Narrative:

My aircraft, PA38-112, was wbound returning to our home base, tpf, fl, after a routine training flight. We were inbound at 800 ft MSL, straight and level flight attitude, preparing to enter a standard 45 degree, mid-field downwind for landing on runway 21 at tpf. (The standard pattern altitude at tpf is 800 ft MSL.) I noticed a cessna aircraft at our 9 O'clock position approaching from the south traveling north at a comparable altitude, and a helicopter at our 2 O'clock position traveling east and at a lower altitude. Since my student pilot was maintaining a steady flight course, and based upon visual observation of the cessna's flight path, I determined that, within a few seconds, we would cross well in front of the cessna with there being absolutely no hazard to either aircraft. Continued observation confirmed this conclusion since the cessna was now at approximately our 8 O'clock position. Just prior to the cessna passing behind our act, and slightly above, I observed the cessna make what appeared to be an intentional left bank so as to pass directly over our tail. There was no time to take any evasive action -- within a moment the cessna passed over our aircraft's tail and then he continued on a northerly course. Since I did recognize the helicopter as being based at tpf, I immediately called on tpf unicom (122.8) and asked if he observed what had just happened. He responded that he did observe the entire incident, including the cessna initiating a left bank, which appeared to him as being intentional. The cessna was an all red aircraft with retractable landing gear -- it could have been a C210. I was not able to get the n-number. However, the helicopter pilot stated that he recognized the aircraft as probably belonging to an FBO based at tampa international airport. It is my judgement that this action was intentional, on the part of the cessna pilot, in an effort to 'play' as if he were in the military making a strafing pass on another aircraft. Also, the pass was at the last moment and only at our tail so as to not be observed. It is easy to recognize our aircraft as a trainer, PA38-112, and assume that a student pilot might not see him make the pass since a student's concentration could be on entering a downwind. If the cessna pilot would have continued on his original flight path, there would have been no hazard. In order to prevent a recurrence it is important that pilots remain focused on the original purpose of their flts rather than interrupting, what may be considered routine, for having a little thrill if an opportunity is there

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERING TFC PATTERN HAS NMAC WITH ACFT DELIBERATELY TURNING TO PASS OVERHEAD.

Narrative: MY ACFT, PA38-112, WAS WBOUND RETURNING TO OUR HOME BASE, TPF, FL, AFTER A ROUTINE TRAINING FLT. WE WERE INBOUND AT 800 FT MSL, STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT ATTITUDE, PREPARING TO ENTER A STANDARD 45 DEG, MID-FIELD DOWNWIND FOR LNDG ON RWY 21 AT TPF. (THE STANDARD PATTERN ALT AT TPF IS 800 FT MSL.) I NOTICED A CESSNA ACFT AT OUR 9 O'CLOCK POS APCHING FROM THE S TRAVELING N AT A COMPARABLE ALT, AND A HELI AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS TRAVELING E AND AT A LOWER ALT. SINCE MY STUDENT PLT WAS MAINTAINING A STEADY FLT COURSE, AND BASED UPON VISUAL OBSERVATION OF THE CESSNA'S FLT PATH, I DETERMINED THAT, WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, WE WOULD CROSS WELL IN FRONT OF THE CESSNA WITH THERE BEING ABSOLUTELY NO HAZARD TO EITHER ACFT. CONTINUED OBSERVATION CONFIRMED THIS CONCLUSION SINCE THE CESSNA WAS NOW AT APPROX OUR 8 O'CLOCK POS. JUST PRIOR TO THE CESSNA PASSING BEHIND OUR ACT, AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE, I OBSERVED THE CESSNA MAKE WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN INTENTIONAL L BANK SO AS TO PASS DIRECTLY OVER OUR TAIL. THERE WAS NO TIME TO TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION -- WITHIN A MOMENT THE CESSNA PASSED OVER OUR ACFT'S TAIL AND THEN HE CONTINUED ON A NORTHERLY COURSE. SINCE I DID RECOGNIZE THE HELI AS BEING BASED AT TPF, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED ON TPF UNICOM (122.8) AND ASKED IF HE OBSERVED WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. HE RESPONDED THAT HE DID OBSERVE THE ENTIRE INCIDENT, INCLUDING THE CESSNA INITIATING A L BANK, WHICH APPEARED TO HIM AS BEING INTENTIONAL. THE CESSNA WAS AN ALL RED ACFT WITH RETRACTABLE LNDG GEAR -- IT COULD HAVE BEEN A C210. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE N-NUMBER. HOWEVER, THE HELI PLT STATED THAT HE RECOGNIZED THE ACFT AS PROBABLY BELONGING TO AN FBO BASED AT TAMPA INTL ARPT. IT IS MY JUDGEMENT THAT THIS ACTION WAS INTENTIONAL, ON THE PART OF THE CESSNA PLT, IN AN EFFORT TO 'PLAY' AS IF HE WERE IN THE MIL MAKING A STRAFING PASS ON ANOTHER ACFT. ALSO, THE PASS WAS AT THE LAST MOMENT AND ONLY AT OUR TAIL SO AS TO NOT BE OBSERVED. IT IS EASY TO RECOGNIZE OUR ACFT AS A TRAINER, PA38-112, AND ASSUME THAT A STUDENT PLT MIGHT NOT SEE HIM MAKE THE PASS SINCE A STUDENT'S CONCENTRATION COULD BE ON ENTERING A DOWNWIND. IF THE CESSNA PLT WOULD HAVE CONTINUED ON HIS ORIGINAL FLT PATH, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO HAZARD. IN ORDER TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PLTS REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF THEIR FLTS RATHER THAN INTERRUPTING, WHAT MAY BE CONSIDERED ROUTINE, FOR HAVING A LITTLE THRILL IF AN OPPORTUNITY IS THERE

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.