Narrative:

On a training flight out of prc, on approach to landing to cottonwood, is where the incident occurred. We called for an airport advisory, but our call was never answered. I made the decision not to overfly the airport to determine the direction of landing traffic due to my knowledge of where the winds were from, and our shortage of time. Upon reflection I realize that safety should not be compromised to meet a schedule. We called and reported our position on unicom frequency as a 5 mi 45 degree heading for right traffic on runway 14. Due to my preoccupation with my student, I reported runway 14 instead of our actual position on a 5 mi 45 degree heading for runway 32. My student saw an aircraft depart runway 32 but never mentioned this to me. He then lost sight of the aircraft. Due to my preoccupation with teaching the student, I was not paying close enough attention to traffic. This was an inaction on my part. It had also been a long flight and I was a little fatigued. We were also 150' above traffic pattern altitude due to my knowledge of usual differences in altimeter setting between prc and cottonwood. This decision prevented a midair collision. The aircraft was an small aircraft Y, red, and on a downwind for runway 32. He never called departing the runway or on downwind. If he had, we would have had an easier time picking him out against the red rocks. We spotted him as he passed 150' below us on downwind, we turned downwind and landed after he made a touch and go. Contributing factors were the student's lack of experience (7 hours total), and the sun's angle made the aircraft difficult to spot. I realize that with better awareness of the situation I would have spotted the aircraft and avoided him. I will use this incident to try to prevent future mishaps.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX 2 GA SMA'S IN TRAFFIC PATTERN AT NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: ON A TRNING FLT OUT OF PRC, ON APCH TO LNDG TO COTTONWOOD, IS WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. WE CALLED FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY, BUT OUR CALL WAS NEVER ANSWERED. I MADE THE DECISION NOT TO OVERFLY THE ARPT TO DETERMINE THE DIRECTION OF LNDG TFC DUE TO MY KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE THE WINDS WERE FROM, AND OUR SHORTAGE OF TIME. UPON REFLECTION I REALIZE THAT SAFETY SHOULD NOT BE COMPROMISED TO MEET A SCHEDULE. WE CALLED AND RPTED OUR POS ON UNICOM FREQ AS A 5 MI 45 DEG HDG FOR RIGHT TFC ON RWY 14. DUE TO MY PREOCCUPATION WITH MY STUDENT, I RPTED RWY 14 INSTEAD OF OUR ACTUAL POS ON A 5 MI 45 DEG HDG FOR RWY 32. MY STUDENT SAW AN ACFT DEPART RWY 32 BUT NEVER MENTIONED THIS TO ME. HE THEN LOST SIGHT OF THE ACFT. DUE TO MY PREOCCUPATION WITH TEACHING THE STUDENT, I WAS NOT PAYING CLOSE ENOUGH ATTN TO TFC. THIS WAS AN INACTION ON MY PART. IT HAD ALSO BEEN A LONG FLT AND I WAS A LITTLE FATIGUED. WE WERE ALSO 150' ABOVE TFC PATTERN ALT DUE TO MY KNOWLEDGE OF USUAL DIFFERENCES IN ALTIMETER SETTING BTWN PRC AND COTTONWOOD. THIS DECISION PREVENTED A MIDAIR COLLISION. THE ACFT WAS AN SMA Y, RED, AND ON A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32. HE NEVER CALLED DEPARTING THE RWY OR ON DOWNWIND. IF HE HAD, WE WOULD HAVE HAD AN EASIER TIME PICKING HIM OUT AGAINST THE RED ROCKS. WE SPOTTED HIM AS HE PASSED 150' BELOW US ON DOWNWIND, WE TURNED DOWNWIND AND LANDED AFTER HE MADE A TOUCH AND GO. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE STUDENT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE (7 HRS TOTAL), AND THE SUN'S ANGLE MADE THE ACFT DIFFICULT TO SPOT. I REALIZE THAT WITH BETTER AWARENESS OF THE SITUATION I WOULD HAVE SPOTTED THE ACFT AND AVOIDED HIM. I WILL USE THIS INCIDENT TO TRY TO PREVENT FUTURE MISHAPS.

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.