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Flight crew of LR35 have near midair collision with baron on visual approach to apa while flying below class B airspace.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 381268 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199709 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : apa |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : den |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Learjet 35 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Baron 55/Cochise |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 4600 flight time type : 450 |
| ASRS Report | 381268 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 100 vertical : 700 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
While talking to den TRACON on approach to apa, we were assigned a heading and an altitude of 9000 ft. Approach controller was busy calling numerous traffic for many airplanes. Suddenly, we spotted a twin engine airplane very close and on a collision course. We spotted this traffic just as the controller called it out to us. An immediate and very rapid climb was performed to go over the traffic, which was on a near opposite course. Our aircraft came within 500-700 ft of each other. 1 passenger suffered a broken leg as a result of the maneuvering. The extremely crowded approach control frequency, and the very crowded airspace underneath the class B airspace contributed to this incident. Both pilots were being extremely vigilant and looking out of the airplane, only this vigilance prevented disaster. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he was able to communication with TRACON supervisor after landing. Supervisor took a report from him and explained that there was a very inexperienced controller on duty and he was handling a great deal of traffic. He notified the reporter as soon as he was able. By that time the aircraft was only 1 mi away. The baron was not in contact with ATC and was legal since he was below the floor of the class B airspace. There were no violations, consequently no FAA action, except the ATC report of the incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF LR35 HAVE NMAC WITH BARON ON VISUAL APCH TO APA WHILE FLYING BELOW CLASS B AIRSPACE.
Narrative: WHILE TALKING TO DEN TRACON ON APCH TO APA, WE WERE ASSIGNED A HDG AND AN ALT OF 9000 FT. APCH CTLR WAS BUSY CALLING NUMEROUS TFC FOR MANY AIRPLANES. SUDDENLY, WE SPOTTED A TWIN ENG AIRPLANE VERY CLOSE AND ON A COLLISION COURSE. WE SPOTTED THIS TFC JUST AS THE CTLR CALLED IT OUT TO US. AN IMMEDIATE AND VERY RAPID CLB WAS PERFORMED TO GO OVER THE TFC, WHICH WAS ON A NEAR OPPOSITE COURSE. OUR ACFT CAME WITHIN 500-700 FT OF EACH OTHER. 1 PAX SUFFERED A BROKEN LEG AS A RESULT OF THE MANEUVERING. THE EXTREMELY CROWDED APCH CTL FREQ, AND THE VERY CROWDED AIRSPACE UNDERNEATH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. BOTH PLTS WERE BEING EXTREMELY VIGILANT AND LOOKING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE, ONLY THIS VIGILANCE PREVENTED DISASTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE WAS ABLE TO COM WITH TRACON SUPVR AFTER LNDG. SUPVR TOOK A RPT FROM HIM AND EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS A VERY INEXPERIENCED CTLR ON DUTY AND HE WAS HANDLING A GREAT DEAL OF TFC. HE NOTIFIED THE RPTR AS SOON AS HE WAS ABLE. BY THAT TIME THE ACFT WAS ONLY 1 MI AWAY. THE BARON WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH ATC AND WAS LEGAL SINCE HE WAS BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. THERE WERE NO VIOLATIONS, CONSEQUENTLY NO FAA ACTION, EXCEPT THE ATC RPT OF THE INCIDENT.
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.