Small transport has near midair collision in the abq air traffic area.

Attributes
ACN	107840
Time
Date	198904
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abq
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : abq tower : abq
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 83 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	107840
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan from cedar city to albuquerque, NM. Upon arriving into the albuquerque area I was issued vectors and altitudes for a visibility approach to runway 30. About 5-10 mi out, I was cleared from 8000 to 7000' and asked to report the airport in sight. I reported the airport in sight and was cleared for a right downwind visibility approach for runway 30. I recall no other clearance. I was expecting to receive a clearance to change to tower frequency, but was not at that time. Upon approaching the airport, I flew a heading of 120 degrees that put me on a parallel downwind. Upon crossing the approach end of runway 26, I received my first clearance to change to tower but, before the controller could finish saying the frequency numbers, he stated I had traffic at 11 O'clock. At that same time, the passenger behind me rapped me on the left shoulder, yelled, and pointed to the airplane on my left side. Seeing how close we were, I took immediate evasive action. The other aircraft appeared to be at my altitude. Since I was at a reduced power and 120 KTS and no room to turn or speed to climb, I immediately dove my airplane under the other. Prior to this, I received no instructions to change to tower, nor was I advised of the other airplane on final to runway 26 or to modify my pattern. I was totally unaware of the other airplane on final. The tower called me on the phone and asked how close we were. I really didn't know for sure, but that it was really close. My passenger definitely felt we were on a collision course. I asked the tower operator if it was common practice to have inbound aircraft contact the tower much sooner. His response was, 'yes.' if I was given additional instructions by approach control, I do not recall this at all. I do know I did not receive any instructions nor advisories from the time I received my clearance for an approach to the time of the incident. I would have thought that if I was deviating from instructions, I would have been contacted by approach control. I did find out from talking to various sources that the airlines use a steep approach to runway 26 that could have placed both of us at the same altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT HAS NMAC IN THE ABQ ATA.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM CEDAR CITY TO ALBUQUERQUE, NM. UPON ARRIVING INTO THE ALBUQUERQUE AREA I WAS ISSUED VECTORS AND ALTS FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 30. ABOUT 5-10 MI OUT, I WAS CLRED FROM 8000 TO 7000' AND ASKED TO RPT THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS CLRED FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND VIS APCH FOR RWY 30. I RECALL NO OTHER CLRNC. I WAS EXPECTING TO RECEIVE A CLRNC TO CHANGE TO TWR FREQ, BUT WAS NOT AT THAT TIME. UPON APCHING THE ARPT, I FLEW A HDG OF 120 DEGS THAT PUT ME ON A PARALLEL DOWNWIND. UPON XING THE APCH END OF RWY 26, I RECEIVED MY FIRST CLRNC TO CHANGE TO TWR BUT, BEFORE THE CTLR COULD FINISH SAYING THE FREQ NUMBERS, HE STATED I HAD TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK. AT THAT SAME TIME, THE PAX BEHIND ME RAPPED ME ON THE LEFT SHOULDER, YELLED, AND POINTED TO THE AIRPLANE ON MY LEFT SIDE. SEEING HOW CLOSE WE WERE, I TOOK IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION. THE OTHER ACFT APPEARED TO BE AT MY ALT. SINCE I WAS AT A REDUCED PWR AND 120 KTS AND NO ROOM TO TURN OR SPD TO CLB, I IMMEDIATELY DOVE MY AIRPLANE UNDER THE OTHER. PRIOR TO THIS, I RECEIVED NO INSTRUCTIONS TO CHANGE TO TWR, NOR WAS I ADVISED OF THE OTHER AIRPLANE ON FINAL TO RWY 26 OR TO MODIFY MY PATTERN. I WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF THE OTHER AIRPLANE ON FINAL. THE TWR CALLED ME ON THE PHONE AND ASKED HOW CLOSE WE WERE. I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT THAT IT WAS REALLY CLOSE. MY PAX DEFINITELY FELT WE WERE ON A COLLISION COURSE. I ASKED THE TWR OPERATOR IF IT WAS COMMON PRACTICE TO HAVE INBND ACFT CONTACT THE TWR MUCH SOONER. HIS RESPONSE WAS, 'YES.' IF I WAS GIVEN ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS BY APCH CTL, I DO NOT RECALL THIS AT ALL. I DO KNOW I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INSTRUCTIONS NOR ADVISORIES FROM THE TIME I RECEIVED MY CLRNC FOR AN APCH TO THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT IF I WAS DEVIATING FROM INSTRUCTIONS, I WOULD HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY APCH CTL. I DID FIND OUT FROM TALKING TO VARIOUS SOURCES THAT THE AIRLINES USE A STEEP APCH TO RWY 26 THAT COULD HAVE PLACED BOTH OF US AT THE SAME ALT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.