Narrative:

This was a pleasure flight to avx for lunch. Departed sna on an arsa clearance. Heading 220 degrees with clearance for a VFR climb to 4500' MSL. At 15 DME made radio call to avx unicom (122.7) for altimeter wetting and traffic pattern information. Setting was 30.00, right traffic runway 22. There was numerous aircraft inbound. Most conflicting was a light twin with 1/2 mi or so sep off to the right. KIAS was 142. Heard numerous calls for 'on 45 and then abeam on right downwind.' at 8 DME changed course to 270 degrees and reduced speed to 100 KIAS. Light twin also changed course for spacing. Made blind call on 122.7, 'small aircraft X inbound for landing, will report on the 45.' there were still numerous calls of aircraft arriving and departing. Some cutting off other aircraft making go around's frequent. Upon course change started to reduce altitude so that I could enter the 45 degree at pattern altitude of 26000'. DME range reduced to 5.0. Flew arc at 5.0 DME and overflew 1/2 the island. At which time I turned back and took up heading of 85 degrees, DME readout was 4.8. Called, 'small aircraft X on the 45 degree for runway 22.' at this time I heard an small aircraft Y called 'on the 45 degree.' in addition, the light twin also reported 'on the 45 degree for 22.' since I knew the light twin was behind me, the small aircraft Y got my attention. Neither me nor my passenger could find the small aircraft Y. At no other time did we hear another call. However, the unicom was active with calls from the field that not only gave the settings and runway, but 'report on the 45, report on right downwind, cleared to land, go around, aircraft still on runway, etc.' the calls were not consistent from the field based unicom, but were there. My entry was going to put me onto the downwind at mid-field. At 2.8 DME and still at 2600' MSL, I started to enter the pattern, and picked up to microphone to call the entry. My passenger said, 'there's an aircraft out there.' I saw the small aircraft Y above and immediately went into a steep and descending left turn. I went down to 2000' MSL and looked for the small aircraft Y which had turned base. (My passenger told me that at no time did the small aircraft Y waiver from its direction of flight.) I climbed back to 2300' MSL, turned base and attempted to complete the approach. I reduced my airspeed to 70 KIAS but still had to go around. The small aircraft Y must have been practicing a short field approach. The go around was uneventful and a normal landing was made. Upon landing the other pilot sought me out and said, 'you almost caused a midair collision, I was sequenced in and was cleared to the downwind.' I informed him that the airport was uncontrolled and that there was no ATC to sequence anyone in, nor to clear anyone on to the downwind. He then got angry and threatened to punch me in the nose. Happily, that did not occur. The only way for the event to have been prevented would be for me to have requested a position report from the small aircraft Y. The fact that I was at pattern altitude and he was a bit high may have prevented a collision. Also, I did not hear the small aircraft Y report 'on the downwind for 22.' if I had heard the call, it would have prevented the incident. Catalina is a popular fly-in spot. This uncontrolled field mixes low performance singles, high performance singles, high performance twins and an occasional turbo problem. It needs a standardized VFR approach to go with the IFR approachs. But more than anything, it needs an ATC facility. What happened to me is not the exception at this dangerous airport. There are frequent near misses in the pattern. Correction action: increase scan to find the missing aircraft. Also, the FAA may want to consider publishing VFR reporting pints. This would help increase the positional awareness of the aircraft operating in the island area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FLYING AN SMA HAS A NEAR MISS WITH ANOTHER SMA IN THE CROWDED TRAFFIC PATTERN AT AVX. UNICOM OPERATOR WAS ACTING LIKE A TWR CTLR ATTEMPTING TO SEQUENCE TRAFFIC AND GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND WHICH EXACERBATED THE SITUATION.

Narrative: THIS WAS A PLEASURE FLT TO AVX FOR LUNCH. DEPARTED SNA ON AN ARSA CLRNC. HDG 220 DEGS WITH CLRNC FOR A VFR CLB TO 4500' MSL. AT 15 DME MADE RADIO CALL TO AVX UNICOM (122.7) FOR ALTIMETER WETTING AND TFC PATTERN INFO. SETTING WAS 30.00, RIGHT TFC RWY 22. THERE WAS NUMEROUS ACFT INBND. MOST CONFLICTING WAS A LIGHT TWIN WITH 1/2 MI OR SO SEP OFF TO THE RIGHT. KIAS WAS 142. HEARD NUMEROUS CALLS FOR 'ON 45 AND THEN ABEAM ON RIGHT DOWNWIND.' AT 8 DME CHANGED COURSE TO 270 DEGS AND REDUCED SPD TO 100 KIAS. LIGHT TWIN ALSO CHANGED COURSE FOR SPACING. MADE BLIND CALL ON 122.7, 'SMA X INBND FOR LNDG, WILL RPT ON THE 45.' THERE WERE STILL NUMEROUS CALLS OF ACFT ARRIVING AND DEPARTING. SOME CUTTING OFF OTHER ACFT MAKING GAR'S FREQUENT. UPON COURSE CHANGE STARTED TO REDUCE ALT SO THAT I COULD ENTER THE 45 DEG AT PATTERN ALT OF 26000'. DME RANGE REDUCED TO 5.0. FLEW ARC AT 5.0 DME AND OVERFLEW 1/2 THE ISLAND. AT WHICH TIME I TURNED BACK AND TOOK UP HDG OF 85 DEGS, DME READOUT WAS 4.8. CALLED, 'SMA X ON THE 45 DEG FOR RWY 22.' AT THIS TIME I HEARD AN SMA Y CALLED 'ON THE 45 DEG.' IN ADDITION, THE LIGHT TWIN ALSO RPTED 'ON THE 45 DEG FOR 22.' SINCE I KNEW THE LIGHT TWIN WAS BEHIND ME, THE SMA Y GOT MY ATTN. NEITHER ME NOR MY PAX COULD FIND THE SMA Y. AT NO OTHER TIME DID WE HEAR ANOTHER CALL. HOWEVER, THE UNICOM WAS ACTIVE WITH CALLS FROM THE FIELD THAT NOT ONLY GAVE THE SETTINGS AND RWY, BUT 'RPT ON THE 45, RPT ON RIGHT DOWNWIND, CLRED TO LAND, GAR, ACFT STILL ON RWY, ETC.' THE CALLS WERE NOT CONSISTENT FROM THE FIELD BASED UNICOM, BUT WERE THERE. MY ENTRY WAS GOING TO PUT ME ONTO THE DOWNWIND AT MID-FIELD. AT 2.8 DME AND STILL AT 2600' MSL, I STARTED TO ENTER THE PATTERN, AND PICKED UP TO MIC TO CALL THE ENTRY. MY PAX SAID, 'THERE'S AN ACFT OUT THERE.' I SAW THE SMA Y ABOVE AND IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO A STEEP AND DSNDING LEFT TURN. I WENT DOWN TO 2000' MSL AND LOOKED FOR THE SMA Y WHICH HAD TURNED BASE. (MY PAX TOLD ME THAT AT NO TIME DID THE SMA Y WAIVER FROM ITS DIRECTION OF FLT.) I CLBED BACK TO 2300' MSL, TURNED BASE AND ATTEMPTED TO COMPLETE THE APCH. I REDUCED MY AIRSPD TO 70 KIAS BUT STILL HAD TO GO AROUND. THE SMA Y MUST HAVE BEEN PRACTICING A SHORT FIELD APCH. THE GAR WAS UNEVENTFUL AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. UPON LNDG THE OTHER PLT SOUGHT ME OUT AND SAID, 'YOU ALMOST CAUSED A MIDAIR COLLISION, I WAS SEQUENCED IN AND WAS CLRED TO THE DOWNWIND.' I INFORMED HIM THAT THE ARPT WAS UNCONTROLLED AND THAT THERE WAS NO ATC TO SEQUENCE ANYONE IN, NOR TO CLR ANYONE ON TO THE DOWNWIND. HE THEN GOT ANGRY AND THREATENED TO PUNCH ME IN THE NOSE. HAPPILY, THAT DID NOT OCCUR. THE ONLY WAY FOR THE EVENT TO HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WOULD BE FOR ME TO HAVE REQUESTED A POS RPT FROM THE SMA Y. THE FACT THAT I WAS AT PATTERN ALT AND HE WAS A BIT HIGH MAY HAVE PREVENTED A COLLISION. ALSO, I DID NOT HEAR THE SMA Y RPT 'ON THE DOWNWIND FOR 22.' IF I HAD HEARD THE CALL, IT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE INCIDENT. CATALINA IS A POPULAR FLY-IN SPOT. THIS UNCONTROLLED FIELD MIXES LOW PERFORMANCE SINGLES, HIGH PERFORMANCE SINGLES, HIGH PERFORMANCE TWINS AND AN OCCASIONAL TURBO PROB. IT NEEDS A STANDARDIZED VFR APCH TO GO WITH THE IFR APCHS. BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, IT NEEDS AN ATC FAC. WHAT HAPPENED TO ME IS NOT THE EXCEPTION AT THIS DANGEROUS ARPT. THERE ARE FREQUENT NEAR MISSES IN THE PATTERN. CORRECTION ACTION: INCREASE SCAN TO FIND THE MISSING ACFT. ALSO, THE FAA MAY WANT TO CONSIDER PUBLISHING VFR RPTING PINTS. THIS WOULD HELP INCREASE THE POSITIONAL AWARENESS OF THE ACFT OPERATING IN THE ISLAND AREA.

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.