Near midair collision between an experimental pitts S2B descending to enter the downwind leg, after ...

Attributes
ACN	410113
Time
Date	199808
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sff
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : frg
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Experimental
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 49 flight time total : 2070 flight time type : 64
ASRS Report	410113
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 50 vertical : 250
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Sff tower closed XX00 local. Tower frequency is CTAF. At XX10, I called on CTAF 'felts traffic pitts small aircraft #1 (that's a farm strip 5 mi north of sff), planning right downwind runway 21R.' I proceeded southwest and descended for entry to downwind. At about 3 NM out, I heard '(unknown) small aircraft #2.' then heard 'small aircraft #3 on crosswind.' I announced that I would be crossing esmeralda (a golf course) en route to right downwind, and asked small aircraft #3 his position. He said turning right downwind. At 2 NM out I announced at esmeralda and asked small aircraft #3 where he was on downwind. He said mid-field. I was looking for him and figuring out how to stay behind, as I knew I was faster and I didn't want to fly an extremely wide pattern. As I spotted small aircraft #3 on downwind, I heard 'traffic at felts, small aircraft #2, you're right above us.' I looked left and down and saw a high wing cessna about 250 ft below (I was at 3000 ft pattern altitude, airport is 1953 ft MSL) and opposite direction. I said 'that was small aircraft #1 above you.' there was one other aircraft well behind me, also approaching sff, so there was some radio chatter as we all tried to figure out where the traffic was. Result: would be better for me to approach downwind over fancher hill to avoid departing traffic. But, I was trying to get well behind small aircraft #3, and the towers on fancher hill do look close. Small aircraft #2 could have announced his position better.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN EXPERIMENTAL PITTS S2B DSNDING TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND LEG, AFTER TWR CLOSING TIME, AND A SINGLE ENG CESSNA CLBING OUT AFTER TKOF. EVASIVE ACTION UNKNOWN SINCE THE OTHER ACFT CALLED OUT THAT RPTR WAS SIGHTED ABOVE HIM. RPTR THEN SPOTTED THE OTHER ACFT PASSING BELOW HIM.

Narrative: SFF TWR CLOSED XX00 LCL. TWR FREQ IS CTAF. AT XX10, I CALLED ON CTAF 'FELTS TFC PITTS SMA #1 (THAT'S A FARM STRIP 5 MI N OF SFF), PLANNING R DOWNWIND RWY 21R.' I PROCEEDED SW AND DSNDED FOR ENTRY TO DOWNWIND. AT ABOUT 3 NM OUT, I HEARD '(UNKNOWN) SMA #2.' THEN HEARD 'SMA #3 ON XWIND.' I ANNOUNCED THAT I WOULD BE XING ESMERALDA (A GOLF COURSE) ENRTE TO R DOWNWIND, AND ASKED SMA #3 HIS POS. HE SAID TURNING R DOWNWIND. AT 2 NM OUT I ANNOUNCED AT ESMERALDA AND ASKED SMA #3 WHERE HE WAS ON DOWNWIND. HE SAID MID-FIELD. I WAS LOOKING FOR HIM AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO STAY BEHIND, AS I KNEW I WAS FASTER AND I DIDN'T WANT TO FLY AN EXTREMELY WIDE PATTERN. AS I SPOTTED SMA #3 ON DOWNWIND, I HEARD 'TFC AT FELTS, SMA #2, YOU'RE RIGHT ABOVE US.' I LOOKED L AND DOWN AND SAW A HIGH WING CESSNA ABOUT 250 FT BELOW (I WAS AT 3000 FT PATTERN ALT, ARPT IS 1953 FT MSL) AND OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I SAID 'THAT WAS SMA #1 ABOVE YOU.' THERE WAS ONE OTHER ACFT WELL BEHIND ME, ALSO APCHING SFF, SO THERE WAS SOME RADIO CHATTER AS WE ALL TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE TFC WAS. RESULT: WOULD BE BETTER FOR ME TO APCH DOWNWIND OVER FANCHER HILL TO AVOID DEPARTING TFC. BUT, I WAS TRYING TO GET WELL BEHIND SMA #3, AND THE TWRS ON FANCHER HILL DO LOOK CLOSE. SMA #2 COULD HAVE ANNOUNCED HIS POS BETTER.

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.