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Near midair collision between a C172 training flight and a PA32 on an extended final for runway 16R at hef, va.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 576803 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200303 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hef.airport |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : hef.tower tracon : sgf.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : hef.tower |
| Make Model Name | PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 576803 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 350 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Environmental Factor Airspace Structure Airport |
| Primary Problem | Environmental Factor |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On a very crowded sunday, I was practicing traffic patterns at hef airport with a student, and we ended up uncomfortably close to another aircraft on final approach. We had been cleared for takeoff, and asked to report midfield downwind. After takeoff and turning crosswind then downwind, frequency congestion prevented us to call tower until we were about to turn base. At the time, about 5-6 aircraft were waiting to take off. We reported to tower, being on an extended downwind, turning base, and being on base, without tower acknowledging our calls. We heard tower clear another aircraft to land ahead of us, and we heard several aircraft reporting downwind on both parallel runways. As we started turning on an extended final, we heard another aircraft call a turn from base to final, (left pattern, we were in a right pattern), and immediately afterward, saw the saratoga parallel to us on final, about 200-400 ft to our left. I immediately reported to tower being on final with traffic parallel, and since we heard no response, I began a right turn away from traffic. As the saratoga continued ahead of us, I returned to final, and performed some south turns to increase separation. Tower then cleared us to land after the piper, and the rest of the flight was uneventful. The situation seems to have been caused by excessive radio congestion, and by tower not instructing any aircraft to extend the downwind leg for traffic.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NMAC BTWN A C172 TRAINING FLT AND A PA32 ON AN EXTENDED FINAL FOR RWY 16R AT HEF, VA.
Narrative: ON A VERY CROWDED SUNDAY, I WAS PRACTICING TFC PATTERNS AT HEF ARPT WITH A STUDENT, AND WE ENDED UP UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE TO ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL APCH. WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF, AND ASKED TO RPT MIDFIELD DOWNWIND. AFTER TKOF AND TURNING XWIND THEN DOWNWIND, FREQ CONGESTION PREVENTED US TO CALL TWR UNTIL WE WERE ABOUT TO TURN BASE. AT THE TIME, ABOUT 5-6 ACFT WERE WAITING TO TAKE OFF. WE RPTED TO TWR, BEING ON AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND, TURNING BASE, AND BEING ON BASE, WITHOUT TWR ACKNOWLEDGING OUR CALLS. WE HEARD TWR CLR ANOTHER ACFT TO LAND AHEAD OF US, AND WE HEARD SEVERAL ACFT RPTING DOWNWIND ON BOTH PARALLEL RWYS. AS WE STARTED TURNING ON AN EXTENDED FINAL, WE HEARD ANOTHER ACFT CALL A TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL, (L PATTERN, WE WERE IN A R PATTERN), AND IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD, SAW THE SARATOGA PARALLEL TO US ON FINAL, ABOUT 200-400 FT TO OUR L. I IMMEDIATELY RPTED TO TWR BEING ON FINAL WITH TFC PARALLEL, AND SINCE WE HEARD NO RESPONSE, I BEGAN A R TURN AWAY FROM TFC. AS THE SARATOGA CONTINUED AHEAD OF US, I RETURNED TO FINAL, AND PERFORMED SOME S TURNS TO INCREASE SEPARATION. TWR THEN CLRED US TO LAND AFTER THE PIPER, AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE SIT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE RADIO CONGESTION, AND BY TWR NOT INSTRUCTING ANY ACFT TO EXTEND THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR TFC.
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.