Narrative:

We were on a routine training flight. Before takeoff we monitored the CTAF frequency (122.8 MHZ) and obtained a radio check from the unicom, who reported hearing our transmission 'loud and clear.' our flight was to take place in the traffic pattern at F70 (left hand runway 18), and for noise abatement the downwind is flown wider than normal to avoid overflying houses. On hearing no other airplanes in the pattern and seeing none, we took the runway and departed. We called turning left crosswind, on left downwind, left base and final, using the standard approved phraseology while looking for other airplanes. When on approximately 3/4 mi final we saw an small transport twin airplane on our left hand side, about to make base to final turn. At that time the other airplane saw us and both aircraft took mild evasive action, resulting in both airplanes flying the final, the twin displaced to the left of centerline, us to the right, the twin slightly ahead. We considered a go around and listened on frequency for the other airplane to inform us of their intentions, we heard no transmission but the twin initiated a go around and we did a touch- and-go and remained in the pattern. I asked the traffic for a radio check with no success. On the second attempt an aircraft located 12 mi northwest of the field reported hearing our xmissions 'loud and clear.' we continued our flight in the pattern, hearing only intermittent radio calls from the twin which also remained in the pattern doing touch-and- goes, there was no other incident in-flight. On landing we learned that the twin was crewed by 2 FAA inspectors reviewing their flight currency. On asking the small transport Y crew if they had made a go around call after the near miss, they replied in the affirmative. We hadn't heard their call nor had 2 other pilots in the run-up area. The conclusion was that the twin radio had an intermittent fault. The situation was compounded by the unusually wide pattern at F70, unknown to many pilots, a high workload in the twin with 2 pilots working on currency, my student flying for only the second time in the right seat, attempting to practice teaching as well as fly and our airplane being high wing while the twin is low wing. Finally the assumption of both crews that because we couldn't hear any other aircraft in the pattern, they weren't there! Extra vigilance is the key.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC. TRAINING IN PROGRESS AT NON TWR ARPT UNICOM.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A ROUTINE TRAINING FLT. BEFORE TKOF WE MONITORED THE CTAF FREQ (122.8 MHZ) AND OBTAINED A RADIO CHK FROM THE UNICOM, WHO RPTED HEARING OUR XMISSION 'LOUD AND CLR.' OUR FLT WAS TO TAKE PLACE IN THE TFC PATTERN AT F70 (L HAND RWY 18), AND FOR NOISE ABATEMENT THE DOWNWIND IS FLOWN WIDER THAN NORMAL TO AVOID OVERFLYING HOUSES. ON HEARING NO OTHER AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN AND SEEING NONE, WE TOOK THE RWY AND DEPARTED. WE CALLED TURNING L XWIND, ON L DOWNWIND, L BASE AND FINAL, USING THE STANDARD APPROVED PHRASEOLOGY WHILE LOOKING FOR OTHER AIRPLANES. WHEN ON APPROX 3/4 MI FINAL WE SAW AN SMT TWIN AIRPLANE ON OUR L HAND SIDE, ABOUT TO MAKE BASE TO FINAL TURN. AT THAT TIME THE OTHER AIRPLANE SAW US AND BOTH ACFT TOOK MILD EVASIVE ACTION, RESULTING IN BOTH AIRPLANES FLYING THE FINAL, THE TWIN DISPLACED TO THE L OF CTRLINE, US TO THE R, THE TWIN SLIGHTLY AHEAD. WE CONSIDERED A GAR AND LISTENED ON FREQ FOR THE OTHER AIRPLANE TO INFORM US OF THEIR INTENTIONS, WE HEARD NO XMISSION BUT THE TWIN INITIATED A GAR AND WE DID A TOUCH- AND-GO AND REMAINED IN THE PATTERN. I ASKED THE TFC FOR A RADIO CHK WITH NO SUCCESS. ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT AN ACFT LOCATED 12 MI NW OF THE FIELD RPTED HEARING OUR XMISSIONS 'LOUD AND CLR.' WE CONTINUED OUR FLT IN THE PATTERN, HEARING ONLY INTERMITTENT RADIO CALLS FROM THE TWIN WHICH ALSO REMAINED IN THE PATTERN DOING TOUCH-AND- GOES, THERE WAS NO OTHER INCIDENT INFLT. ON LNDG WE LEARNED THAT THE TWIN WAS CREWED BY 2 FAA INSPECTORS REVIEWING THEIR FLT CURRENCY. ON ASKING THE SMT Y CREW IF THEY HAD MADE A GAR CALL AFTER THE NEAR MISS, THEY REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. WE HADN'T HEARD THEIR CALL NOR HAD 2 OTHER PLTS IN THE RUN-UP AREA. THE CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE TWIN RADIO HAD AN INTERMITTENT FAULT. THE SIT WAS COMPOUNDED BY THE UNUSUALLY WIDE PATTERN AT F70, UNKNOWN TO MANY PLTS, A HIGH WORKLOAD IN THE TWIN WITH 2 PLTS WORKING ON CURRENCY, MY STUDENT FLYING FOR ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN THE R SEAT, ATTEMPTING TO PRACTICE TEACHING AS WELL AS FLY AND OUR AIRPLANE BEING HIGH WING WHILE THE TWIN IS LOW WING. FINALLY THE ASSUMPTION OF BOTH CREWS THAT BECAUSE WE COULDN'T HEAR ANY OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN, THEY WEREN'T THERE! EXTRA VIGILANCE IS THE KEY.

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.