Narrative:

We were en route between mie and laf in good VFR conditions at night. At approximately 8 DME east of laf we informed the ZAU controller that we had laf in sight and were subsequently cleared for a visual approach to runway 10. At this point we were already descending from our cruising altitude of 8000 ft through about 5000 ft. The center controller handed us over to the tower about 2 mi later. After advising us that 'radar service terminated or lost.' we continued the descent and set up for a left downwind for runway 10. The tower controller gave us landing clearance on runway 10. At no time were we issued traffic information from the laf tower. The first officer was flying and entered a normal left downwind about 2 mi out. Just prior to turning base (left) the other aircraft, a cherokee, appeared in the middle of the left windshield approximately 30 ft away and 5 ft higher than eye level. Our heading was 280 degrees and altitude was descending through 2400 ft. Cherokee's heading was about 30 degrees further northwest. Both the first officer and myself pushed full forward on the flight controls and we both heard and felt a pronounced 'bump' coming from the rear of the aircraft. Visually the cherokee went over the top of us and slightly left by a matter of ft. Because of the 'bump' we immediately thought we had made contact with the cherokee with our tail. I took the aircraft and elected to land in the partial flap confign as the aircraft appeared to be flying normally. The first officer confirmed the landing clearance and asked the tower about the other aircraft. Tower then informed us he knew nothing about any airplane in that vicinity. We had the tower call radar to tag the contact so we could find out if he was landing somewhere, etc. We landed without further incident deplaned our passenger and had maintenance check the aircraft over for a possible contact as per the company director of operations and chief pilot. No evidence of contact was found. Upon talking to tower, we discovered that the cherokee had indeed departed laf runways bound for lansing, il, and had been released to change frequencys. The controller thought he was of a sufficient distance away from the airport. The controller was able to subsequently get the cherokee on his radio and its pilot agreed it was a close call and that he didn't touch us. We surmise that the sound we heard was baggage hitting the ceiling in the baggage compartment. That in conjunction with the elevator hitting the stop. I feel that we followed procedures properly within the scope of company and FAA regulations. We were keeping a vigilant eye out for traffic. I feel we should have been given a TA. Additionally and most importantly TCASII would have prevented this. Our aircraft have been fitted with the wiring but the company will not install the control panel until the deadline by the FAA which continually is pushed back.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH 1900 FLC EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH CHEROKEE WHILE IN CLASS D TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE BTWN MIE AND LAF IN GOOD VFR CONDITIONS AT NIGHT. AT APPROX 8 DME E OF LAF WE INFORMED THE ZAU CTLR THAT WE HAD LAF IN SIGHT AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 10. AT THIS POINT WE WERE ALREADY DSNDING FROM OUR CRUISING ALT OF 8000 FT THROUGH ABOUT 5000 FT. THE CTR CTLR HANDED US OVER TO THE TWR ABOUT 2 MI LATER. AFTER ADVISING US THAT 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED OR LOST.' WE CONTINUED THE DSCNT AND SET UP FOR A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 10. THE TWR CTLR GAVE US LNDG CLRNC ON RWY 10. AT NO TIME WERE WE ISSUED TFC INFO FROM THE LAF TWR. THE FO WAS FLYING AND ENTERED A NORMAL L DOWNWIND ABOUT 2 MI OUT. JUST PRIOR TO TURNING BASE (L) THE OTHER ACFT, A CHEROKEE, APPEARED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE L WINDSHIELD APPROX 30 FT AWAY AND 5 FT HIGHER THAN EYE LEVEL. OUR HDG WAS 280 DEGS AND ALT WAS DSNDING THROUGH 2400 FT. CHEROKEE'S HDG WAS ABOUT 30 DEGS FURTHER NW. BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF PUSHED FULL FORWARD ON THE FLT CTLS AND WE BOTH HEARD AND FELT A PRONOUNCED 'BUMP' COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE ACFT. VISUALLY THE CHEROKEE WENT OVER THE TOP OF US AND SLIGHTLY L BY A MATTER OF FT. BECAUSE OF THE 'BUMP' WE IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT WE HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE CHEROKEE WITH OUR TAIL. I TOOK THE ACFT AND ELECTED TO LAND IN THE PARTIAL FLAP CONFIGN AS THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE FLYING NORMALLY. THE FO CONFIRMED THE LNDG CLRNC AND ASKED THE TWR ABOUT THE OTHER ACFT. TWR THEN INFORMED US HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT ANY AIRPLANE IN THAT VICINITY. WE HAD THE TWR CALL RADAR TO TAG THE CONTACT SO WE COULD FIND OUT IF HE WAS LNDG SOMEWHERE, ETC. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT DEPLANED OUR PAX AND HAD MAINT CHK THE ACFT OVER FOR A POSSIBLE CONTACT AS PER THE COMPANY DIRECTOR OF OPS AND CHIEF PLT. NO EVIDENCE OF CONTACT WAS FOUND. UPON TALKING TO TWR, WE DISCOVERED THAT THE CHEROKEE HAD INDEED DEPARTED LAF RWYS BOUND FOR LANSING, IL, AND HAD BEEN RELEASED TO CHANGE FREQS. THE CTLR THOUGHT HE WAS OF A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE ARPT. THE CTLR WAS ABLE TO SUBSEQUENTLY GET THE CHEROKEE ON HIS RADIO AND ITS PLT AGREED IT WAS A CLOSE CALL AND THAT HE DIDN'T TOUCH US. WE SURMISE THAT THE SOUND WE HEARD WAS BAGGAGE HITTING THE CEILING IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ELEVATOR HITTING THE STOP. I FEEL THAT WE FOLLOWED PROCS PROPERLY WITHIN THE SCOPE OF COMPANY AND FAA REGS. WE WERE KEEPING A VIGILANT EYE OUT FOR TFC. I FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN A TA. ADDITIONALLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY TCASII WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS. OUR ACFT HAVE BEEN FITTED WITH THE WIRING BUT THE COMPANY WILL NOT INSTALL THE CTL PANEL UNTIL THE DEADLINE BY THE FAA WHICH CONTINUALLY IS PUSHED BACK.

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.