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Small aircraft home-built, circling to burn off fuel in preparation for making a precautionary landing due trim tab flare, had conflict with small aircraft twin.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 120645 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198908 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sts |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 3000 agl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sts artcc : zkc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 30 |
| ASRS Report | 120645 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Small aircraft X departed sts for a flight to wendover, ut. The trim tab for the elevators, in the canard, malfunctioned and I had to hold the trim lever while flying off fuel to reduce weight before landing. The elevators are up front in the canard and are part of the lifting surface, which created a difficulty in controling the aircraft. After an hour, at about 3000' altitude, a twin engine small aircraft Y airplane was coming at me. It was a little above and to my left. I made an immediate bank to my right to avoid the other craft. I don't believe the other pilot saw us. When he made his contact with sts tower he made no mention of this event. I was in constant contact with the tower the full time (2 1/2 hours) we were involved with the trim tab problem. After reducing gross weight about 60 pounds we were able to make a normal landing. The described event occurred over southeast sts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA HOME-BUILT, CIRCLING TO BURN OFF FUEL IN PREPARATION FOR MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG DUE TRIM TAB FLARE, HAD CONFLICT WITH SMA TWIN.
Narrative: SMA X DEPARTED STS FOR A FLT TO WENDOVER, UT. THE TRIM TAB FOR THE ELEVATORS, IN THE CANARD, MALFUNCTIONED AND I HAD TO HOLD THE TRIM LEVER WHILE FLYING OFF FUEL TO REDUCE WT BEFORE LNDG. THE ELEVATORS ARE UP FRONT IN THE CANARD AND ARE PART OF THE LIFTING SURFACE, WHICH CREATED A DIFFICULTY IN CTLING THE ACFT. AFTER AN HR, AT ABOUT 3000' ALT, A TWIN ENG SMA Y AIRPLANE WAS COMING AT ME. IT WAS A LITTLE ABOVE AND TO MY LEFT. I MADE AN IMMEDIATE BANK TO MY RIGHT TO AVOID THE OTHER CRAFT. I DON'T BELIEVE THE OTHER PLT SAW US. WHEN HE MADE HIS CONTACT WITH STS TWR HE MADE NO MENTION OF THIS EVENT. I WAS IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE TWR THE FULL TIME (2 1/2 HRS) WE WERE INVOLVED WITH THE TRIM TAB PROB. AFTER REDUCING GROSS WT ABOUT 60 LBS WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE A NORMAL LNDG. THE DESCRIBED EVENT OCCURRED OVER SE STS.
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.