Small aircraft has near midair collision with aircraft in traffic pattern at non tower airport.

Attributes
ACN	272400
Time
Date	199405
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : emt
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1300 msl bound upper : 1300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 163
ASRS Report	272400
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer other personnel other oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was acting as the safety pilot for an IFR rated pilot. We canceled IFR to return to emt due to a pitch trim malfunction. The other pilot-owner gave me control of the plane for the descent and arrival at emt. I descended west of the field to pattern altitude of 1300 ft MSL, and turned inbound on the 45. We had announced our intentions while still at 6000 ft and 5 mi from the field. As I turned inbound on the 45, I again announced on CTAF 121.20 our position and intention to make full right traffic for runway 19. At 1/2 NM from the field, I turned to right downwind. At that time, I saw the other plane, a high-wing single engine cessna, already on downwind below us about 50 ft, just right of our intended direction of flight. The aircraft had not announced any position reports, and had no landing lights. I immediately executed a climbing left turn to avoid the aircraft, and re-entered the pattern for a successful landing (the owner-pilot executed the second approach and landing while I watched the other aircraft land and park). We shut down the aircraft and found the other pilot on the filed. Upon questioning, he stated he heard us transmitting and saw us enter inbound on the 45. He stated that he, too, was self-announcing on CTAF, but was unsure if he was transmitting because his radios were not very good and he was getting no sidetone. He then discovered that the microphone plug had been pulled out of its jack. Causes: difficulty of see and avoid in haze at night in the los angeles basin -- aircraft 'disappear' into the city lights. Lack of use of landing lights by the other aircraft. Failure of the pilot of the other aircraft to fix a communication problem that could easily have been found and solved. Failure of the pilot of the other aircraft to exercise due caution knowing he had a communication problem. Failure to fully see and avoid aircraft in the pattern. Solutions: operation lights on! Better problem solving by the pilot of the other aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS NMAC WITH ACFT IN TFC PATTERN AT NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS THE SAFETY PLT FOR AN IFR RATED PLT. WE CANCELED IFR TO RETURN TO EMT DUE TO A PITCH TRIM MALFUNCTION. THE OTHER PLT-OWNER GAVE ME CTL OF THE PLANE FOR THE DSCNT AND ARR AT EMT. I DSNDED W OF THE FIELD TO PATTERN ALT OF 1300 FT MSL, AND TURNED INBOUND ON THE 45. WE HAD ANNOUNCED OUR INTENTIONS WHILE STILL AT 6000 FT AND 5 MI FROM THE FIELD. AS I TURNED INBOUND ON THE 45, I AGAIN ANNOUNCED ON CTAF 121.20 OUR POS AND INTENTION TO MAKE FULL R TFC FOR RWY 19. AT 1/2 NM FROM THE FIELD, I TURNED TO R DOWNWIND. AT THAT TIME, I SAW THE OTHER PLANE, A HIGH-WING SINGLE ENG CESSNA, ALREADY ON DOWNWIND BELOW US ABOUT 50 FT, JUST R OF OUR INTENDED DIRECTION OF FLT. THE ACFT HAD NOT ANNOUNCED ANY POS RPTS, AND HAD NO LNDG LIGHTS. I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A CLBING L TURN TO AVOID THE ACFT, AND RE-ENTERED THE PATTERN FOR A SUCCESSFUL LNDG (THE OWNER-PLT EXECUTED THE SECOND APCH AND LNDG WHILE I WATCHED THE OTHER ACFT LAND AND PARK). WE SHUT DOWN THE ACFT AND FOUND THE OTHER PLT ON THE FILED. UPON QUESTIONING, HE STATED HE HEARD US XMITTING AND SAW US ENTER INBOUND ON THE 45. HE STATED THAT HE, TOO, WAS SELF-ANNOUNCING ON CTAF, BUT WAS UNSURE IF HE WAS XMITTING BECAUSE HIS RADIOS WERE NOT VERY GOOD AND HE WAS GETTING NO SIDETONE. HE THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE MIKE PLUG HAD BEEN PULLED OUT OF ITS JACK. CAUSES: DIFFICULTY OF SEE AND AVOID IN HAZE AT NIGHT IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN -- ACFT 'DISAPPEAR' INTO THE CITY LIGHTS. LACK OF USE OF LNDG LIGHTS BY THE OTHER ACFT. FAILURE OF THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT TO FIX A COM PROB THAT COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN FOUND AND SOLVED. FAILURE OF THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT TO EXERCISE DUE CAUTION KNOWING HE HAD A COM PROB. FAILURE TO FULLY SEE AND AVOID ACFT IN THE PATTERN. SOLUTIONS: OP LIGHTS ON! BETTER PROB SOLVING BY THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT.

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.