Near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	210817
Time
Date	199205
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdg
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : rdg
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 195 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	210817
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Problem arose by flying the first segment of this patrol route backwards from the normal patrol sequence. (Due to addition of another patrol south to a point 5 1/2 mi southwest of rdg). Normal sequence starts 12 southwest of allentown to 5 1/2 southwest of rdg, back to airport then southwest out of the air traffic area. Also aircraft used was unfamiliar to ATC personnel having been picked up the day before in nj. Initial contact with ATC was prior to air traffic area entry sbound and 3 1/2 mi west of rdg. (En route to storage tanks 5 1/2 southwest rdg). Aircraft proceeded on patrol backwards toward normal start point northeast toward rdg along pipeline right-of-way. Note: aircraft number and patrol route were unfamiliar to tower personnel. Aircraft at rdg were using runway 36. Tower controller's back was to me when observing approach end of 36. I was proceeding northeast along west side of airport within airport boundary. Tower stated that they thought I was further west as I was upon initial entry into air traffic area. While observing construction equipment along pipeline right-of-way, I heard tower issue takeoff clearance to an aircraft. Being within airport boundary, any takeoff was noteworthy. Since I was orbiting left, as I had advised tower and received permission to do so, small aircraft X was spotted near completion of left turn and evasive action taken. Corrective action: telephone conversation with controller involved the way patrol route was different this day was discussed. I sent by mail to him the next day, copies of rdg area on a sectional chart and pipeline company map of airport area with pipeline location highlighted. Also, my intentions in the future when these different patrols coincide to deadhead back to normal start point and to always fly the right-of-way as everyone involved is used to. Controller was very professional and courteous, ATC at rdg is excellent and easy to work with. His request for these maps showing pipeline near airport was refreshing and showed a sincere interest on his part to accommodate all users of rdg airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: PROBLEM AROSE BY FLYING THE FIRST SEGMENT OF THIS PATROL RTE BACKWARDS FROM THE NORMAL PATROL SEQUENCE. (DUE TO ADDITION OF ANOTHER PATROL S TO A POINT 5 1/2 MI SW OF RDG). NORMAL SEQUENCE STARTS 12 SW OF ALLENTOWN TO 5 1/2 SW OF RDG, BACK TO ARPT THEN SW OUT OF THE ATA. ALSO ACFT USED WAS UNFAMILIAR TO ATC PERSONNEL HAVING BEEN PICKED UP THE DAY BEFORE IN NJ. INITIAL CONTACT WITH ATC WAS PRIOR TO ATA ENTRY SBOUND AND 3 1/2 MI W OF RDG. (ENRTE TO STORAGE TANKS 5 1/2 SW RDG). ACFT PROCEEDED ON PATROL BACKWARDS TOWARD NORMAL START POINT NE TOWARD RDG ALONG PIPELINE RIGHT-OF-WAY. NOTE: ACFT NUMBER AND PATROL RTE WERE UNFAMILIAR TO TWR PERSONNEL. ACFT AT RDG WERE USING RWY 36. TWR CTLR'S BACK WAS TO ME WHEN OBSERVING APCH END OF 36. I WAS PROCEEDING NE ALONG W SIDE OF ARPT WITHIN ARPT BOUNDARY. TWR STATED THAT THEY THOUGHT I WAS FURTHER W AS I WAS UPON INITIAL ENTRY INTO ATA. WHILE OBSERVING CONSTRUCTION EQUIP ALONG PIPELINE RIGHT-OF-WAY, I HEARD TWR ISSUE TKOF CLRNC TO AN ACFT. BEING WITHIN ARPT BOUNDARY, ANY TKOF WAS NOTEWORTHY. SINCE I WAS ORBITING L, AS I HAD ADVISED TWR AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO DO SO, SMA X WAS SPOTTED NEAR COMPLETION OF L TURN AND EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN. CORRECTIVE ACTION: TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH CTLR INVOLVED THE WAY PATROL RTE WAS DIFFERENT THIS DAY WAS DISCUSSED. I SENT BY MAIL TO HIM THE NEXT DAY, COPIES OF RDG AREA ON A SECTIONAL CHART AND PIPELINE COMPANY MAP OF ARPT AREA WITH PIPELINE LOCATION HIGHLIGHTED. ALSO, MY INTENTIONS IN THE FUTURE WHEN THESE DIFFERENT PATROLS COINCIDE TO DEADHEAD BACK TO NORMAL START POINT AND TO ALWAYS FLY THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AS EVERYONE INVOLVED IS USED TO. CTLR WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS, ATC AT RDG IS EXCELLENT AND EASY TO WORK WITH. HIS REQUEST FOR THESE MAPS SHOWING PIPELINE NEAR ARPT WAS REFRESHING AND SHOWED A SINCERE INTEREST ON HIS PART TO ACCOMMODATE ALL USERS OF RDG AIRSPACE.

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.