Pilot of an MO20 on IFR approach has near midair collision with a piper 28 in traffic pattern at non...

Attributes
ACN	410773
Time
Date	199808
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mle
State Reference	NE
Altitude	agl bound lower : 400 agl bound upper : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oma
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 27 flight time total : 458 flight time type : 148
ASRS Report	410773
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan talking to omaha approach. 10 mi from mle, in class C airspace, I had not yet located the field. Forward visibility was estimated at 3-5 mi, so I elected to fly the NDB runway 12 approach and received vectors from omaha approach. Over weegi, 3 mi from the field, I saw mle, informed oma and got my clearance for the visual approach to runway 12 and approval for a frequency change. Mle AWOS reported winds calm and only instrument approachs are to runway 12. As soon as I switched to mle CTAF I heard a broadcast from a piper archer stating his position as a crosswind for runway 30. I looked out of my window and saw the piper no more than 300 ft overhead and maybe 500 ft to my left. Another aircraft was also in the pattern for runway 30. This was a little too close for me. Not knowing the exact position of the other plane made my decision to change to runway 30 easy and I immediately turned what had been a landing on runway 12 to a crosswind on runway 30. The only difficult part of the landing was staying far enough away from the piper. What could have prevented this from happening? 2 things could have happened. I could have asked for a frequency change about 15 mi out and tried to find out the runway in use. The best solution, however, would be to have a designated runway of choice when winds are reported as being calm and if the runway only has an approach to one runway, the runway with the approach becomes the designated runway. Omaha approach did a wonderful job of keeping all IFR traffic separated but they had no control over the VFR traffic doing touch and goes on a very hazy day. On hazy days, with limited forward visibility, IFR traffic can do little but set up for and fly the published approach. Because they have to monitor the ATC in charge, a frequency change, 3 mi out is not enough time to monitor local traffic. Omaha approach saw the change in runways and had called mle before the plane was even down. I wish every airport had a control tower. I feel a lot safer with the help I get from the men and women that man the towers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN MO20 ON IFR APCH HAS NMAC WITH A PIPER 28 IN TFC PATTERN AT NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TALKING TO OMAHA APCH. 10 MI FROM MLE, IN CLASS C AIRSPACE, I HAD NOT YET LOCATED THE FIELD. FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS ESTIMATED AT 3-5 MI, SO I ELECTED TO FLY THE NDB RWY 12 APCH AND RECEIVED VECTORS FROM OMAHA APCH. OVER WEEGI, 3 MI FROM THE FIELD, I SAW MLE, INFORMED OMA AND GOT MY CLRNC FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 12 AND APPROVAL FOR A FREQ CHANGE. MLE AWOS RPTED WINDS CALM AND ONLY INST APCHS ARE TO RWY 12. AS SOON AS I SWITCHED TO MLE CTAF I HEARD A BROADCAST FROM A PIPER ARCHER STATING HIS POS AS A XWIND FOR RWY 30. I LOOKED OUT OF MY WINDOW AND SAW THE PIPER NO MORE THAN 300 FT OVERHEAD AND MAYBE 500 FT TO MY L. ANOTHER ACFT WAS ALSO IN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 30. THIS WAS A LITTLE TOO CLOSE FOR ME. NOT KNOWING THE EXACT POS OF THE OTHER PLANE MADE MY DECISION TO CHANGE TO RWY 30 EASY AND I IMMEDIATELY TURNED WHAT HAD BEEN A LNDG ON RWY 12 TO A XWIND ON RWY 30. THE ONLY DIFFICULT PART OF THE LNDG WAS STAYING FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE PIPER. WHAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS FROM HAPPENING? 2 THINGS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I COULD HAVE ASKED FOR A FREQ CHANGE ABOUT 15 MI OUT AND TRIED TO FIND OUT THE RWY IN USE. THE BEST SOLUTION, HOWEVER, WOULD BE TO HAVE A DESIGNATED RWY OF CHOICE WHEN WINDS ARE RPTED AS BEING CALM AND IF THE RWY ONLY HAS AN APCH TO ONE RWY, THE RWY WITH THE APCH BECOMES THE DESIGNATED RWY. OMAHA APCH DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF KEEPING ALL IFR TFC SEPARATED BUT THEY HAD NO CTL OVER THE VFR TFC DOING TOUCH AND GOES ON A VERY HAZY DAY. ON HAZY DAYS, WITH LIMITED FORWARD VISIBILITY, IFR TFC CAN DO LITTLE BUT SET UP FOR AND FLY THE PUBLISHED APCH. BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO MONITOR THE ATC IN CHARGE, A FREQ CHANGE, 3 MI OUT IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO MONITOR LCL TFC. OMAHA APCH SAW THE CHANGE IN RWYS AND HAD CALLED MLE BEFORE THE PLANE WAS EVEN DOWN. I WISH EVERY ARPT HAD A CTL TWR. I FEEL A LOT SAFER WITH THE HELP I GET FROM THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT MAN THE TWRS.

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.

Pilot of an MO20 on IFR approach has near midair collision with a piper 28 in traffic pattern at non tower airport.