Narrative:

This was 1 of my last training flts before my IFR check ride. We (my instrument and I) were cleared for the NDB B approach by monterey. I was making all radio calls throughout the approach. When inbound monterey told us to change to CTAF 122.8. When we changed to CTAF, we heard a very weak signal state something about runway 19. We stated we were at the shoreline on the NDB approach and asked the other aircraft to repeat his transmission. My instrument took over communications and asked if wvi was VFR. We received more unreadable xmissions. We made more position reports. We then heard the aircraft's pilot state he was taking off runway 19. As we were breaking off at 1200', ragged ceiling, we saw the aircraft pass us to our right and below. We followed the aircraft and notified monterey of the near hit. My instrument took control while I maintained visibility contact with the aircraft. We landed wvi. 10 mins later, after going in and out of the clouds, the other aircraft landed. As it rolled out, it turned off all its lights. After the aircraft parked we approached the pilot. He was VFR rated and the aircraft was of canadian registry. The pilot was very shaken. When we asked if he had hear our radio calls, he said he had, but since everyone use 19 he thought we would be coming from the approach end of 19. He also stated his radios were not functioning properly and while taking off he was distracted trying to find his hand-held. I asked him why he shut down his lights after landing. He said the aircraft had electrical problems. I then asked the obvious question: why would a VFR only pilot takeoff, at night, with bad radios, with a 1200' ragged ceiling, with bad electrical at an unfamiliar airport? The answer' to dry the aircraft he had just washed. How could this have been avoided? Certainly the pilot should not have taken off with so many variables in his disfavor. However, seeing that I can only control my actions, I could have been more conservative in my handing of the situation. My instrument and I talked about what we could have done to prevent (or help prevent) the situation from progressing to the near hit (or worse yet, hit) point. We came up with 2 ideas: upon determining that an aircraft may be departing toward us, would/could have gone back to monterey and told them the situation, advised we would monitor them and asked to advise if a target were coming toward us; or, an early missed approach to out climb the opposing traffic. I hope to keep this memory as a reminder that if anything seems amiss on an INS approach, it's ok to take the conservative approach and execute an early missed approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX 2 GA SMA, ONE ON A SIMULATED IAP TO RWY 1 AND THE OTHER MAKING A TKOF FROM RWY 19.

Narrative: THIS WAS 1 OF MY LAST TRNING FLTS BEFORE MY IFR CHK RIDE. WE (MY INSTR AND I) WERE CLRED FOR THE NDB B APCH BY MONTEREY. I WAS MAKING ALL RADIO CALLS THROUGHOUT THE APCH. WHEN INBND MONTEREY TOLD US TO CHANGE TO CTAF 122.8. WHEN WE CHANGED TO CTAF, WE HEARD A VERY WEAK SIGNAL STATE SOMETHING ABOUT RWY 19. WE STATED WE WERE AT THE SHORELINE ON THE NDB APCH AND ASKED THE OTHER ACFT TO REPEAT HIS XMISSION. MY INSTR TOOK OVER COMS AND ASKED IF WVI WAS VFR. WE RECEIVED MORE UNREADABLE XMISSIONS. WE MADE MORE POS RPTS. WE THEN HEARD THE ACFT'S PLT STATE HE WAS TAKING OFF RWY 19. AS WE WERE BREAKING OFF AT 1200', RAGGED CEILING, WE SAW THE ACFT PASS US TO OUR RIGHT AND BELOW. WE FOLLOWED THE ACFT AND NOTIFIED MONTEREY OF THE NEAR HIT. MY INSTR TOOK CTL WHILE I MAINTAINED VIS CONTACT WITH THE ACFT. WE LANDED WVI. 10 MINS LATER, AFTER GOING IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS, THE OTHER ACFT LANDED. AS IT ROLLED OUT, IT TURNED OFF ALL ITS LIGHTS. AFTER THE ACFT PARKED WE APCHED THE PLT. HE WAS VFR RATED AND THE ACFT WAS OF CANADIAN REGISTRY. THE PLT WAS VERY SHAKEN. WHEN WE ASKED IF HE HAD HEAR OUR RADIO CALLS, HE SAID HE HAD, BUT SINCE EVERYONE USE 19 HE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE COMING FROM THE APCH END OF 19. HE ALSO STATED HIS RADIOS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND WHILE TAKING OFF HE WAS DISTRACTED TRYING TO FIND HIS HAND-HELD. I ASKED HIM WHY HE SHUT DOWN HIS LIGHTS AFTER LNDG. HE SAID THE ACFT HAD ELECTRICAL PROBS. I THEN ASKED THE OBVIOUS QUESTION: WHY WOULD A VFR ONLY PLT TKOF, AT NIGHT, WITH BAD RADIOS, WITH A 1200' RAGGED CEILING, WITH BAD ELECTRICAL AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT? THE ANSWER' TO DRY THE ACFT HE HAD JUST WASHED. HOW COULD THIS HAVE BEEN AVOIDED? CERTAINLY THE PLT SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN OFF WITH SO MANY VARIABLES IN HIS DISFAVOR. HOWEVER, SEEING THAT I CAN ONLY CTL MY ACTIONS, I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE CONSERVATIVE IN MY HANDING OF THE SITUATION. MY INSTR AND I TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT (OR HELP PREVENT) THE SITUATION FROM PROGRESSING TO THE NEAR HIT (OR WORSE YET, HIT) POINT. WE CAME UP WITH 2 IDEAS: UPON DETERMINING THAT AN ACFT MAY BE DEPARTING TOWARD US, WOULD/COULD HAVE GONE BACK TO MONTEREY AND TOLD THEM THE SITUATION, ADVISED WE WOULD MONITOR THEM AND ASKED TO ADVISE IF A TARGET WERE COMING TOWARD US; OR, AN EARLY MISSED APCH TO OUT CLB THE OPPOSING TFC. I HOPE TO KEEP THIS MEMORY AS A REMINDER THAT IF ANYTHING SEEMS AMISS ON AN INS APCH, IT'S OK TO TAKE THE CONSERVATIVE APCH AND EXECUTE AN EARLY MISSED APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.