Potential conflict with opposite direction traffic in the traffic pattern.

Attributes
ACN	272392
Time
Date	199405
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sjo
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sjo artcc : zau
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Route In Use	approach : circling approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	272393
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 850
ASRS Report	271976
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 600 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We were cleared by coco tower approach to execute the ILS/localizer runway 7 circle to runway 25, because the wind was greater than a 10 KT tailwind on runway 7. On left downwind at 1000 ft of the circle we saw a single engine propeller lowering at approximately 1:30 to 2 O'clock position in a turn away from us, there was no need for evasive action and the aircraft rptedly had us in sight according to the tower operator. We continued a normal approach and landing. Controller was talking to the single engine pilot in spanish and said that he had told him where we were and that he (single engine) had us in sight. This whole scenario could have been minimized if the tower controller would have been speaking english, because we would have been aware of his position also. Only visual restrs were slight haze/smoke in the area at that altitude. Supplemental information from acn 271976: during left downwind at MDA of 4020 or 1000 AGL. There was a cherokee 140 flying in the opposite direction at the same altitude. The tower knew the position of this cherokee and the direction of his flight, but never advised us of this traffic. The tower needed to advise us (B-757) of the position of this cherokee so we could look for him. The tower told the cherokee we were inbound.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC IN THE TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED BY COCO TWR APCH TO EXECUTE THE ILS/LOC RWY 7 CIRCLE TO RWY 25, BECAUSE THE WIND WAS GREATER THAN A 10 KT TAILWIND ON RWY 7. ON L DOWNWIND AT 1000 FT OF THE CIRCLE WE SAW A SINGLE ENG PROP LOWERING AT APPROX 1:30 TO 2 O'CLOCK POS IN A TURN AWAY FROM US, THERE WAS NO NEED FOR EVASIVE ACTION AND THE ACFT RPTEDLY HAD US IN SIGHT ACCORDING TO THE TWR OPERATOR. WE CONTINUED A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. CTLR WAS TALKING TO THE SINGLE ENG PLT IN SPANISH AND SAID THAT HE HAD TOLD HIM WHERE WE WERE AND THAT HE (SINGLE ENG) HAD US IN SIGHT. THIS WHOLE SCENARIO COULD HAVE BEEN MINIMIZED IF THE TWR CTLR WOULD HAVE BEEN SPEAKING ENGLISH, BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF HIS POS ALSO. ONLY VISUAL RESTRS WERE SLIGHT HAZE/SMOKE IN THE AREA AT THAT ALT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 271976: DURING L DOWNWIND AT MDA OF 4020 OR 1000 AGL. THERE WAS A CHEROKEE 140 FLYING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AT THE SAME ALT. THE TWR KNEW THE POS OF THIS CHEROKEE AND THE DIRECTION OF HIS FLT, BUT NEVER ADVISED US OF THIS TFC. THE TWR NEEDED TO ADVISE US (B-757) OF THE POS OF THIS CHEROKEE SO WE COULD LOOK FOR HIM. THE TWR TOLD THE CHEROKEE WE WERE INBOUND.

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.