Narrative:

Mid-afternoon VFR training flight, conducted by a cfii, with a private pilot transitioning from a C172 to a piper warrior. WX was VFR (ceiling 8000 ft overcast, visibility 5 mi in haze). Traveling eastbound to home airport, dpa, from the practice area, pilots reported in, from about 25 NM away, to dpa control tower and were told to report 'crossing the river for left downwind to runway 28.' runway 28 is not served by an instrument approach, but its reciprocal, runway 10, has a full ILS. In order to provide some ILS tracking experience to the private pilot, cfii set up the pilot on the ILS runway 10 approach after assessing, by monitoring both dpa tower and chicago approach, that no traffic conflicts existed. Private pilot flew approach and, at proper time, cfii reported to dpa tower that the piper was 'over the river' ('the river' is located about 4 NM west of dpa). About 1 NM away from dpa, the aircraft started a circling maneuver for a downwind entry to runway 28. The dpa tower requested the maneuver due to an aircraft departing runway 28. Neither chicago approach nor the dpa tower cleared the piper for the approach because the piper was flying under VFR and not under IFR. However, in accordance with the 'see and avoid' traffic avoidance concept, the piper maintaining adequate vigilance for potentially conflicting traffic, of which there was none until the runway 28 departure. Lessons learned: the cfii should have informed the dpa tower of the piper's intentions. The dpa tower should have noticed, at an earlier time, the piper tracking the localizer because the dpa tower has the appropriate radar system in place. Both of these improvements would have contributed further the safety around dpa.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSTRUCTOR AND HIS STUDENT ENTER THE PATTERN AT A BUSY ARPT IMPROPERLY BECAUSE THE INSTRUCTOR WAS HAVING THE STUDENT TRACK THE LOC FOR THE RECIPROCAL OF THE ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: MID-AFTERNOON VFR TRAINING FLT, CONDUCTED BY A CFII, WITH A PVT PLT TRANSITIONING FROM A C172 TO A PIPER WARRIOR. WX WAS VFR (CEILING 8000 FT OVCST, VISIBILITY 5 MI IN HAZE). TRAVELING EBOUND TO HOME ARPT, DPA, FROM THE PRACTICE AREA, PLTS RPTED IN, FROM ABOUT 25 NM AWAY, TO DPA CTL TWR AND WERE TOLD TO RPT 'XING THE RIVER FOR L DOWNWIND TO RWY 28.' RWY 28 IS NOT SERVED BY AN INST APCH, BUT ITS RECIPROCAL, RWY 10, HAS A FULL ILS. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SOME ILS TRACKING EXPERIENCE TO THE PVT PLT, CFII SET UP THE PLT ON THE ILS RWY 10 APCH AFTER ASSESSING, BY MONITORING BOTH DPA TWR AND CHICAGO APCH, THAT NO TFC CONFLICTS EXISTED. PVT PLT FLEW APCH AND, AT PROPER TIME, CFII RPTED TO DPA TWR THAT THE PIPER WAS 'OVER THE RIVER' ('THE RIVER' IS LOCATED ABOUT 4 NM W OF DPA). ABOUT 1 NM AWAY FROM DPA, THE ACFT STARTED A CIRCLING MANEUVER FOR A DOWNWIND ENTRY TO RWY 28. THE DPA TWR REQUESTED THE MANEUVER DUE TO AN ACFT DEPARTING RWY 28. NEITHER CHICAGO APCH NOR THE DPA TWR CLRED THE PIPER FOR THE APCH BECAUSE THE PIPER WAS FLYING UNDER VFR AND NOT UNDER IFR. HOWEVER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE 'SEE AND AVOID' TFC AVOIDANCE CONCEPT, THE PIPER MAINTAINING ADEQUATE VIGILANCE FOR POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING TFC, OF WHICH THERE WAS NONE UNTIL THE RWY 28 DEP. LESSONS LEARNED: THE CFII SHOULD HAVE INFORMED THE DPA TWR OF THE PIPER'S INTENTIONS. THE DPA TWR SHOULD HAVE NOTICED, AT AN EARLIER TIME, THE PIPER TRACKING THE LOC BECAUSE THE DPA TWR HAS THE APPROPRIATE RADAR SYS IN PLACE. BOTH OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED FURTHER THE SAFETY AROUND DPA.

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.