Narrative:

I was on a solo flight from gai to W54 on a heading of 18 degrees at 2500 ft and I had descended to 2000 ft and wa turning or had already turned to a heading of about 064 degrees and was continuing my descent to pattern altitude (1600 ft). I had called AWOS and also unicom to get active runway. I did not understand unicom's words on which runway, but I overheard another pilot receiving advisory that runway in use was 34. I planned to go around the south side of airport to the east and come back in on a 45 degree for downwind. I was at approximately 1800 ft at a location south of the airport about 2 NM from the end of the runway. I saw nothing in front of me or on either side, and then I felt something hit the plane that could not be mistaken for turbulence. Since the plane seemed to be normal, I thought perhaps I had hit a large bird. I called carroll city traffic and idented my aircraft and that I thought I had been hit. Another pilot radioed, saying he thought his plane had barely touched my plane. I announced that I was making a straight in landing on runway 34 and I proceeded to descend on a long final, adding flaps, etc. Landed plane to find that about 6 inches was cut off the top of the rudder. Pilot of the other plane landed and his propeller was damaged. Cause of this accident -- pilot in airplane behind and above mine did not see my plane until he was almost on it and tried to take evasive action too late. To avoid this. I could have announced my location 5 mi out and I should have been higher or further from airport to go out to return on 45 degree for downwind. Other pilot should have been more alert visually and should have realized another plane was in vicinity asking for active.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS MIDAIR COLLISION, MAKES IT TO THE ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS ON A SOLO FLT FROM GAI TO W54 ON A HDG OF 18 DEGS AT 2500 FT AND I HAD DSNDED TO 2000 FT AND WA TURNING OR HAD ALREADY TURNED TO A HDG OF ABOUT 064 DEGS AND WAS CONTINUING MY DSCNT TO PATTERN ALT (1600 FT). I HAD CALLED AWOS AND ALSO UNICOM TO GET ACTIVE RWY. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND UNICOM'S WORDS ON WHICH RWY, BUT I OVERHEARD ANOTHER PLT RECEIVING ADVISORY THAT RWY IN USE WAS 34. I PLANNED TO GAR THE S SIDE OF ARPT TO THE E AND COME BACK IN ON A 45 DEG FOR DOWNWIND. I WAS AT APPROX 1800 FT AT A LOCATION S OF THE ARPT ABOUT 2 NM FROM THE END OF THE RWY. I SAW NOTHING IN FRONT OF ME OR ON EITHER SIDE, AND THEN I FELT SOMETHING HIT THE PLANE THAT COULD NOT BE MISTAKEN FOR TURB. SINCE THE PLANE SEEMED TO BE NORMAL, I THOUGHT PERHAPS I HAD HIT A LARGE BIRD. I CALLED CARROLL CITY TFC AND IDENTED MY ACFT AND THAT I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN HIT. ANOTHER PLT RADIOED, SAYING HE THOUGHT HIS PLANE HAD BARELY TOUCHED MY PLANE. I ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS MAKING A STRAIGHT IN LNDG ON RWY 34 AND I PROCEEDED TO DSND ON A LONG FINAL, ADDING FLAPS, ETC. LANDED PLANE TO FIND THAT ABOUT 6 INCHES WAS CUT OFF THE TOP OF THE RUDDER. PLT OF THE OTHER PLANE LANDED AND HIS PROP WAS DAMAGED. CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT -- PLT IN AIRPLANE BEHIND AND ABOVE MINE DID NOT SEE MY PLANE UNTIL HE WAS ALMOST ON IT AND TRIED TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TOO LATE. TO AVOID THIS. I COULD HAVE ANNOUNCED MY LOCATION 5 MI OUT AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHER OR FURTHER FROM ARPT TO GO OUT TO RETURN ON 45 DEG FOR DOWNWIND. OTHER PLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERT VISUALLY AND SHOULD HAVE REALIZED ANOTHER PLANE WAS IN VICINITY ASKING FOR ACTIVE.

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.