Near midair collision between a tow aircraft during low altitude civil operation and a C141 on short...

Attributes
ACN	358923
Time
Date	199701
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cof
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 300 msl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cof
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Christen A-1 Huskey
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Transport
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Route In Use	approach : straight in approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	358923
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : military pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 175
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

On jan/sat/97 at approximately PM20, I was approved for transition sbound, along the beach into patrick AFB airspace from the cocoa beach area. The approval by patrick tower was based on an altitude of 500 ft or below, with instructions to report my northbound turn at the officers club. I had requested transition down to the officers club (south) and then back to the north up to cocoa beach area. I had a banner in tow at the time. I requested and received the current altimeter setting from ATC. I repeated ATC's instructions to report the northbound turn at the officers club upon my transition approval. As I proceeded down the beach toward the officers club, I took note of communication between ATC and an aircraft in the pattern at patrick. I wrongly assumed that patrick tower would space the 2 of us properly. When my aircraft was abeam the officers club I began my left 180 degree turn out to the east, and reported my northbound turn as instructed. Much to my surprise, there was a heavy C141 on short final to runway 20. I took immediate evasive action by diving, still heading east. The C141 had to go around. I'm convinced we would have collided had I not dived and the C141 throttled up. (The C141 pilot thought so as well.) this situation could have been avoided had the patrick controller been alert to the fact that the officers club and runway 20 are close enough together that proper spacing must be used when that particular runway is in use. I have hundreds of hours of tow experience on this beach and have made the south transition to the officers club hundreds of times.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A TOW ACFT DURING LOW ALT CIVIL OP AND A C141 ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 20 AT PATRICK AFB, FL. PROX OF MIL ARPT.

Narrative: ON JAN/SAT/97 AT APPROX PM20, I WAS APPROVED FOR TRANSITION SBOUND, ALONG THE BEACH INTO PATRICK AFB AIRSPACE FROM THE COCOA BEACH AREA. THE APPROVAL BY PATRICK TWR WAS BASED ON AN ALT OF 500 FT OR BELOW, WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO RPT MY NBOUND TURN AT THE OFFICERS CLUB. I HAD REQUESTED TRANSITION DOWN TO THE OFFICERS CLUB (S) AND THEN BACK TO THE N UP TO COCOA BEACH AREA. I HAD A BANNER IN TOW AT THE TIME. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED THE CURRENT ALTIMETER SETTING FROM ATC. I REPEATED ATC'S INSTRUCTIONS TO RPT THE NBOUND TURN AT THE OFFICERS CLUB UPON MY TRANSITION APPROVAL. AS I PROCEEDED DOWN THE BEACH TOWARD THE OFFICERS CLUB, I TOOK NOTE OF COM BTWN ATC AND AN ACFT IN THE PATTERN AT PATRICK. I WRONGLY ASSUMED THAT PATRICK TWR WOULD SPACE THE 2 OF US PROPERLY. WHEN MY ACFT WAS ABEAM THE OFFICERS CLUB I BEGAN MY L 180 DEG TURN OUT TO THE E, AND RPTED MY NBOUND TURN AS INSTRUCTED. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, THERE WAS A HVY C141 ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 20. I TOOK IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION BY DIVING, STILL HDG E. THE C141 HAD TO GAR. I'M CONVINCED WE WOULD HAVE COLLIDED HAD I NOT DIVED AND THE C141 THROTTLED UP. (THE C141 PLT THOUGHT SO AS WELL.) THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE PATRICK CTLR BEEN ALERT TO THE FACT THAT THE OFFICERS CLUB AND RWY 20 ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TOGETHER THAT PROPER SPACING MUST BE USED WHEN THAT PARTICULAR RWY IS IN USE. I HAVE HUNDREDS OF HRS OF TOW EXPERIENCE ON THIS BEACH AND HAVE MADE THE S TRANSITION TO THE OFFICERS CLUB HUNDREDS OF TIMES.

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.

Near midair collision between a tow aircraft during low altitude civil operation and a C141 on short final to runway 20 at patrick AFB, fl. Proximity of military airport.