Near midair collision in night operation during visual approach procedure.

Attributes
ACN	320428
Time
Date	199511
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : luk
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1200 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cvg tower : luk
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Falcon 10C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Cessna Citation Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 19993
ASRS Report	320428
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

We were inbound to luk on an IFR flight plan with good VMC and airport in sight. The approach controller cleared us for a visual approach to runway 25 with instructions to keep our 'speed up.' we were positioned on a wide left base to runway 25 when TRACON handed us off to luk tower. When we reported our position to the tower controller, he advised us of VFR inbound traffic (a piston twin) at our 1 O'clock position and instructed me to widen my pattern to follow that traffic. I gained visual contact with the piston aircraft and turned to a heading of approximately 360 degrees for lateral separation. On this heading, my copilot called to my attention inbound traffic at our 12:30 O'clock position. He then asked the tower controller if he was working the aircraft. The tower controller responded that the traffic was an inbound citation still on approach control frequency. At this time my aircraft and the citation were on converging flight paths. I instructed my copilot to maintain visual contact with the citation as I maneuvered my aircraft in a left turn for spacing behind the inbound piston aircraft now on final. While in the turn, my copilot advised me that the citation traffic was on a collision course with us and that I had 'better get it down.' there was urgency in his advisory, and it was followed by a TCASII traffic alert indicating the close proximity of the citation (less than 400 ft vertical separation). I nosed my aircraft over attaining a sink-rate of 1800 FPM before initiating recovery. At this point my aircraft was lined up on final. As I looked out my cockpit side window, I could see the citation in a left turn passing directly overhead with less than 500 ft vertical separation. My visual approach was completed without further incident. It appears that poor communication between cvg TRACON and luk tower coupled with the failure of the citation crew to maintain adequate visual separation from my aircraft led to this incident with near tragic consequences.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC IN NIGHT OP DURING VISUAL APCH PROC.

Narrative: WE WERE INBOUND TO LUK ON AN IFR FLT PLAN WITH GOOD VMC AND ARPT IN SIGHT. THE APCH CTLR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 25 WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO KEEP OUR 'SPD UP.' WE WERE POSITIONED ON A WIDE L BASE TO RWY 25 WHEN TRACON HANDED US OFF TO LUK TWR. WHEN WE RPTED OUR POS TO THE TWR CTLR, HE ADVISED US OF VFR INBOUND TFC (A PISTON TWIN) AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS AND INSTRUCTED ME TO WIDEN MY PATTERN TO FOLLOW THAT TFC. I GAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE PISTON ACFT AND TURNED TO A HDG OF APPROX 360 DEGS FOR LATERAL SEPARATION. ON THIS HDG, MY COPLT CALLED TO MY ATTN INBOUND TFC AT OUR 12:30 O'CLOCK POS. HE THEN ASKED THE TWR CTLR IF HE WAS WORKING THE ACFT. THE TWR CTLR RESPONDED THAT THE TFC WAS AN INBOUND CITATION STILL ON APCH CTL FREQ. AT THIS TIME MY ACFT AND THE CITATION WERE ON CONVERGING FLT PATHS. I INSTRUCTED MY COPLT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE CITATION AS I MANEUVERED MY ACFT IN A L TURN FOR SPACING BEHIND THE INBOUND PISTON ACFT NOW ON FINAL. WHILE IN THE TURN, MY COPLT ADVISED ME THAT THE CITATION TFC WAS ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH US AND THAT I HAD 'BETTER GET IT DOWN.' THERE WAS URGENCY IN HIS ADVISORY, AND IT WAS FOLLOWED BY A TCASII TFC ALERT INDICATING THE CLOSE PROX OF THE CITATION (LESS THAN 400 FT VERT SEPARATION). I NOSED MY ACFT OVER ATTAINING A SINK-RATE OF 1800 FPM BEFORE INITIATING RECOVERY. AT THIS POINT MY ACFT WAS LINED UP ON FINAL. AS I LOOKED OUT MY COCKPIT SIDE WINDOW, I COULD SEE THE CITATION IN A L TURN PASSING DIRECTLY OVERHEAD WITH LESS THAN 500 FT VERT SEPARATION. MY VISUAL APCH WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IT APPEARS THAT POOR COM BTWN CVG TRACON AND LUK TWR COUPLED WITH THE FAILURE OF THE CITATION CREW TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE VISUAL SEPARATION FROM MY ACFT LED TO THIS INCIDENT WITH NEAR TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES.

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.