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Instructor with spi has radio problem, enters air traffic area prior to contact. Close encounter with fgt's.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 225803 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199211 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sgh |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : day tower : sgh |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Fighter |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : takeoff |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 1290 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 225803 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 2500 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The problem arose after I reported to dayton approach control that I had my destination (sgh) in sight. I was at this time approximately 8 NM southwest of sgh and wished to change to the tower frequency and begin my descent. It was a busy day and the approach controller didn't answer me right away. I paused about 10 seconds after the controller's last transmission (to other aircraft) and called again. This time I was informed (paraphrase): 'identify, traffic is a flight of fgt's departing runway 24 at springfield, they will be turning swbound, climbing to 8000 ft. Contact springfield tower now 120.7.' I acknowledged by saying that I was looking for the traffic and was going to tower. By this time the LORAN read 7 mi out. Some time earlier, I had set 120.7 in the #1 communication radio. Immediately after being told to contact tower, I switched to the #1 communication, paused about 5 seconds, and called sgh tower (paraphrase): 'springfield tower, xx identify, inbound from the southwest looking for traffic.' I received no response. After a brief pause, I tried again. By this time I had the fgt's in sight and was considering a left turn to avoid their southwest departure. I was also concerned that I was getting close to the air traffic area. After no response to the second call, I checked the tower frequency on my chart and dialed it in on communication 2. I called again, this time reporting the fgt's in sight. Tower answered with a query: 'is that xy identify?' I replied, 'negative xx identify.' they replied, 'enter right downwind runway 15, traffic is a flight of 4 fgt's departing runway 24, swbound climbing to 8000 ft.' I started a left turning descent to both avoid what I thought would be the path of the fgt's and to enter right downwind for runway 15. I lowered the gear at this point, all the while keeping the fgt's in sight. I had assumed control of the airplane from my student because of the perceived threat and delayed communications. The fgt's continued on runway heading. This worried me but I knew that on my present course, unless they turned right we would miss. The fgt's passed behind me and slightly below. They appeared to be about a half mi away and about 200 ft below. The tower said something about the fgt's having to turn to miss me and that I need to contact the tower 'early enough to receive landing instructions before entering the control zone.' I replied that I had trouble with my 'top radio' and had to call a few times before contacting them. I then landed without further incident. The radio problem was discovered on my return trip. The light display of frequency numerals on the navcom is made up of 7 light bars which display the numerals selected. Occasionally some of those light bars either short out or burn out. I had apparently selected 120.9 inadvertently instead of 120.7. Although the display appeared as 120.7. Recycling the frequency knob made the light bars in the display function properly, but the operation of some of the light bars was intermittent. This caused me to select the wrong frequency when I believed it was the correct one. I might have prevented this by being aware of the problem and select frequencys by 'counting the clicks' while turning the knob from a known frequency. Another contributing factor might have been the way the fgt's were called to me as traffic. 'Turning swbound' (215 degrees) gave me the impression that they would be turning left shortly after takeoff. This was right toward my position. Realizing their greater speed I decided the best course of evasive action would be a left turn. But the fgt's were apparently flying runway heading (240 degrees) and my left turn to avoid them put me in their path momentarily. Had I been told they were runway heading, I'd have stayed east of runway 24. Further, my initial tower instruction to enter right downwind to runway 15 had me turning left across the extended centerline of runway 24. This simply added validity to my decision to turn left to avoid the fgt's. Of course I'm sure if the tower controller realized how close to the air traffic area I was, my instructions might have been different.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI HAS RADIO PROBLEM, ENTERS ATA PRIOR TO CONTACT. CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH FGT'S.
Narrative: THE PROBLEM AROSE AFTER I RPTED TO DAYTON APCH CTL THAT I HAD MY DEST (SGH) IN SIGHT. I WAS AT THIS TIME APPROX 8 NM SW OF SGH AND WISHED TO CHANGE TO THE TWR FREQ AND BEGIN MY DSCNT. IT WAS A BUSY DAY AND THE APCH CTLR DIDN'T ANSWER ME RIGHT AWAY. I PAUSED ABOUT 10 SECONDS AFTER THE CTLR'S LAST XMISSION (TO OTHER ACFT) AND CALLED AGAIN. THIS TIME I WAS INFORMED (PARAPHRASE): 'IDENT, TFC IS A FLT OF FGT'S DEPARTING RWY 24 AT SPRINGFIELD, THEY WILL BE TURNING SWBOUND, CLBING TO 8000 FT. CONTACT SPRINGFIELD TWR NOW 120.7.' I ACKNOWLEDGED BY SAYING THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TFC AND WAS GOING TO TWR. BY THIS TIME THE LORAN READ 7 MI OUT. SOME TIME EARLIER, I HAD SET 120.7 IN THE #1 COM RADIO. IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEING TOLD TO CONTACT TWR, I SWITCHED TO THE #1 COM, PAUSED ABOUT 5 SECONDS, AND CALLED SGH TWR (PARAPHRASE): 'SPRINGFIELD TWR, XX IDENT, INBOUND FROM THE SW LOOKING FOR TFC.' I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. AFTER A BRIEF PAUSE, I TRIED AGAIN. BY THIS TIME I HAD THE FGT'S IN SIGHT AND WAS CONSIDERING A L TURN TO AVOID THEIR SW DEP. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO THE ATA. AFTER NO RESPONSE TO THE SECOND CALL, I CHKED THE TWR FREQ ON MY CHART AND DIALED IT IN ON COM 2. I CALLED AGAIN, THIS TIME RPTING THE FGT'S IN SIGHT. TWR ANSWERED WITH A QUERY: 'IS THAT XY IDENT?' I REPLIED, 'NEGATIVE XX IDENT.' THEY REPLIED, 'ENTER R DOWNWIND RWY 15, TFC IS A FLT OF 4 FGT'S DEPARTING RWY 24, SWBOUND CLBING TO 8000 FT.' I STARTED A L TURNING DSCNT TO BOTH AVOID WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE THE PATH OF THE FGT'S AND TO ENTER R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 15. I LOWERED THE GEAR AT THIS POINT, ALL THE WHILE KEEPING THE FGT'S IN SIGHT. I HAD ASSUMED CTL OF THE AIRPLANE FROM MY STUDENT BECAUSE OF THE PERCEIVED THREAT AND DELAYED COMS. THE FGT'S CONTINUED ON RWY HDG. THIS WORRIED ME BUT I KNEW THAT ON MY PRESENT COURSE, UNLESS THEY TURNED R WE WOULD MISS. THE FGT'S PASSED BEHIND ME AND SLIGHTLY BELOW. THEY APPEARED TO BE ABOUT A HALF MI AWAY AND ABOUT 200 FT BELOW. THE TWR SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE FGT'S HAVING TO TURN TO MISS ME AND THAT I NEED TO CONTACT THE TWR 'EARLY ENOUGH TO RECEIVE LNDG INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE ENTERING THE CTL ZONE.' I REPLIED THAT I HAD TROUBLE WITH MY 'TOP RADIO' AND HAD TO CALL A FEW TIMES BEFORE CONTACTING THEM. I THEN LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE RADIO PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED ON MY RETURN TRIP. THE LIGHT DISPLAY OF FREQ NUMERALS ON THE NAVCOM IS MADE UP OF 7 LIGHT BARS WHICH DISPLAY THE NUMERALS SELECTED. OCCASIONALLY SOME OF THOSE LIGHT BARS EITHER SHORT OUT OR BURN OUT. I HAD APPARENTLY SELECTED 120.9 INADVERTENTLY INSTEAD OF 120.7. ALTHOUGH THE DISPLAY APPEARED AS 120.7. RECYCLING THE FREQ KNOB MADE THE LIGHT BARS IN THE DISPLAY FUNCTION PROPERLY, BUT THE OP OF SOME OF THE LIGHT BARS WAS INTERMITTENT. THIS CAUSED ME TO SELECT THE WRONG FREQ WHEN I BELIEVED IT WAS THE CORRECT ONE. I MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED THIS BY BEING AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND SELECT FREQS BY 'COUNTING THE CLICKS' WHILE TURNING THE KNOB FROM A KNOWN FREQ. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE WAY THE FGT'S WERE CALLED TO ME AS TFC. 'TURNING SWBOUND' (215 DEGS) GAVE ME THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WOULD BE TURNING L SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. THIS WAS RIGHT TOWARD MY POS. REALIZING THEIR GREATER SPD I DECIDED THE BEST COURSE OF EVASIVE ACTION WOULD BE A L TURN. BUT THE FGT'S WERE APPARENTLY FLYING RWY HDG (240 DEGS) AND MY L TURN TO AVOID THEM PUT ME IN THEIR PATH MOMENTARILY. HAD I BEEN TOLD THEY WERE RWY HDG, I'D HAVE STAYED E OF RWY 24. FURTHER, MY INITIAL TWR INSTRUCTION TO ENTER R DOWNWIND TO RWY 15 HAD ME TURNING L ACROSS THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 24. THIS SIMPLY ADDED VALIDITY TO MY DECISION TO TURN L TO AVOID THE FGT'S. OF COURSE I'M SURE IF THE TWR CTLR REALIZED HOW CLOSE TO THE ATA I WAS, MY INSTRUCTIONS MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.
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.