Narrative:

I was joined by a friend and cfii, who was helping me with touch and goes at ramona airport, ca. We were in pattern (left traffic) at uncontrolled airport. We'd already done 4 touch and goes, tuned into 122.8 local unicom frequency and had been reporting all phases of our pattern: left crosswind, left downwind, left base, and final. We were only aircraft in pattern this afternoon. Frequency was quiet. We always climbed to traffic pattern altitude on downwind for all pattern entries. Field elevation 1393 ft. We climbed to 2400 ft before commencing downwind descent. On our fifth touch and go attempt. We climbed to traffic pattern altitude, announced position and altitude, did same on base, and as we turned to final. At base position we were probably 2200 ft MSL (900 ft AGL). Turned final and started to descend, probably at 1600 ft MSL) about (400-450 ft AGL), when my friend, who was in right seat of piper 28- 161, yelled out, 'oh, god, traffic below us, I got the plane!' he took control of plane and did a simultaneous left turn climb attitude. I looked out his window to see what spooked him. It was a cessna 172, directly below us on final too, no more than 100 ft slightly ahead of us. As we broke off our approach, I could not make out the tail numbers, but saw the plane land and taxi off the single runway. There had never been any contact from them on frequency - - they just showed up. No previous position reports, and no apology at the end. I doubt they ever saw us. Had friend not seen them, I would have continued descent right on the top of them -- I never saw the plane. It is possible they never had a radio -- or if did, never tuned it in to unicom. Otherwise, even if they didn't report, they would have heard us. We'd been there a good 1/2 hour or so. I believe they just entered final on a straight-in from the east -- disregarding proper procedures for uncontrolled airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he just recently heard about ASRS and began receiving callback. He decided he would contribute to our data base with a report involving a 1990 incident. Thus, the very late reporting. Reporter said it was a very traumatic experience for both he and the cfii who first sighted the aircraft and took evasive action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC ON FINAL AT NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS JOINED BY A FRIEND AND CFII, WHO WAS HELPING ME WITH TOUCH AND GOES AT RAMONA ARPT, CA. WE WERE IN PATTERN (L TFC) AT UNCTLED ARPT. WE'D ALREADY DONE 4 TOUCH AND GOES, TUNED INTO 122.8 LCL UNICOM FREQ AND HAD BEEN RPTING ALL PHASES OF OUR PATTERN: L XWIND, L DOWNWIND, L BASE, AND FINAL. WE WERE ONLY ACFT IN PATTERN THIS AFTERNOON. FREQ WAS QUIET. WE ALWAYS CLBED TO TFC PATTERN ALT ON DOWNWIND FOR ALL PATTERN ENTRIES. FIELD ELEVATION 1393 FT. WE CLBED TO 2400 FT BEFORE COMMENCING DOWNWIND DSCNT. ON OUR FIFTH TOUCH AND GO ATTEMPT. WE CLBED TO TFC PATTERN ALT, ANNOUNCED POS AND ALT, DID SAME ON BASE, AND AS WE TURNED TO FINAL. AT BASE POS WE WERE PROBABLY 2200 FT MSL (900 FT AGL). TURNED FINAL AND STARTED TO DSND, PROBABLY AT 1600 FT MSL) ABOUT (400-450 FT AGL), WHEN MY FRIEND, WHO WAS IN R SEAT OF PIPER 28- 161, YELLED OUT, 'OH, GOD, TFC BELOW US, I GOT THE PLANE!' HE TOOK CTL OF PLANE AND DID A SIMULTANEOUS L TURN CLB ATTITUDE. I LOOKED OUT HIS WINDOW TO SEE WHAT SPOOKED HIM. IT WAS A CESSNA 172, DIRECTLY BELOW US ON FINAL TOO, NO MORE THAN 100 FT SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF US. AS WE BROKE OFF OUR APCH, I COULD NOT MAKE OUT THE TAIL NUMBERS, BUT SAW THE PLANE LAND AND TAXI OFF THE SINGLE RWY. THERE HAD NEVER BEEN ANY CONTACT FROM THEM ON FREQ - - THEY JUST SHOWED UP. NO PREVIOUS POS RPTS, AND NO APOLOGY AT THE END. I DOUBT THEY EVER SAW US. HAD FRIEND NOT SEEN THEM, I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED DSCNT RIGHT ON THE TOP OF THEM -- I NEVER SAW THE PLANE. IT IS POSSIBLE THEY NEVER HAD A RADIO -- OR IF DID, NEVER TUNED IT IN TO UNICOM. OTHERWISE, EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T RPT, THEY WOULD HAVE HEARD US. WE'D BEEN THERE A GOOD 1/2 HR OR SO. I BELIEVE THEY JUST ENTERED FINAL ON A STRAIGHT-IN FROM THE E -- DISREGARDING PROPER PROCS FOR UNCTLED ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE JUST RECENTLY HEARD ABOUT ASRS AND BEGAN RECEIVING CALLBACK. HE DECIDED HE WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO OUR DATA BASE WITH A RPT INVOLVING A 1990 INCIDENT. THUS, THE VERY LATE RPTING. RPTR SAID IT WAS A VERY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH HE AND THE CFII WHO FIRST SIGHTED THE ACFT AND TOOK EVASIVE ACTION.

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.