Small aircraft has near midair collision with opposite direction traffic on approach to uncontrolled...

Attributes
ACN	122186
Time
Date	198909
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 340 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	122186
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Me and one passenger were flying from addison, tx to sacramento, ca with stops at el paso and palm springs. When we approached sacramento, passenger was handling the radio and navigating while I was flying the aircraft. It had been a long day. When the controller asked us if we had the airport in sight, we waited until we were sure that it was the right airport. During the whole approach I understood that it was runway 2 that the winds favored for landing. At the time we confirmed that we had the airport in sight. We were turning final runway 2. Now we were handed over to sacramento radio. Passenger called them up. When this was done, we were on short final. Now I heard the other traffic talking about an aircraft approaching the other end of the runway. I told passenger to ask if the winds favored landing on runway 2. The person who answered started to explain that tower was closed and that we were to land to our own discretion. I was starting to flare, and just before or at touchdown, I heard an aircraft making a go around. I did not see the aircraft lights with the city lights as background. I hope this will give you some understanding to how and why this happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS NMAC WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TRAFFIC ON APCH TO UNCONTROLLED (TWR CLOSED) ARPT.

Narrative: ME AND ONE PAX WERE FLYING FROM ADDISON, TX TO SACRAMENTO, CA WITH STOPS AT EL PASO AND PALM SPRINGS. WHEN WE APCHED SACRAMENTO, PAX WAS HANDLING THE RADIO AND NAVIGATING WHILE I WAS FLYING THE ACFT. IT HAD BEEN A LONG DAY. WHEN THE CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, WE WAITED UNTIL WE WERE SURE THAT IT WAS THE RIGHT ARPT. DURING THE WHOLE APCH I UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS RWY 2 THAT THE WINDS FAVORED FOR LNDG. AT THE TIME WE CONFIRMED THAT WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WE WERE TURNING FINAL RWY 2. NOW WE WERE HANDED OVER TO SACRAMENTO RADIO. PAX CALLED THEM UP. WHEN THIS WAS DONE, WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL. NOW I HEARD THE OTHER TFC TALKING ABOUT AN ACFT APCHING THE OTHER END OF THE RWY. I TOLD PAX TO ASK IF THE WINDS FAVORED LNDG ON RWY 2. THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED STARTED TO EXPLAIN THAT TWR WAS CLOSED AND THAT WE WERE TO LAND TO OUR OWN DISCRETION. I WAS STARTING TO FLARE, AND JUST BEFORE OR AT TOUCHDOWN, I HEARD AN ACFT MAKING A GO AROUND. I DID NOT SEE THE ACFT LIGHTS WITH THE CITY LIGHTS AS BACKGROUND. I HOPE THIS WILL GIVE YOU SOME UNDERSTANDING TO HOW AND WHY THIS HAPPENED.

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.

Small aircraft has near midair collision with opposite direction traffic on approach to uncontrolled (tower closed) airport.