Pilot of a C172 on downwind in traffic pattern has head on traffic at same altitude. He turns as doe...

Attributes
ACN	409207
Time
Date	199807
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 8b8
State Reference	NH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1400 msl bound upper : 1400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 360 flight time type : 360
ASRS Report	409207
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 600 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

As I entered the traffic pattern from a 45 degree to downwind, I observed approaching traffic coming at me at about 3 mi same altitude. I deviated right to avoid until I was sure there was no conflict. Other aircraft appeared to turn to his right and flew over town. I continued my approach to the airport runway 30, advising on CTAF on downwind, base, and final. While on final, we saw the other aircraft approaching us from our right. We watched the aircraft constantly, expecting it to turn upwind for an approach to runway 30. About the time I decided he wasn't going to turn, he saw us 'finally' and deviated course as we were on final and below him. He claims I cut him off on final. As we saw it he was nowhere near the airport or the extended runway centerline and was approaching the airport using a right base approach to runway 30. The local traffic pattern is left hand. The unfortunate part is that I contributed to the problem because my radios were not transmitting, although they were receiving. I did not know this at the time, and am sure he had no idea I was in the pattern as the daylight was fading and he could not hear my calls. There was also local float plane activity to add to the radio confusion. After landing and checking the radios, I discovered I had incorrectly connected my headsets to them and they did work properly. However I believe the whole conflict could have been avoided had the other pilot flown the local traffic pattern the correct way. After a very heated argument with a very arrogant dakota pilot, I went and found my local CFI who observed the conflict, to find out if I had been wrong. After a detailed description of event, we concluded that even though the radios weren't working, I still flew the proper approach, was lower and had the right of way. However, a close call makes no one happy, right or wrong and I'm happy it only resulted in elevated blood pressure and a long talk with my CFI.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C172 ON DOWNWIND IN TFC PATTERN HAS HEAD ON TFC AT SAME ALT. HE TURNS AS DOES THE PA28 PLT. CONTINUING THE APCH RPTR SIGHTS THE OTHER ACFT APCHING FROM THE R AND ABOVE. THE SECOND ACFT FINALLY TAKES ACTION AND TURNS AWAY, BUT LATER COMPLAINS THAT HE WAS CUT OFF.

Narrative: AS I ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN FROM A 45 DEG TO DOWNWIND, I OBSERVED APCHING TFC COMING AT ME AT ABOUT 3 MI SAME ALT. I DEVIATED R TO AVOID UNTIL I WAS SURE THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. OTHER ACFT APPEARED TO TURN TO HIS R AND FLEW OVER TOWN. I CONTINUED MY APCH TO THE ARPT RWY 30, ADVISING ON CTAF ON DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL. WHILE ON FINAL, WE SAW THE OTHER ACFT APCHING US FROM OUR R. WE WATCHED THE ACFT CONSTANTLY, EXPECTING IT TO TURN UPWIND FOR AN APCH TO RWY 30. ABOUT THE TIME I DECIDED HE WASN'T GOING TO TURN, HE SAW US 'FINALLY' AND DEVIATED COURSE AS WE WERE ON FINAL AND BELOW HIM. HE CLAIMS I CUT HIM OFF ON FINAL. AS WE SAW IT HE WAS NOWHERE NEAR THE ARPT OR THE EXTENDED RWY CTRLINE AND WAS APCHING THE ARPT USING A R BASE APCH TO RWY 30. THE LCL TFC PATTERN IS L HAND. THE UNFORTUNATE PART IS THAT I CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB BECAUSE MY RADIOS WERE NOT XMITTING, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE RECEIVING. I DID NOT KNOW THIS AT THE TIME, AND AM SURE HE HAD NO IDEA I WAS IN THE PATTERN AS THE DAYLIGHT WAS FADING AND HE COULD NOT HEAR MY CALLS. THERE WAS ALSO LCL FLOAT PLANE ACTIVITY TO ADD TO THE RADIO CONFUSION. AFTER LNDG AND CHKING THE RADIOS, I DISCOVERED I HAD INCORRECTLY CONNECTED MY HEADSETS TO THEM AND THEY DID WORK PROPERLY. HOWEVER I BELIEVE THE WHOLE CONFLICT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE OTHER PLT FLOWN THE LCL TFC PATTERN THE CORRECT WAY. AFTER A VERY HEATED ARGUMENT WITH A VERY ARROGANT DAKOTA PLT, I WENT AND FOUND MY LCL CFI WHO OBSERVED THE CONFLICT, TO FIND OUT IF I HAD BEEN WRONG. AFTER A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EVENT, WE CONCLUDED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE RADIOS WEREN'T WORKING, I STILL FLEW THE PROPER APCH, WAS LOWER AND HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY. HOWEVER, A CLOSE CALL MAKES NO ONE HAPPY, RIGHT OR WRONG AND I'M HAPPY IT ONLY RESULTED IN ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE AND A LONG TALK WITH MY CFI.

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.