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Pilot reported a traffic conflict on an instrument approach that resulted in a missed approach.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1712198 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201912 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | NCT.TRACON |
| State Reference | CA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Initial Approach |
| Route In Use | Vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Flying Single Pilot |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Private Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 7 Flight Crew Total 750 Flight Crew Type 250 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | ATC Issue All Types Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Clearance Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence |
| Miss Distance | Horizontal 2000 Vertical 500 |
Narrative:
An unidentified aircraft passed between me and the ground; at the FAF (final approach fix) with me less than 1;500 ft. AGL; requiring an urgent climb and cancelling of approach clearance. Also; during the event I deviated approximately 250 ft. Low in altitude.details: I was on IFR flight plan; being vectored to ILS runway 25R. Weather was irregular scud; with a ground haze + scattered layer with tops ~3;000 ft. MSL. Visibility above was unrestricted; but low sun angle; with sun approximately 30 degree left of approach course; severely restricted forward (especially downward) visibility.I was on vector 150 deg. When I estimated to be 1-2 nm from intercept; I queried controller if I was going to be vectored across facility (due to 105 deg intercept angle; and still being high at 900 ft. Above intercept altitude). Controller immediately responded with vector 240 deg; immediately updated to 250 deg; and clearance for the approach. While in this turn I crossed the localizer; so I steepened and continued past localizer heading; while initiating descent to GS intercept altitude.while steadying up on localizer at approximately 1-2 nm from FAF; controller issued a traffic advisory; which I did not entirely copy: however I did get 'crossing left to right' and 'will merge at zzzzz'. I began looking out of the cockpit; but although I had ground contact; directly into the sun and scud visibility was very poor.when I looked back in the cockpit I discovered I was descending through 200 ft. Below intercept altitude; and immediately began to climb. Shortly after the controller issued a 'cancel approach clearance' and 'climb immediately'.after landing; my right seat passenger informed me she saw the target come out the right side; 'directly beneath' us. At that point I estimate we were approximately 1;400 ft. AGL; however there are a large number of obstacles (windmills) in that area; heights approximately 300 ft. Therefore I believe vertical separation was perhaps 500 ft. Or less.my surmise is that the aircraft was trying to cross the 1;700 ft. Pass while staying under the scud layer at (or less than) 3;000 ft. MSL.my undershoot on altitude was due to still being in descent close to FAF; and distraction while searching outside the cockpit in limited visibility for the close target.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Pilot reported a traffic conflict on an instrument approach that resulted in a missed approach.
Narrative: An unidentified aircraft passed between me and the ground; at the FAF (Final Approach Fix) with me less than 1;500 ft. AGL; requiring an urgent climb and cancelling of approach clearance. Also; during the event I deviated approximately 250 ft. low in altitude.Details: I was on IFR flight plan; being vectored to ILS Runway 25R. Weather was irregular scud; with a ground haze + scattered layer with tops ~3;000 ft. MSL. Visibility above was unrestricted; but low sun angle; with sun approximately 30 degree left of approach course; severely restricted forward (especially downward) visibility.I was on vector 150 deg. When I estimated to be 1-2 nm from intercept; I queried Controller if I was going to be vectored across FAC (due to 105 deg intercept angle; and still being high at 900 ft. above intercept altitude). Controller immediately responded with vector 240 deg; immediately updated to 250 deg; and clearance for the approach. While in this turn I crossed the LOC; so I steepened and continued past LOC heading; while initiating descent to GS intercept altitude.While steadying up on LOC at approximately 1-2 nm from FAF; controller issued a traffic advisory; which I did not entirely copy: however I did get 'crossing left to right' and 'will merge at ZZZZZ'. I began looking out of the cockpit; but although I had ground contact; directly into the sun and scud visibility was very poor.When I looked back in the cockpit I discovered I was descending through 200 ft. below intercept altitude; and immediately began to climb. Shortly after the controller issued a 'Cancel approach clearance' and 'Climb immediately'.After landing; my right seat passenger informed me she saw the target come out the right side; 'directly beneath' us. At that point I estimate we were approximately 1;400 ft. AGL; however there are a large number of obstacles (windmills) in that area; heights approximately 300 ft. Therefore I believe vertical separation was perhaps 500 ft. or less.My surmise is that the aircraft was trying to cross the 1;700 ft. pass while staying under the scud layer at (or less than) 3;000 ft. MSL.My undershoot on altitude was due to still being in descent close to FAF; and distraction while searching outside the cockpit in limited visibility for the close target.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.