Narrative:

I was under the hood on the ILS approach to apa. At the final approach, my safety pilot and I contacted apa tower and reported that we were at the fix inbound. We were told to report 3 mi south at the power lines--standard procedure when opp traffic is in effect. When we reported to tower at the power lines, we were told to continue the approach to the MM, and then break off the approach to follow on crosswind. At the MM I looked up, and 300' above us was an small aircraft Y that had departed runway 17. Safety pilot had the small aircraft Y traffic in sight the entire time, and there was little to no danger, thus we continued the approach. When ATC clears someone to the MM, they will usually separate traffic departing by having them turn out early. This did not occur in our situation. After landing, we were asked by ATC if we were cleared to the marker, or whether we were to break off the approach because of traffic on the crosswind. My safety pilot and I agreed that we were cleared to the MM. They replied that they weren't sure what they had cleared us to do. As to what action we could have taken, we possibly could have broken off the approach early to alleviate a possible conflict, but having received a clearance to the marker, we elected not to, feeling that ATC would keep the other traffic out of our way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA SMA ON A SIMULATED ILS APCH TO RWY 35 AND AN GA SMA ON TKOF CLIMB FROM RWY 17 AT APA.

Narrative: I WAS UNDER THE HOOD ON THE ILS APCH TO APA. AT THE FINAL APCH, MY SAFETY PLT AND I CONTACTED APA TWR AND RPTED THAT WE WERE AT THE FIX INBND. WE WERE TOLD TO RPT 3 MI S AT THE PWR LINES--STANDARD PROC WHEN OPP TFC IS IN EFFECT. WHEN WE RPTED TO TWR AT THE PWR LINES, WE WERE TOLD TO CONTINUE THE APCH TO THE MM, AND THEN BREAK OFF THE APCH TO FOLLOW ON XWIND. AT THE MM I LOOKED UP, AND 300' ABOVE US WAS AN SMA Y THAT HAD DEPARTED RWY 17. SAFETY PLT HAD THE SMA Y TFC IN SIGHT THE ENTIRE TIME, AND THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO DANGER, THUS WE CONTINUED THE APCH. WHEN ATC CLRS SOMEONE TO THE MM, THEY WILL USUALLY SEPARATE TFC DEPARTING BY HAVING THEM TURN OUT EARLY. THIS DID NOT OCCUR IN OUR SITUATION. AFTER LNDG, WE WERE ASKED BY ATC IF WE WERE CLRED TO THE MARKER, OR WHETHER WE WERE TO BREAK OFF THE APCH BECAUSE OF TFC ON THE XWIND. MY SAFETY PLT AND I AGREED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO THE MM. THEY REPLIED THAT THEY WEREN'T SURE WHAT THEY HAD CLRED US TO DO. AS TO WHAT ACTION WE COULD HAVE TAKEN, WE POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BROKEN OFF THE APCH EARLY TO ALLEVIATE A POSSIBLE CONFLICT, BUT HAVING RECEIVED A CLRNC TO THE MARKER, WE ELECTED NOT TO, FEELING THAT ATC WOULD KEEP THE OTHER TFC OUT OF OUR WAY.

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.