A M5 maule pilot reported a near midair collision in a CTAF traffic pattern after talking with anoth...

Attributes
ACN	919059
Time
Date	201011
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	M-5
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 91 Flight Crew Total 525 Flight Crew Type 465
Events
Anomaly	Conflict NMAC Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Miss Distance	Horizontal 20 Vertical 300

Narrative:

I was on a sightseeing flight with my dad and was headed back to the airport for landing. My dad is a white knuckle flyer and was terrified; making moaning noises because his hands hurt and it felt like he took up 2/3 of the cockpit. I was in radio contact with the cessna on the CTAF frequency as I approached from the north. I made the mistake of continuing to the airport even though I did not have the traffic or the airport in sight. I looked but did not see. As a safety precaution I maintained an altitude at least 300 ft above the traffic pattern altitude. Using my portable GPS I closed in on the airport. The cessna called out that I was directly in front of him and took evasive action by descending. I crossed perpendicular to the runway directly intersecting the cessna's upwind. After this I flew away from the airport and maintained my altitude until I had the cessna in sight. I then made a routine landing after the cessna had landed. If I am ever flying again I will not close in on the airport until I have it in sight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A M5 Maule pilot reported a NMAC in a CTAF traffic pattern after talking with another CTAF aircraft in the pattern but not having that aircraft or the airport in sight.

Narrative: I was on a sightseeing flight with my dad and was headed back to the airport for landing. My dad is a white knuckle flyer and was terrified; making moaning noises because his hands hurt and it felt like he took up 2/3 of the cockpit. I was in radio contact with the Cessna on the CTAF frequency as I approached from the north. I made the mistake of continuing to the airport even though I did not have the traffic or the airport in sight. I looked but did not see. As a safety precaution I maintained an altitude at least 300 FT above the traffic pattern altitude. Using my portable GPS I closed in on the airport. The Cessna called out that I was directly in front of him and took evasive action by descending. I crossed perpendicular to the runway directly intersecting the Cessna's upwind. After this I flew away from the airport and maintained my altitude until I had the Cessna in sight. I then made a routine landing after the Cessna had landed. If I am ever flying again I will not close in on the airport until I have it in sight.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

A M5 maule pilot reported a near midair collision in a CTAF traffic pattern after talking with another CTAF aircraft in the pattern but not having that aircraft or the airport in sight.