Near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	217610
Time
Date	199208
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ict
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2800 msl bound upper : 2800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ict
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 1900 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	217610
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 75 vertical : 250
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I was flying an small transport. I am one of 5 smts at ict. The other smts were both heading east to southeast, one following the other. I was heading south. All 3 smts were operating IFR in VFR conditions and talking to ict tower at the time. Ict approach called out an small transport #2 at 12 O'clock for me to follow. I spotted the small transport and followed. I thought I had the second small transport in sight at all times. Both smts in front of me were heading east and then turned left to the northwest to land on runway 32. At some point, the first 2 smts must have crossed paths (from my perspective). Due to their crossing paths I lost sight of small transport #2 (which I was supposed to follow) and started following small transport #1 thinking it was the second small transport. I (and all other smts) was transferred to tower after being cleared for a visual approach to runway 32. I started a shallow left turn with steep descent and continued to follow small transport #1 (thinking still it was #2). As I was passing through a heading of north I saw the second small transport pass several hundred ft directly below my aircraft and slightly in front. No 'evasive' action was required, I stopped my descent and turn and slowed down to allow for adequate clearance. The first small transport (which I thought was the second small transport) was still in sight at this time on short final. On the ground, I talked to the pilot of the second small transport. He said he never saw me. Ict tower never gave any warning and I doubt they even noticed. The tower had an 'inexperienced/trainee' controller in the tower controling all smts. Controller sounded inexperienced, made several obvious mistakes, some he corrected. At other times, another controller had to break in to make immediate corrections. I don't know what could be done to prevent another occurrence. With so many identical aircraft in the air at the same time it would be difficult to prevent this happening again. The tower may have spotted the conflict if they were not training at the time. I am in no way blaming the tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN SMT. I AM ONE OF 5 SMTS AT ICT. THE OTHER SMTS WERE BOTH HDG E TO SE, ONE FOLLOWING THE OTHER. I WAS HDG S. ALL 3 SMTS WERE OPERATING IFR IN VFR CONDITIONS AND TALKING TO ICT TWR AT THE TIME. ICT APCH CALLED OUT AN SMT #2 AT 12 O'CLOCK FOR ME TO FOLLOW. I SPOTTED THE SMT AND FOLLOWED. I THOUGHT I HAD THE SECOND SMT IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES. BOTH SMTS IN FRONT OF ME WERE HDG E AND THEN TURNED L TO THE NW TO LAND ON RWY 32. AT SOME POINT, THE FIRST 2 SMTS MUST HAVE CROSSED PATHS (FROM MY PERSPECTIVE). DUE TO THEIR XING PATHS I LOST SIGHT OF SMT #2 (WHICH I WAS SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW) AND STARTED FOLLOWING SMT #1 THINKING IT WAS THE SECOND SMT. I (AND ALL OTHER SMTS) WAS TRANSFERRED TO TWR AFTER BEING CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 32. I STARTED A SHALLOW L TURN WITH STEEP DSCNT AND CONTINUED TO FOLLOW SMT #1 (THINKING STILL IT WAS #2). AS I WAS PASSING THROUGH A HDG OF N I SAW THE SECOND SMT PASS SEVERAL HUNDRED FT DIRECTLY BELOW MY ACFT AND SLIGHTLY IN FRONT. NO 'EVASIVE' ACTION WAS REQUIRED, I STOPPED MY DSCNT AND TURN AND SLOWED DOWN TO ALLOW FOR ADEQUATE CLRNC. THE FIRST SMT (WHICH I THOUGHT WAS THE SECOND SMT) WAS STILL IN SIGHT AT THIS TIME ON SHORT FINAL. ON THE GND, I TALKED TO THE PLT OF THE SECOND SMT. HE SAID HE NEVER SAW ME. ICT TWR NEVER GAVE ANY WARNING AND I DOUBT THEY EVEN NOTICED. THE TWR HAD AN 'INEXPERIENCED/TRAINEE' CTLR IN THE TWR CTLING ALL SMTS. CTLR SOUNDED INEXPERIENCED, MADE SEVERAL OBVIOUS MISTAKES, SOME HE CORRECTED. AT OTHER TIMES, ANOTHER CTLR HAD TO BREAK IN TO MAKE IMMEDIATE CORRECTIONS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT COULD BE DONE TO PREVENT ANOTHER OCCURRENCE. WITH SO MANY IDENTICAL ACFT IN THE AIR AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PREVENT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN. THE TWR MAY HAVE SPOTTED THE CONFLICT IF THEY WERE NOT TRAINING AT THE TIME. I AM IN NO WAY BLAMING THE TWR.

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.