Narrative:

My student (private pilot working towards commercial) and I were approaching gfk for a full stop landing. When we were about 1 - 1 1/2 mi northeast of the airport; tower told us to enter a right base for runway 26 (ATIS did not include this as being an active runway for takeoffs and lndgs; but other aircraft were using it; and frequent runway changes have been common lately as work is being done on runway 35L). While on final for runway 26; a PA28 took off on runway 35R (estimated miss distance 1000 ft horizontal and 250 ft vertical). My student and I immediately started a climbing right turn to avoid the traffic; and a new voice on the tower frequency instructed the aircraft off of runway 35R to do the same. While doing this; we passed close under another aircraft that was possibly on the downwind for runway 26 (estimated miss distance of 500 ft vertical). The tower did not seem to have a good idea about where all the aircraft in the pattern were; or how they were going to launch all of the aircraft holding short of 3 different runways. On the ground there were about 10 aircraft combined holding short of runway 35R; runway 17L and runway 26. It is common for the tower to use runway 26 for stop-and-go as well as departing traffic while using runway 35R for full stops; or use runway 35R for stop-and-go; full stop and departing traffic and runway 26 for departing traffic only. I am not sure why they were using this current confign. Some of the factors that contributed to this were the fact I received a standard WX briefing earlier that day; and my student got one immediately before our flight and there were no NOTAMS for the gfk airport other than approach control being closed in the late evening. Upon return; I rechked the NOTAMS and runway 35L/17R was NOTAM'ed closed less than 15 mins before our arrival with no information of this on ATIS; or from approach control and tower. Gfk is in desperate need of another runway to parallel runway 8/26. There is an exponentially increasing amount of student training happening at this airport; and having the main runway (runway 35L/17R) closed during the middle of the day (with winds out of the north at about 8 KTS) causes problems too numerous to mention. The approach end of runway 26 and departure end of runway 35R are very close; and attempting to land aircraft on runway 26 and take off on runway 35R is a serious safety concern. Luckily my student and I recognized the situation and potential conflict and took evasive action before the situation got out of control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT ON R BASE FOR RWY 26 AT GFK CONFLICTED WITH TFC DEP FROM RWY 35R; EXECUTES TURN AND CONFLICTS WITH ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: MY STUDENT (PVT PLT WORKING TOWARDS COMMERCIAL) AND I WERE APCHING GFK FOR A FULL STOP LNDG. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 1 - 1 1/2 MI NE OF THE ARPT; TWR TOLD US TO ENTER A R BASE FOR RWY 26 (ATIS DID NOT INCLUDE THIS AS BEING AN ACTIVE RWY FOR TKOFS AND LNDGS; BUT OTHER ACFT WERE USING IT; AND FREQUENT RWY CHANGES HAVE BEEN COMMON LATELY AS WORK IS BEING DONE ON RWY 35L). WHILE ON FINAL FOR RWY 26; A PA28 TOOK OFF ON RWY 35R (ESTIMATED MISS DISTANCE 1000 FT HORIZ AND 250 FT VERT). MY STUDENT AND I IMMEDIATELY STARTED A CLBING R TURN TO AVOID THE TFC; AND A NEW VOICE ON THE TWR FREQ INSTRUCTED THE ACFT OFF OF RWY 35R TO DO THE SAME. WHILE DOING THIS; WE PASSED CLOSE UNDER ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS POSSIBLY ON THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26 (ESTIMATED MISS DISTANCE OF 500 FT VERT). THE TWR DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE A GOOD IDEA ABOUT WHERE ALL THE ACFT IN THE PATTERN WERE; OR HOW THEY WERE GOING TO LAUNCH ALL OF THE ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF 3 DIFFERENT RWYS. ON THE GND THERE WERE ABOUT 10 ACFT COMBINED HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 35R; RWY 17L AND RWY 26. IT IS COMMON FOR THE TWR TO USE RWY 26 FOR STOP-AND-GO AS WELL AS DEPARTING TFC WHILE USING RWY 35R FOR FULL STOPS; OR USE RWY 35R FOR STOP-AND-GO; FULL STOP AND DEPARTING TFC AND RWY 26 FOR DEPARTING TFC ONLY. I AM NOT SURE WHY THEY WERE USING THIS CURRENT CONFIGN. SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS WERE THE FACT I RECEIVED A STANDARD WX BRIEFING EARLIER THAT DAY; AND MY STUDENT GOT ONE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE OUR FLT AND THERE WERE NO NOTAMS FOR THE GFK ARPT OTHER THAN APCH CTL BEING CLOSED IN THE LATE EVENING. UPON RETURN; I RECHKED THE NOTAMS AND RWY 35L/17R WAS NOTAM'ED CLOSED LESS THAN 15 MINS BEFORE OUR ARR WITH NO INFO OF THIS ON ATIS; OR FROM APCH CTL AND TWR. GFK IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF ANOTHER RWY TO PARALLEL RWY 8/26. THERE IS AN EXPONENTIALLY INCREASING AMOUNT OF STUDENT TRAINING HAPPENING AT THIS ARPT; AND HAVING THE MAIN RWY (RWY 35L/17R) CLOSED DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY (WITH WINDS OUT OF THE N AT ABOUT 8 KTS) CAUSES PROBS TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION. THE APCH END OF RWY 26 AND DEP END OF RWY 35R ARE VERY CLOSE; AND ATTEMPTING TO LAND ACFT ON RWY 26 AND TAKE OFF ON RWY 35R IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. LUCKILY MY STUDENT AND I RECOGNIZED THE SIT AND POTENTIAL CONFLICT AND TOOK EVASIVE ACTION BEFORE THE SIT GOT OUT OF CTL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.