Narrative:

At a distance of 18 statute mi from my intended landing site at manchester, nh, I contacted mht approach, on a frequency of 124.9. The controller acknowledged, and issued me a squawk. However, there was no confirmation for a couple of mins. I listened as the controller was having an apparent communications problem with another aircraft. This unidented aircraft had called, and the controller reported that the aircraft's radio was scratchy. After a break of 1-2 mins, the aircraft called again, and was reported readable, but the controller and the pilot were seeming to be having a small confusion over what information the pilot was seeking and how the pilot was communicating. Meanwhile, I was approximately 14 mi out from mht with the airport in sight, flying a heading of approximately 240-270 degrees. At this time I asked if the controller 'had mooney.' there was no response. There were numerous aircraft being worked by this controller, and he seemed quite busy. Since he had given me a squawk code and had not told me to stay out of the arsa, I continued for another min or so. The controller then came back on the air, and seemed to be ready to give me another squawk code. 'Mooney, squawk...' and he gave me 2 digits, then seemed to change his mind and requested that I 'identify.' I immediately did as requested. After the light on my transponder went out, I squawked once again. At that time, while about 8 mi from mht, my passenger tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to my 7 O'clock position. A single engine cessna was at that position approximately 250 ft behind me, and 100 ft above me. He was heading in the same direction as we were at the time. I took evasive action to the right, turning approximately to a heading of 290 degrees. I contacted mht approach and told them that a cessna was right on top of me, and asked if they were working him. The reply was, 'yeah, that's the one I told you about.' I have no recollection whatsoever of him telling me that there was traffic in my area. I was using a lightspeed 20K noise canceling headset, and would have heard him say something. He then radioed the cessna behind and above me, told him to make a left 360 degree maneuver, and follow me in. My landing was without further incident. It is my opinion that the controller was extremely busy, and that fact may have added to his confusion. When there is a lot of activity around mht, things can get hairy. At no time were either myself or the cessna in immediate danger. However, later on the ground a pilot friend stated that he had heard the controller ask the cessna whether or not he wanted to make a 'near miss' report. The cessna, according to this source, said that 'they were thinking about it.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A MOONEY MARK10 ENTERING A CLASS C AIRSPACE AND A SEL CESSNA ALSO ENTERING THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AND APCHING TO LAND. THE MOONEY PLT MADE A R TURN TO AVOID THE CESSNA.

Narrative: AT A DISTANCE OF 18 STATUTE MI FROM MY INTENDED LNDG SITE AT MANCHESTER, NH, I CONTACTED MHT APCH, ON A FREQ OF 124.9. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED, AND ISSUED ME A SQUAWK. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO CONFIRMATION FOR A COUPLE OF MINS. I LISTENED AS THE CTLR WAS HAVING AN APPARENT COMS PROB WITH ANOTHER ACFT. THIS UNIDENTED ACFT HAD CALLED, AND THE CTLR RPTED THAT THE ACFT'S RADIO WAS SCRATCHY. AFTER A BREAK OF 1-2 MINS, THE ACFT CALLED AGAIN, AND WAS RPTED READABLE, BUT THE CTLR AND THE PLT WERE SEEMING TO BE HAVING A SMALL CONFUSION OVER WHAT INFO THE PLT WAS SEEKING AND HOW THE PLT WAS COMMUNICATING. MEANWHILE, I WAS APPROX 14 MI OUT FROM MHT WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT, FLYING A HEADING OF APPROX 240-270 DEGS. AT THIS TIME I ASKED IF THE CTLR 'HAD MOONEY.' THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT BEING WORKED BY THIS CTLR, AND HE SEEMED QUITE BUSY. SINCE HE HAD GIVEN ME A SQUAWK CODE AND HAD NOT TOLD ME TO STAY OUT OF THE ARSA, I CONTINUED FOR ANOTHER MIN OR SO. THE CTLR THEN CAME BACK ON THE AIR, AND SEEMED TO BE READY TO GIVE ME ANOTHER SQUAWK CODE. 'MOONEY, SQUAWK...' AND HE GAVE ME 2 DIGITS, THEN SEEMED TO CHANGE HIS MIND AND REQUESTED THAT I 'IDENT.' I IMMEDIATELY DID AS REQUESTED. AFTER THE LIGHT ON MY XPONDER WENT OUT, I SQUAWKED ONCE AGAIN. AT THAT TIME, WHILE ABOUT 8 MI FROM MHT, MY PAX TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULDER AND POINTED TO MY 7 O'CLOCK POS. A SINGLE ENG CESSNA WAS AT THAT POS APPROX 250 FT BEHIND ME, AND 100 FT ABOVE ME. HE WAS HEADING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS WE WERE AT THE TIME. I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO THE R, TURNING APPROX TO A HDG OF 290 DEGS. I CONTACTED MHT APCH AND TOLD THEM THAT A CESSNA WAS RIGHT ON TOP OF ME, AND ASKED IF THEY WERE WORKING HIM. THE REPLY WAS, 'YEAH, THAT'S THE ONE I TOLD YOU ABOUT.' I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION WHATSOEVER OF HIM TELLING ME THAT THERE WAS TFC IN MY AREA. I WAS USING A LIGHTSPEED 20K NOISE CANCELING HEADSET, AND WOULD HAVE HEARD HIM SAY SOMETHING. HE THEN RADIOED THE CESSNA BEHIND AND ABOVE ME, TOLD HIM TO MAKE A L 360 DEG MANEUVER, AND FOLLOW ME IN. MY LNDG WAS WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, AND THAT FACT MAY HAVE ADDED TO HIS CONFUSION. WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF ACTIVITY AROUND MHT, THINGS CAN GET HAIRY. AT NO TIME WERE EITHER MYSELF OR THE CESSNA IN IMMEDIATE DANGER. HOWEVER, LATER ON THE GND A PLT FRIEND STATED THAT HE HAD HEARD THE CTLR ASK THE CESSNA WHETHER OR NOT HE WANTED TO MAKE A 'NEAR MISS' RPT. THE CESSNA, ACCORDING TO THIS SOURCE, SAID THAT 'THEY WERE THINKING ABOUT IT.'

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.