Narrative:

It started 15 mi northeast of hpn. As I approached the airport it became apparent that I would not be able to land VFR. When I was directly over the airport at 1500 ft MSL, I advised the tower controller that the airport was not in sight and that I should contact ny approach to 'pick up' an IFR clearance. They advised me to fly a heading of 270 degrees, which I proceeded to do. I contacted ny approach on 120.55, I believe, and told them that I needed the ILS runway 16 for hpn. They asked me if I was IFR equipped and able, and I responded affirmative to both questions. Ny approach advised me to fly a heading of 320 degrees. I turned the aircraft to the assigned heading of 320 degrees. I then began to set up my approach, tuning and identing the ILS and OM, the carmel VOR for my missed approach, and reviewed my chart for the approach. This is where the problem arose: while flying on my 320 degree assigned heading, it was apparent that I was on a direct heading for a B737 on the ILS runway 16 hpn. At that time it was apparent that there was plenty of separation so I decided to wait instead of questioning ATC. As I continued my flight path it was apparent that this was going to be a conflict. Just seconds before I was going to question ATC, the approach controller came on the frequency and advised me to turn left immediately. I began to turn to the left as he asked when he came on again and advised me that I was heading directly at a B737 on the ILS. At that point I was already in my turn to left. After he explained why I was turning left and why he needed me to turn left, he asked me what heading I was flying. I immediately advised the approach controller that I was on a heading of 325 degrees. I also heard the B737 jet being revectored for the ILS because I imagine his TCASII made him break off the approach and go missed. I know my heading was 325 degrees because I noted my heading when he told me to turn left immediately. I confirmed my heading with the heading indicator, magnetic compass, and VFR and LORAN. The LORAN actually read 323 degrees at that time. After being revectored for the approach I was given a heading of 110 degrees to intercept the final approach course and approach cleared me for the ILS runway 16 hpn. After 2 mins or so, I realized 110 degrees would not intercept the final approach because I turned 10 degrees to the left and the needle started to come alive. When I made my own correction angle, ATC advised me to turn 10 degrees left to get a better angle, which I already had done by then. The ILS was uneventful and the plane was landed without further occurrence. Things that could have affected my performance: the flight was a night training flight with a student pilot being prepped for his private pilot check ride. So I was in the right seat which could affect my view on the instruments. It could cause me to fly a heading of plus or minus 5 degrees I am sure. Also I thought it would be a good idea to explain what I was doing to the student so my attention was a bit averted to that. Also I was on a downwind radar vector for an unexpected ILS arrival so cockpit workload was high at that time. Things I should have done: been more authoritative and questioned ATC earlier of a situation of conflict. It definitely could have been avoided if I had acted more authoritative.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT WITH SPI ON NIGHT TRAINING FLT IS REQUIRED TO FILE IFR TO LAND AT DEST ARPT. THERE IS A HDG DEV AND ACFT IS ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH A B737. CTLR INTERVENES.

Narrative: IT STARTED 15 MI NE OF HPN. AS I APCHED THE ARPT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LAND VFR. WHEN I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT AT 1500 FT MSL, I ADVISED THE TWR CTLR THAT THE ARPT WAS NOT IN SIGHT AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT NY APCH TO 'PICK UP' AN IFR CLRNC. THEY ADVISED ME TO FLY A HDG OF 270 DEGS, WHICH I PROCEEDED TO DO. I CONTACTED NY APCH ON 120.55, I BELIEVE, AND TOLD THEM THAT I NEEDED THE ILS RWY 16 FOR HPN. THEY ASKED ME IF I WAS IFR EQUIPPED AND ABLE, AND I RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVE TO BOTH QUESTIONS. NY APCH ADVISED ME TO FLY A HDG OF 320 DEGS. I TURNED THE ACFT TO THE ASSIGNED HDG OF 320 DEGS. I THEN BEGAN TO SET UP MY APCH, TUNING AND IDENTING THE ILS AND OM, THE CARMEL VOR FOR MY MISSED APCH, AND REVIEWED MY CHART FOR THE APCH. THIS IS WHERE THE PROB AROSE: WHILE FLYING ON MY 320 DEG ASSIGNED HDG, IT WAS APPARENT THAT I WAS ON A DIRECT HDG FOR A B737 ON THE ILS RWY 16 HPN. AT THAT TIME IT WAS APPARENT THAT THERE WAS PLENTY OF SEPARATION SO I DECIDED TO WAIT INSTEAD OF QUESTIONING ATC. AS I CONTINUED MY FLT PATH IT WAS APPARENT THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A CONFLICT. JUST SECONDS BEFORE I WAS GOING TO QUESTION ATC, THE APCH CTLR CAME ON THE FREQ AND ADVISED ME TO TURN L IMMEDIATELY. I BEGAN TO TURN TO THE L AS HE ASKED WHEN HE CAME ON AGAIN AND ADVISED ME THAT I WAS HDG DIRECTLY AT A B737 ON THE ILS. AT THAT POINT I WAS ALREADY IN MY TURN TO L. AFTER HE EXPLAINED WHY I WAS TURNING L AND WHY HE NEEDED ME TO TURN L, HE ASKED ME WHAT HDG I WAS FLYING. I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED THE APCH CTLR THAT I WAS ON A HDG OF 325 DEGS. I ALSO HEARD THE B737 JET BEING REVECTORED FOR THE ILS BECAUSE I IMAGINE HIS TCASII MADE HIM BREAK OFF THE APCH AND GO MISSED. I KNOW MY HDG WAS 325 DEGS BECAUSE I NOTED MY HDG WHEN HE TOLD ME TO TURN L IMMEDIATELY. I CONFIRMED MY HDG WITH THE HDG INDICATOR, MAGNETIC COMPASS, AND VFR AND LORAN. THE LORAN ACTUALLY READ 323 DEGS AT THAT TIME. AFTER BEING REVECTORED FOR THE APCH I WAS GIVEN A HDG OF 110 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE AND APCH CLRED ME FOR THE ILS RWY 16 HPN. AFTER 2 MINS OR SO, I REALIZED 110 DEGS WOULD NOT INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH BECAUSE I TURNED 10 DEGS TO THE L AND THE NEEDLE STARTED TO COME ALIVE. WHEN I MADE MY OWN CORRECTION ANGLE, ATC ADVISED ME TO TURN 10 DEGS L TO GET A BETTER ANGLE, WHICH I ALREADY HAD DONE BY THEN. THE ILS WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE PLANE WAS LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER OCCURRENCE. THINGS THAT COULD HAVE AFFECTED MY PERFORMANCE: THE FLT WAS A NIGHT TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT PLT BEING PREPPED FOR HIS PVT PLT CHK RIDE. SO I WAS IN THE R SEAT WHICH COULD AFFECT MY VIEW ON THE INSTS. IT COULD CAUSE ME TO FLY A HDG OF PLUS OR MINUS 5 DEGS I AM SURE. ALSO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO EXPLAIN WHAT I WAS DOING TO THE STUDENT SO MY ATTN WAS A BIT AVERTED TO THAT. ALSO I WAS ON A DOWNWIND RADAR VECTOR FOR AN UNEXPECTED ILS ARR SO COCKPIT WORKLOAD WAS HIGH AT THAT TIME. THINGS I SHOULD HAVE DONE: BEEN MORE AUTHORITATIVE AND QUESTIONED ATC EARLIER OF A SIT OF CONFLICT. IT DEFINITELY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD ACTED MORE AUTHORITATIVE.

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.