VFR GA pilot on left base at hwo for runway 36R at 400 ft experienced near midair collision with tra...

Attributes
ACN	683866
Time
Date	200601
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hwo.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hwo.tower tower : sea.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Amateur (Home) Built
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : svfr arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : hwo.tower
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14.7 flight time total : 1175 flight time type : 11745
ASRS Report	683866
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	vertical : 991
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

We were returning VFR to hwo from the west. Winds variable at 3 KTS; visibility 10 mi; ceiling unlimited; runways 36L and 36R active at XA00. I contacted the tower from 11 mi west; landing with AWOS information. Tower assigned me runway 36L; report left base. A few mi out; tower switched me to runway 36R; cleared to land; continue on left base. As I turned final; a small high wing plane appeared close off my right wing; at my altitude; on a parallel final to the same runway. I dove under the other plane; reported 'excessive traffic on final' and announced 'turning right 360 degrees.' completing my 360 degree turn; tower cleared me to land on runway 36R; which I did. I didn't see where the other plane went; but I suspect they never saw us and continued landing on runway 36R. While taxiing to my hangar; I got a call from ground control. They apologized for the near miss and said the other plane's transponder was intermittent and they seem to have lost him from their radar. I can't explain why we didn't see the other aircraft (nor did they see us) while we were still on the base leg; as we must have been head-on to each other. It wasn't until we had both turned final; approaching from opposite directions (me from the west; they from the east) that the other aircraft was observed and evasive action was initiated. Perhaps they had flown a wider pattern and were ready on final when we turned final. I don't know. We didn't see them until the very end. Since we were cleared to land; I had relaxed my normal traffic scan because it was; after all;; a tower controled airport environment. In the future; I'll heighten the level of traffic scanning when in the traffic pattern; even at a controled airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR GA PLT ON L BASE AT HWO FOR RWY 36R AT 400 FT EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH TFC ON R BASE FOR SAME RWY; NO TFC ISSUED BY ATC.

Narrative: WE WERE RETURNING VFR TO HWO FROM THE W. WINDS VARIABLE AT 3 KTS; VISIBILITY 10 MI; CEILING UNLIMITED; RWYS 36L AND 36R ACTIVE AT XA00. I CONTACTED THE TWR FROM 11 MI W; LNDG WITH AWOS INFO. TWR ASSIGNED ME RWY 36L; RPT L BASE. A FEW MI OUT; TWR SWITCHED ME TO RWY 36R; CLRED TO LAND; CONTINUE ON L BASE. AS I TURNED FINAL; A SMALL HIGH WING PLANE APPEARED CLOSE OFF MY R WING; AT MY ALT; ON A PARALLEL FINAL TO THE SAME RWY. I DOVE UNDER THE OTHER PLANE; RPTED 'EXCESSIVE TFC ON FINAL' AND ANNOUNCED 'TURNING R 360 DEGS.' COMPLETING MY 360 DEG TURN; TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 36R; WHICH I DID. I DIDN'T SEE WHERE THE OTHER PLANE WENT; BUT I SUSPECT THEY NEVER SAW US AND CONTINUED LNDG ON RWY 36R. WHILE TAXIING TO MY HANGAR; I GOT A CALL FROM GND CTL. THEY APOLOGIZED FOR THE NEAR MISS AND SAID THE OTHER PLANE'S XPONDER WAS INTERMITTENT AND THEY SEEM TO HAVE LOST HIM FROM THEIR RADAR. I CAN'T EXPLAIN WHY WE DIDN'T SEE THE OTHER ACFT (NOR DID THEY SEE US) WHILE WE WERE STILL ON THE BASE LEG; AS WE MUST HAVE BEEN HEAD-ON TO EACH OTHER. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE HAD BOTH TURNED FINAL; APCHING FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS (ME FROM THE W; THEY FROM THE E) THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS OBSERVED AND EVASIVE ACTION WAS INITIATED. PERHAPS THEY HAD FLOWN A WIDER PATTERN AND WERE READY ON FINAL WHEN WE TURNED FINAL. I DON'T KNOW. WE DIDN'T SEE THEM UNTIL THE VERY END. SINCE WE WERE CLRED TO LAND; I HAD RELAXED MY NORMAL TFC SCAN BECAUSE IT WAS; AFTER ALL;; A TWR CTLED ARPT ENVIRONMENT. IN THE FUTURE; I'LL HEIGHTEN THE LEVEL OF TFC SCANNING WHEN IN THE TFC PATTERN; EVEN AT A CTLED ARPT.

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.

VFR GA pilot on left base at hwo for runway 36R at 400 ft experienced near midair collision with traffic on right base for same runway; no traffic issued by ATC.