Instructor in C152 with spi in traffic pattern has near midair collision with a merlin which enters ...

Attributes
ACN	403038
Time
Date	199805
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : prc
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : prc
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Merlin Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	403038
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Inbound from southeast of airport, we were instructed to enter on 2 mi left 45 degree to runway 21L. Just after reporting 2 mi 45 degree, a merlin reported 3 mi west of prc. Merlin was instructed to also enter on 2 mi left 45 degree. As we entered downwind, prc tower instructed us to follow a duchess ahead on final. We misidented the merlin (who was lost) as the duchess. About then, the merlin reported on 2 mi left 45 degree. They were actually entering right downwind runway 3R and turned directly into us. We turned right, at the same time prc tower asked merlin to say position. They were on right downwind abeam numbers runway 21L. Tower then 'politely as possible' notified the merlin to circle south until further advised. Why I submitted this ASRS form is that when on ground frequency the ground controller asked the merlin if they knew what they did. The merlin was totally unaware that they were southeast of the field instead of west as reported, and unaware that they entered the pattern and flew against the traffic pattern flow. If this had happened 1 month ago when all 3 flight schools at this airfield were in full operation, there would have been an accident. There are times of the day that the pattern is saturated with traffic and the last thing the prc controllers need is a fast moving aircraft doing things their way.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR IN C152 WITH SPI IN TFC PATTERN HAS NMAC WITH A MERLIN WHICH ENTERS TFC PATTERN INCORRECTLY AND IS HEAD ON WITH THE C152.

Narrative: INBOUND FROM SE OF ARPT, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO ENTER ON 2 MI L 45 DEG TO RWY 21L. JUST AFTER RPTING 2 MI 45 DEG, A MERLIN RPTED 3 MI W OF PRC. MERLIN WAS INSTRUCTED TO ALSO ENTER ON 2 MI L 45 DEG. AS WE ENTERED DOWNWIND, PRC TWR INSTRUCTED US TO FOLLOW A DUCHESS AHEAD ON FINAL. WE MISIDENTED THE MERLIN (WHO WAS LOST) AS THE DUCHESS. ABOUT THEN, THE MERLIN RPTED ON 2 MI L 45 DEG. THEY WERE ACTUALLY ENTERING R DOWNWIND RWY 3R AND TURNED DIRECTLY INTO US. WE TURNED R, AT THE SAME TIME PRC TWR ASKED MERLIN TO SAY POS. THEY WERE ON R DOWNWIND ABEAM NUMBERS RWY 21L. TWR THEN 'POLITELY AS POSSIBLE' NOTIFIED THE MERLIN TO CIRCLE S UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED. WHY I SUBMITTED THIS ASRS FORM IS THAT WHEN ON GND FREQ THE GND CTLR ASKED THE MERLIN IF THEY KNEW WHAT THEY DID. THE MERLIN WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE THAT THEY WERE SE OF THE FIELD INSTEAD OF W AS RPTED, AND UNAWARE THAT THEY ENTERED THE PATTERN AND FLEW AGAINST THE TFC PATTERN FLOW. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED 1 MONTH AGO WHEN ALL 3 FLT SCHOOLS AT THIS AIRFIELD WERE IN FULL OP, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE TIMES OF THE DAY THAT THE PATTERN IS SATURATED WITH TFC AND THE LAST THING THE PRC CTLRS NEED IS A FAST MOVING ACFT DOING THINGS THEIR WAY.

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.

Instructor in C152 with spi in traffic pattern has near midair collision with a merlin which enters traffic pattern incorrectly and is head on with the C152.