, I WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE CTAF FREQ IN EITHER THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY OR ON THE PHOENIX SECTIONAL. I THEN CONTACTED THE PRESCOTT FSS AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CTAF FOR BENSON WAS 122.8. WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED, WE WERE MAKING ALL OF THE APPROPRIATE RADIO CALLS ON THIS FREQ. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT ANOTHER ACFT, A MOONEY, WAS ALSO IN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 28, MAKING APPROPRIATE RADIO CALLS ON 122.8. THE UNKNOWN CESSNA, HOWEVER, EITHER MADE NO RADIO CALLS, OR WAS XMITTING ON ANOTHER FREQ. IN EITHER CASE, SUCH A PLT IS A THREAT TO ANY AND ALL OTHER ACFT SHARING THE SAME AIRSPACE. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE OTHER CESSNA QUICKLY DEPARTED THE ARPT TO THE NE, AGAIN MAKING NO RADIO CALLS. I BELIEVE THIS PROB CAN BE CORRECTED BY REQUIRING ALL UNCTLED ARPTS, ESPECIALLY NEW ONES, TO PAINT THE ARPT'S NAME, IDENTIFIER, AND FREQ ON THE PARALLEL TXWY WHEN POSSIBLE. THIS WOULD ALLOW PLTS TO QUICKLY IDENT AND VERIFY THIS INFO PRIOR TO ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN. WHEN NO TFC IS PRESENT, OR WHEN WIND/RWY ADVISORIES ARE UNAVAILABLE, I TEACH MY STUDENTS TO CROSS MID-FIELD OF AN UNCTLED ARPT 500-1000 FT ABOVE TFC PATTERN ALT TO VERIFY WIND DIRECTION. THE STUDENT CAN THEN DSND AND ENTER A STANDARD TFC PATTERN AT 45 DEGS TO THE DOWNWIND. WHILE STRAIGHT-IN LNDGS ARE CONVENIENT AND ARE SOMETIMES POSSIBLE WHEN NO OTHER TFC IS PRESENT, THEY ARE DANGEROUS WHEN OTHER ACFT ARE ESTABLISHED IN THE TFC PATTERN. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT AN ARPT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO OPEN WITHOUT ARPT INFO FIRST APPEARING ON THE APPROPRIATE SECTIONAL AND/OR IN THE APPROPRIATE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT LCL POLITICS WERE A FACTOR. I BELIEVE THAT LCL OFFICIALS WERE IN A RUSH TO OPEN THE ARPT TO KEEP PACE WITH THE RECENT OPENING OF NEARBY KARTCHNER CAVERNS.

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.