A private pilot observed an small transport twin make a base leg turn on approach to landing at an u...

Attributes
ACN	294181
Time
Date	199501
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : i69
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 150 agl bound upper : 250
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 83 flight time type : 82
ASRS Report	294181
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The aircraft was approaching at the 11 O'clock position, from where I was standing. The aircraft made a left turn, from downwind to short base leg, left turn to final. I was approximately 800 ft from his flight path - base leg. He was just above the trees. 80 ft trees. This took place at XA00 pm. It was dark, 5 mi visibility. Off to my left at 9 O'clock position, was a transmission power line, ht 100 ft approximately. Backgrnd lighting for tower. My main concern is that he wasn't aware how close he was to the power lines. As the aircraft continued to the airport, I looked at his approximately flight path over trees, and again to the tower to my left. My estimate is that he just cleared the power lines. This aircraft caught my atention as I was coming out of apartment to go to batavia. His landing lights were on. Sounded like a twin engine. I very seldom see an aircraft using the left side of the airport. Most aircraft I see use the right side. Location of apartment complex. He was using left base for runway 4. The left turn was 2 NM from the airport. Clermont county airport 848 ft plus 1000 ft equals 1848 ft. I think the pilot traveled too far from the end of the runway. Maybe was looking for a long final. Allowed the decision ht to get too low. He was just above the tops of the tall trees. 100 ft and 2 NM from end of runway. To prevent a recurrence is to warn the pilot of his ground track and ht above ground. More time spent on airport familiarity. Also decision ht needs attention. Advisory sve at airport warning of transmission power lines for left base RWY4.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT OBSERVED AN SMT TWIN MAKE A BASE LEG TURN ON APCH TO LNDG AT AN UNCTLED ARPT DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO PWR LINES AND TREES AT NIGHT.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS APCHING AT THE 11 O'CLOCK POS, FROM WHERE I WAS STANDING. THE ACFT MADE A L TURN, FROM DOWNWIND TO SHORT BASE LEG, L TURN TO FINAL. I WAS APPROX 800 FT FROM HIS FLT PATH - BASE LEG. HE WAS JUST ABOVE THE TREES. 80 FT TREES. THIS TOOK PLACE AT XA00 PM. IT WAS DARK, 5 MI VISIBILITY. OFF TO MY L AT 9 O'CLOCK POS, WAS A XMISSION PWR LINE, HT 100 FT APPROX. BACKGRND LIGHTING FOR TWR. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT HE WASN'T AWARE HOW CLOSE HE WAS TO THE PWR LINES. AS THE ACFT CONTINUED TO THE ARPT, I LOOKED AT HIS APPROX FLT PATH OVER TREES, AND AGAIN TO THE TWR TO MY L. MY ESTIMATE IS THAT HE JUST CLRED THE PWR LINES. THIS ACFT CAUGHT MY ATENTION AS I WAS COMING OUT OF APARTMENT TO GO TO BATAVIA. HIS LNDG LIGHTS WERE ON. SOUNDED LIKE A TWIN ENG. I VERY SELDOM SEE AN ACFT USING THE L SIDE OF THE ARPT. MOST ACFT I SEE USE THE R SIDE. LOCATION OF APARTMENT COMPLEX. HE WAS USING L BASE FOR RWY 4. THE L TURN WAS 2 NM FROM THE ARPT. CLERMONT COUNTY ARPT 848 FT PLUS 1000 FT EQUALS 1848 FT. I THINK THE PLT TRAVELED TOO FAR FROM THE END OF THE RWY. MAYBE WAS LOOKING FOR A LONG FINAL. ALLOWED THE DECISION HT TO GET TOO LOW. HE WAS JUST ABOVE THE TOPS OF THE TALL TREES. 100 FT AND 2 NM FROM END OF RWY. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE IS TO WARN THE PLT OF HIS GND TRACK AND HT ABOVE GND. MORE TIME SPENT ON ARPT FAMILIARITY. ALSO DECISION HT NEEDS ATTENTION. ADVISORY SVE AT ARPT WARNING OF XMISSION PWR LINES FOR L BASE RWY4.

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.

A private pilot observed an small transport twin make a base leg turn on approach to landing at an uncontrolled airport dangerously close to power lines and trees at night.