 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Near midair collision between a private pilot in a piper PA32 and a piper PA28 turning base to final in a controled class D airspace. Sun was in the pilot's eyes during turn to final.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 355091 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199612 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pdk |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : pdk |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 80 |
| ASRS Report | 355091 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 20 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Returning to pdk from ryy, flight of 2 aircraft, I was in lead. Cleared for right downwind to runway 34, follow cherokee on right base, report 3 mi. Reported 3 mi northwest and on entry to downwind. Cherokee reported he had me in sight. Told tower I was looking for traffic. Tower called traffic 12-1:30 O'clock position. I acknowledged. Difficult to see to the right of nose due to low sun angle. Extended downwind, looking for traffic to pass me on final (to the right) inbound. At about 4 mi southeast of the airport, I picked up shadow to my left. Cherokee crossed above me from 10:00 O'clock position, so close I could see oil stains on its belly. Just had time to determine that evasive action not needed. Advised tower of near miss. Then turned base and final. Tower thought it was a 4TH aircraft, at first. I suggested it was the cherokee on short final. Cherokee acknowledged it was him. After landing, tower apologized profusely on frequency and later on telephone, after I initiated call to tower. Tower advised me they had called traffic for the cherokee, not for me! I had a hearback error because I was expecting traffic to be at 12-1:00 O'clock position. However tower missed the fact that I responded to traffic call. (I don't know if cherokee responded or not.) tower totally missed what was happening on their BRITE display. Pilot of the plane behind me saw the 2 of us on an intersecting course, but assumed the cherokee would pass in front of me. In the future: 1) head on a swivel, even if I think I know where the traffic is. 2) listen for call sign on traffic calls. But basically I don't think I did anything wrong, just got sucked up into situation. Tower was asleep and other pilot out to lunch. I should have been cleared to land ahead of the cherokee.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NMAC BTWN A PVT PLT IN A PIPER PA32 AND A PIPER PA28 TURNING BASE TO FINAL IN A CTLED CLASS D AIRSPACE. SUN WAS IN THE PLT'S EYES DURING TURN TO FINAL.
Narrative: RETURNING TO PDK FROM RYY, FLT OF 2 ACFT, I WAS IN LEAD. CLRED FOR R DOWNWIND TO RWY 34, FOLLOW CHEROKEE ON R BASE, RPT 3 MI. RPTED 3 MI NW AND ON ENTRY TO DOWNWIND. CHEROKEE RPTED HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. TOLD TWR I WAS LOOKING FOR TFC. TWR CALLED TFC 12-1:30 O'CLOCK POS. I ACKNOWLEDGED. DIFFICULT TO SEE TO THE R OF NOSE DUE TO LOW SUN ANGLE. EXTENDED DOWNWIND, LOOKING FOR TFC TO PASS ME ON FINAL (TO THE R) INBOUND. AT ABOUT 4 MI SE OF THE ARPT, I PICKED UP SHADOW TO MY L. CHEROKEE CROSSED ABOVE ME FROM 10:00 O'CLOCK POS, SO CLOSE I COULD SEE OIL STAINS ON ITS BELLY. JUST HAD TIME TO DETERMINE THAT EVASIVE ACTION NOT NEEDED. ADVISED TWR OF NEAR MISS. THEN TURNED BASE AND FINAL. TWR THOUGHT IT WAS A 4TH ACFT, AT FIRST. I SUGGESTED IT WAS THE CHEROKEE ON SHORT FINAL. CHEROKEE ACKNOWLEDGED IT WAS HIM. AFTER LNDG, TWR APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY ON FREQ AND LATER ON TELEPHONE, AFTER I INITIATED CALL TO TWR. TWR ADVISED ME THEY HAD CALLED TFC FOR THE CHEROKEE, NOT FOR ME! I HAD A HEARBACK ERROR BECAUSE I WAS EXPECTING TFC TO BE AT 12-1:00 O'CLOCK POS. HOWEVER TWR MISSED THE FACT THAT I RESPONDED TO TFC CALL. (I DON'T KNOW IF CHEROKEE RESPONDED OR NOT.) TWR TOTALLY MISSED WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON THEIR BRITE DISPLAY. PLT OF THE PLANE BEHIND ME SAW THE 2 OF US ON AN INTERSECTING COURSE, BUT ASSUMED THE CHEROKEE WOULD PASS IN FRONT OF ME. IN THE FUTURE: 1) HEAD ON A SWIVEL, EVEN IF I THINK I KNOW WHERE THE TFC IS. 2) LISTEN FOR CALL SIGN ON TFC CALLS. BUT BASICALLY I DON'T THINK I DID ANYTHING WRONG, JUST GOT SUCKED UP INTO SIT. TWR WAS ASLEEP AND OTHER PLT OUT TO LUNCH. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED TO LAND AHEAD OF THE CHEROKEE.
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.