Narrative:

Flying into jackson county airport 'reynolds field.' located at jackson, michigan, on feb/xx/95 at or about XA30 am, which I have done many times before. I attempted to contact jxn tower twice at 6 NM northeast of airport. The controller then advised me on my 2ND try, that I was on unicom frequency. I had forgotten to switch to my #2 radio that had jxn tower frequency in it. At that time I made contact with jxn tower, and advised them of my position and that I had latest ATIS and was landing at jxn. The controller cleared me into jxn air traffic area with straight in approach to landing runway 24 and advised me to report the prison (about 2 mi further in. At that time I had preceding aircraft in sight. Approaching the prison I lost sight of preceding aircraft and then asked my passenger to help locate it. We were both looking for the aircraft when I contacted jxn tower to advise them of my present position at the prison 'before entering jxn air traffic area. Note: I had landing light on.' at the prison I contacted jxn tower. I heard a transmission from the other aircraft stating I had overflown them by about 50 ft (other pilot estimate). I did not see the other aircraft. The jxn tower then wanted to know which aircraft had their landing light on. I informed them it was my aircraft. Jxn tower then cleared me to land first and had the other aircraft make a right turn and go around and land also. 'In retrospect I may have been distraction by my radio not being set to correct frequency.' I should have been more aggressive in letting jxn tower know I had lost sight of the other aircraft. I also learned later that the other aircraft was on simulated ILS approach to runway 24. I was very surprised when I learned that jxn tower was not aware of my position in relation to the other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC. VFR PLT ON APCH LOST SIGHT OF PRECEDING ACFT AND PASSED 50 FT OVER IT.

Narrative: FLYING INTO JACKSON COUNTY ARPT 'REYNOLDS FIELD.' LOCATED AT JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ON FEB/XX/95 AT OR ABOUT XA30 AM, WHICH I HAVE DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT JXN TWR TWICE AT 6 NM NE OF ARPT. THE CTLR THEN ADVISED ME ON MY 2ND TRY, THAT I WAS ON UNICOM FREQ. I HAD FORGOTTEN TO SWITCH TO MY #2 RADIO THAT HAD JXN TWR FREQ IN IT. AT THAT TIME I MADE CONTACT WITH JXN TWR, AND ADVISED THEM OF MY POS AND THAT I HAD LATEST ATIS AND WAS LNDG AT JXN. THE CTLR CLRED ME INTO JXN ATA WITH STRAIGHT IN APCH TO LNDG RWY 24 AND ADVISED ME TO RPT THE PRISON (ABOUT 2 MI FURTHER IN. AT THAT TIME I HAD PRECEDING ACFT IN SIGHT. APCHING THE PRISON I LOST SIGHT OF PRECEDING ACFT AND THEN ASKED MY PAX TO HELP LOCATE IT. WE WERE BOTH LOOKING FOR THE ACFT WHEN I CONTACTED JXN TWR TO ADVISE THEM OF MY PRESENT POS AT THE PRISON 'BEFORE ENTERING JXN ATA. NOTE: I HAD LNDG LIGHT ON.' AT THE PRISON I CONTACTED JXN TWR. I HEARD A XMISSION FROM THE OTHER ACFT STATING I HAD OVERFLOWN THEM BY ABOUT 50 FT (OTHER PLT ESTIMATE). I DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT. THE JXN TWR THEN WANTED TO KNOW WHICH ACFT HAD THEIR LNDG LIGHT ON. I INFORMED THEM IT WAS MY ACFT. JXN TWR THEN CLRED ME TO LAND FIRST AND HAD THE OTHER ACFT MAKE A R TURN AND GAR AND LAND ALSO. 'IN RETROSPECT I MAY HAVE BEEN DISTR BY MY RADIO NOT BEING SET TO CORRECT FREQ.' I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN LETTING JXN TWR KNOW I HAD LOST SIGHT OF THE OTHER ACFT. I ALSO LEARNED LATER THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS ON SIMULATED ILS APCH TO RWY 24. I WAS VERY SURPRISED WHEN I LEARNED THAT JXN TWR WAS NOT AWARE OF MY POS IN RELATION TO 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.