Narrative:

While inbound from the north to jefferson county airport; myself and my student (a student pilot) were coming back in from the practice area for a full stop landing in a cessna skyhawk 172SP; with a G-1000 avionics package; including a tis system. We encountered an near midair collision head-on with a low wing single engine airplane approximately 3 mi northwest of bjc. While inbound we contacted tower approximately 11 mi out. Tower told us to enter a right downwind for runway 29R and to report on the midfield downwind. We read back the clearance. Approximately 2 mins later tower came on again and told us the winds had changed; and they were in the process of a runway change; and to enter a left base for runway 11L. We changed course and began to set ourselves up for a base to runway 11R. While this was happening; tower was trying to reach the low wing aircraft that had just departed runway 29. I believe they attempted about 4 separate times to establish radio contact with this aircraft. There was no response back from the aircraft to tower. I told my student that this is why you must always listen while in the close vicinity of an airport. While on about a 3 mi left base for runway 11L over the ground reporting point 'storage tech;' we were about to report that we were on the 3 mi left base; when tower came on and said 'traffic alert; 12 O'clock position same altitude opposite direction!' at that exact moment our traffic alert system announced; 'traffic.' we were currently ranged out on our mfd screen and could not differentiate one plane from the other on the tis besides for the yellow colored icon representing the head-on airplane. I took control of the aircraft and pulled up on the controls and began a right turn when my student said; 'there it is.' I looked under us and saw the tail of the aircraft zip under us. I reported 'traffic in sight; it just passed under us.' the tis system reported that the aircraft was at 00 ft altitude difference from our airplane. I would guess that the aircraft passed under us approximately 50-75 ft. Tower tried one more time to get a hold of the low wing airplane; and he finally responded with his tail number. Tower then harshly told the other pilot that he (tower) had tried to contact him several times; and had never given him clearance to turn north; and that he needed to pay much closer attention while in class D airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172SP INSTRUCTOR HAS AN NMAC VICINITY OF BJC.

Narrative: WHILE INBOUND FROM THE N TO JEFFERSON COUNTY ARPT; MYSELF AND MY STUDENT (A STUDENT PLT) WERE COMING BACK IN FROM THE PRACTICE AREA FOR A FULL STOP LNDG IN A CESSNA SKYHAWK 172SP; WITH A G-1000 AVIONICS PACKAGE; INCLUDING A TIS SYS. WE ENCOUNTERED AN NMAC HEAD-ON WITH A LOW WING SINGLE ENG AIRPLANE APPROX 3 MI NW OF BJC. WHILE INBOUND WE CONTACTED TWR APPROX 11 MI OUT. TWR TOLD US TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 29R AND TO RPT ON THE MIDFIELD DOWNWIND. WE READ BACK THE CLRNC. APPROX 2 MINS LATER TWR CAME ON AGAIN AND TOLD US THE WINDS HAD CHANGED; AND THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF A RWY CHANGE; AND TO ENTER A L BASE FOR RWY 11L. WE CHANGED COURSE AND BEGAN TO SET OURSELVES UP FOR A BASE TO RWY 11R. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING; TWR WAS TRYING TO REACH THE LOW WING ACFT THAT HAD JUST DEPARTED RWY 29. I BELIEVE THEY ATTEMPTED ABOUT 4 SEPARATE TIMES TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH THIS ACFT. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE BACK FROM THE ACFT TO TWR. I TOLD MY STUDENT THAT THIS IS WHY YOU MUST ALWAYS LISTEN WHILE IN THE CLOSE VICINITY OF AN ARPT. WHILE ON ABOUT A 3 MI L BASE FOR RWY 11L OVER THE GND RPTING POINT 'STORAGE TECH;' WE WERE ABOUT TO RPT THAT WE WERE ON THE 3 MI L BASE; WHEN TWR CAME ON AND SAID 'TFC ALERT; 12 O'CLOCK POS SAME ALT OPPOSITE DIRECTION!' AT THAT EXACT MOMENT OUR TFC ALERT SYS ANNOUNCED; 'TFC.' WE WERE CURRENTLY RANGED OUT ON OUR MFD SCREEN AND COULD NOT DIFFERENTIATE ONE PLANE FROM THE OTHER ON THE TIS BESIDES FOR THE YELLOW COLORED ICON REPRESENTING THE HEAD-ON AIRPLANE. I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND PULLED UP ON THE CTLS AND BEGAN A R TURN WHEN MY STUDENT SAID; 'THERE IT IS.' I LOOKED UNDER US AND SAW THE TAIL OF THE ACFT ZIP UNDER US. I RPTED 'TFC IN SIGHT; IT JUST PASSED UNDER US.' THE TIS SYS RPTED THAT THE ACFT WAS AT 00 FT ALT DIFFERENCE FROM OUR AIRPLANE. I WOULD GUESS THAT THE ACFT PASSED UNDER US APPROX 50-75 FT. TWR TRIED ONE MORE TIME TO GET A HOLD OF THE LOW WING AIRPLANE; AND HE FINALLY RESPONDED WITH HIS TAIL NUMBER. TWR THEN HARSHLY TOLD THE OTHER PLT THAT HE (TWR) HAD TRIED TO CONTACT HIM SEVERAL TIMES; AND HAD NEVER GIVEN HIM CLRNC TO TURN N; AND THAT HE NEEDED TO PAY MUCH CLOSER ATTN WHILE IN CLASS D AIRSPACE.

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.