Narrative:

I was approaching dvt airport on an instrument flight plan; talking to phx approach (120.7). While being vectored to the vicinity of the airport; I was in and out of IMC; more in than out; through some broken cumulus. The ATIS didn't state a cloud cover; only visibility 10 mi and visual approach in use. It also said radar OTS. I heard approach query another aircraft who was going into sdl as to whether or not he could see dvt; as he wanted to figure out whether a visual approach would work for me or not. The controller seemed frustrated; asking me twice my flight conditions. He vectored me around; descending me to 3500 ft. He informed me that 3500 ft is the MVA; and that if I didn't end up in a situation where a visual approach was possible; to expect a climb; but that he was going to vector me towards the airport. He got me ese of the airport; and then turned me to a heading of 070 degrees; essentially lined up with the runway. As I came around I could see the airport through the clouds; and had a clear shot towards it and the airport environment. He told me that the airport was 6 mi; 12 O'clock position; and I reported it in sight. He cleared me for the visual and told me to call the tower. I began descending; being clearly high and close; and called the tower. The tower told me to stand by; and it sounded like a typical dvt busy pattern. At that point I was probably 3 mi out lined up. My eyes were outside the airplane; and suddenly to my left there was an aircraft; about 400 ft lateral and 100 ft below me. About 20 seconds had passed since I was cleared for the visual. Evidently; the other aircraft must have just turned final after an extended downwind; to be so high at that spot. I stopped my descent; put power in; and started climbing; clear of the other aircraft's flight path. Tower didn't get back to me until I was past the departure end of the runway; and I ended up entering right closed traffic and landing. Cloud bases were about 3300 ft MSL (1800 ft AGL). I was shocked by the incident; because I couldn't see what I could have done differently. In hindsight; had I refused the clearance for a visual approach it wouldn't have happened; but I don't see how I could have known that. I called the tower; and the controller I talked to asked for my tail number; and knew immediately who I was; my aircraft type; and what had happened. She told me that the controller who handled me was disturbed about where approach had handed me off. I don't see how there could have been any coordination; I was just dumped. I don't see any fault on the tower's part. I called approach and talked to the supervisor. He told me that they have no way of seeing what's in dvt's airspace; that their radar doesn't cover. And; of course; once cleared for the visual; it wasn't their responsibility anymore. I asked about coordination and he didn't really answer me; just saying that they have no way of knowing what's going on in dvt's airspace; so it's not possible for them to separate from that traffic. I asked what they would have done if I had refused the visual clearance. He told me that they would have climbed me and vectored me for a full approach. I asked how that would be coordinated with the tower to ensure separation without tower radar; and he said they would have called the tower to tell them they had an inbound flight. He didn't ask for my tail number; and seemed that he just wanted me off the phone; not to check out a major safety failure. It seems to me that approach wanted to get me on a visual approach to get rid of me; rather than ensure the safety of my flight. So it seems to be a huge hole in the system. You get cleared for a visual approach at a point where in fact you are not separated from traffic not being handled by approach; but you have no way to know that; having been in IMC until seconds before. Just luck kept the 2 aircraft apart. Obviously; radar OTS contributed to this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TBM PLT ON VISUAL APCH TO DVT EXPERIENCED NMAC AT 2700 FT WHEN TRACON CTLR ISSUED LATE CLRNC/FREQ CHANGE WITH HEAVY PATTERN TFC.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING DVT ARPT ON AN INST FLT PLAN; TALKING TO PHX APCH (120.7). WHILE BEING VECTORED TO THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT; I WAS IN AND OUT OF IMC; MORE IN THAN OUT; THROUGH SOME BROKEN CUMULUS. THE ATIS DIDN'T STATE A CLOUD COVER; ONLY VISIBILITY 10 MI AND VISUAL APCH IN USE. IT ALSO SAID RADAR OTS. I HEARD APCH QUERY ANOTHER ACFT WHO WAS GOING INTO SDL AS TO WHETHER OR NOT HE COULD SEE DVT; AS HE WANTED TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER A VISUAL APCH WOULD WORK FOR ME OR NOT. THE CTLR SEEMED FRUSTRATED; ASKING ME TWICE MY FLT CONDITIONS. HE VECTORED ME AROUND; DSNDING ME TO 3500 FT. HE INFORMED ME THAT 3500 FT IS THE MVA; AND THAT IF I DIDN'T END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE A VISUAL APCH WAS POSSIBLE; TO EXPECT A CLB; BUT THAT HE WAS GOING TO VECTOR ME TOWARDS THE ARPT. HE GOT ME ESE OF THE ARPT; AND THEN TURNED ME TO A HDG OF 070 DEGS; ESSENTIALLY LINED UP WITH THE RWY. AS I CAME AROUND I COULD SEE THE ARPT THROUGH THE CLOUDS; AND HAD A CLR SHOT TOWARDS IT AND THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT. HE TOLD ME THAT THE ARPT WAS 6 MI; 12 O'CLOCK POS; AND I RPTED IT IN SIGHT. HE CLRED ME FOR THE VISUAL AND TOLD ME TO CALL THE TWR. I BEGAN DSNDING; BEING CLRLY HIGH AND CLOSE; AND CALLED THE TWR. THE TWR TOLD ME TO STAND BY; AND IT SOUNDED LIKE A TYPICAL DVT BUSY PATTERN. AT THAT POINT I WAS PROBABLY 3 MI OUT LINED UP. MY EYES WERE OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE; AND SUDDENLY TO MY L THERE WAS AN ACFT; ABOUT 400 FT LATERAL AND 100 FT BELOW ME. ABOUT 20 SECONDS HAD PASSED SINCE I WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. EVIDENTLY; THE OTHER ACFT MUST HAVE JUST TURNED FINAL AFTER AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND; TO BE SO HIGH AT THAT SPOT. I STOPPED MY DSCNT; PUT PWR IN; AND STARTED CLBING; CLR OF THE OTHER ACFT'S FLT PATH. TWR DIDN'T GET BACK TO ME UNTIL I WAS PAST THE DEP END OF THE RWY; AND I ENDED UP ENTERING R CLOSED TFC AND LNDG. CLOUD BASES WERE ABOUT 3300 FT MSL (1800 FT AGL). I WAS SHOCKED BY THE INCIDENT; BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. IN HINDSIGHT; HAD I REFUSED THE CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED; BUT I DON'T SEE HOW I COULD HAVE KNOWN THAT. I CALLED THE TWR; AND THE CTLR I TALKED TO ASKED FOR MY TAIL NUMBER; AND KNEW IMMEDIATELY WHO I WAS; MY ACFT TYPE; AND WHAT HAD HAPPENED. SHE TOLD ME THAT THE CTLR WHO HANDLED ME WAS DISTURBED ABOUT WHERE APCH HAD HANDED ME OFF. I DON'T SEE HOW THERE COULD HAVE BEEN ANY COORD; I WAS JUST DUMPED. I DON'T SEE ANY FAULT ON THE TWR'S PART. I CALLED APCH AND TALKED TO THE SUPVR. HE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE NO WAY OF SEEING WHAT'S IN DVT'S AIRSPACE; THAT THEIR RADAR DOESN'T COVER. AND; OF COURSE; ONCE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL; IT WASN'T THEIR RESPONSIBILITY ANYMORE. I ASKED ABOUT COORD AND HE DIDN'T REALLY ANSWER ME; JUST SAYING THAT THEY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON IN DVT'S AIRSPACE; SO IT'S NOT POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO SEPARATE FROM THAT TFC. I ASKED WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE DONE IF I HAD REFUSED THE VISUAL CLRNC. HE TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE CLBED ME AND VECTORED ME FOR A FULL APCH. I ASKED HOW THAT WOULD BE COORDINATED WITH THE TWR TO ENSURE SEPARATION WITHOUT TWR RADAR; AND HE SAID THEY WOULD HAVE CALLED THE TWR TO TELL THEM THEY HAD AN INBOUND FLT. HE DIDN'T ASK FOR MY TAIL NUMBER; AND SEEMED THAT HE JUST WANTED ME OFF THE PHONE; NOT TO CHECK OUT A MAJOR SAFETY FAILURE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT APCH WANTED TO GET ME ON A VISUAL APCH TO GET RID OF ME; RATHER THAN ENSURE THE SAFETY OF MY FLT. SO IT SEEMS TO BE A HUGE HOLE IN THE SYS. YOU GET CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AT A POINT WHERE IN FACT YOU ARE NOT SEPARATED FROM TFC NOT BEING HANDLED BY APCH; BUT YOU HAVE NO WAY TO KNOW THAT; HAVING BEEN IN IMC UNTIL SECONDS BEFORE. JUST LUCK KEPT THE 2 ACFT APART. OBVIOUSLY; RADAR OTS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT.

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.