Narrative:

I was approaching vansant airport from the east with the intention of landing. I was at pattern altitude while trying to contact the unicom operator for runway advisory. The frequency (122.8) was far too noisy to do this successfully--it was filled with chatter from airports as far as 50 mi away. While crossing the river heading about 300 degrees, I tried to determine the runway in use by observing the traffic at the airport, which consisted of gliders and tow planes. I then saw a tow plane with glider attached takeoff from runway 7 and turn left slightly to climb. I decided to turn right to approximately parallel the tow plane course until it climbed above us, so I could turn left to enter the pattern for runway 7 from the north. After I banked right, I saw an small aircraft Y pass from right to left in front of us. I think it was a small twin. It was banking right, possibly in an evasive maneuver, but perhaps not, because such a maneuver might have caused a collision had I not just started a right turn. It appeared to be within 100' at the closest point of encounter. From the heading and altitude, I assume the pilot was following the delaware river south, but I don't really know. My conclusion is that I was too preoccupied with determining what sort of approach to use to vansant by observing traffic, which detracted from my ability to look for traffic over the river. It seems clear that I should have seen small aircraft Y, even before I began the turn. Contributing factors include the fact that 122.8 is a nearly useless frequency on a clear spring saturday morning. However, many of the aircraft at vansant don't have or use radio communication anyway. Also, after this event, a glider landed on 23. After I landed, I asked pilots on the ground what runway was in use, and no one seemed to know! I also believe that the other pilot should have been more observant when flying in the vicinity and at the altitude of several airport traffic patterns. Or perhaps he should have been higher. I don't really know how to correct the situation, except to be more vigilant. But I do believe more unicom frequencys should be available. It could have helped to have a quieter channel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER NOTES THAT FREQ CONGESTION ON UNICOM (122.8) MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN AN NMAC WITH SMA Y.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING VANSANT ARPT FROM THE E WITH THE INTENTION OF LNDG. I WAS AT PATTERN ALT WHILE TRYING TO CONTACT THE UNICOM OPERATOR FOR RWY ADVISORY. THE FREQ (122.8) WAS FAR TOO NOISY TO DO THIS SUCCESSFULLY--IT WAS FILLED WITH CHATTER FROM ARPTS AS FAR AS 50 MI AWAY. WHILE XING THE RIVER HDG ABOUT 300 DEGS, I TRIED TO DETERMINE THE RWY IN USE BY OBSERVING THE TFC AT THE ARPT, WHICH CONSISTED OF GLIDERS AND TOW PLANES. I THEN SAW A TOW PLANE WITH GLIDER ATTACHED TKOF FROM RWY 7 AND TURN LEFT SLIGHTLY TO CLB. I DECIDED TO TURN RIGHT TO APPROX PARALLEL THE TOW PLANE COURSE UNTIL IT CLBED ABOVE US, SO I COULD TURN LEFT TO ENTER THE PATTERN FOR RWY 7 FROM THE N. AFTER I BANKED RIGHT, I SAW AN SMA Y PASS FROM RIGHT TO LEFT IN FRONT OF US. I THINK IT WAS A SMALL TWIN. IT WAS BANKING RIGHT, POSSIBLY IN AN EVASIVE MANEUVER, BUT PERHAPS NOT, BECAUSE SUCH A MANEUVER MIGHT HAVE CAUSED A COLLISION HAD I NOT JUST STARTED A RIGHT TURN. IT APPEARED TO BE WITHIN 100' AT THE CLOSEST POINT OF ENCOUNTER. FROM THE HDG AND ALT, I ASSUME THE PLT WAS FOLLOWING THE DELAWARE RIVER S, BUT I DON'T REALLY KNOW. MY CONCLUSION IS THAT I WAS TOO PREOCCUPIED WITH DETERMINING WHAT SORT OF APCH TO USE TO VANSANT BY OBSERVING TFC, WHICH DETRACTED FROM MY ABILITY TO LOOK FOR TFC OVER THE RIVER. IT SEEMS CLR THAT I SHOULD HAVE SEEN SMA Y, EVEN BEFORE I BEGAN THE TURN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE THE FACT THAT 122.8 IS A NEARLY USELESS FREQ ON A CLR SPRING SATURDAY MORNING. HOWEVER, MANY OF THE ACFT AT VANSANT DON'T HAVE OR USE RADIO COM ANYWAY. ALSO, AFTER THIS EVENT, A GLIDER LANDED ON 23. AFTER I LANDED, I ASKED PLTS ON THE GND WHAT RWY WAS IN USE, AND NO ONE SEEMED TO KNOW! I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE OTHER PLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE OBSERVANT WHEN FLYING IN THE VICINITY AND AT THE ALT OF SEVERAL ARPT TFC PATTERNS. OR PERHAPS HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHER. I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO CORRECT THE SITUATION, EXCEPT TO BE MORE VIGILANT. BUT I DO BELIEVE MORE UNICOM FREQS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE. IT COULD HAVE HELPED TO HAVE A QUIETER CHANNEL.

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.