Narrative:

I was proceeding eastbound in a narrow corridor between the class D airspaces of ffz and iwa. Because my aircraft is equipped with only 1 communication radio and ffz traffic is much heavier than iwa, I was monitoring ffz tower. At that time, I heard a piper (aircraft #2) advise ffz tower he was off of iwa inbound ffz for landing with ATIS information. He also asked if there was any other traffic in the area. Ffz tower replied negative traffic and cleared aircraft #2 to a right base entry for landing runway 4R. Aircraft #2 acknowledged. I then pressed my yoke mounted press-to-talk button to advise ffz tower and aircraft #2 of my location and altitude. When the press-to-talk button failed, I was unable to transmit. I was watching to my 1-3 O'clock area and started to reach up to dial 7600 and identify on my transponder when I made visual contact with aircraft #2 at about my 1:30 level position. I immediately initiated a steep descent. Aircraft #2 saw me at about the same time and initiated a climb. I passed directly under aircraft #2 about 100 ft. I continued eastbound working with my press-to-talk. Aircraft #2 again asked ffz tower if there was any other traffic in his area because he had just passed directly over another aircraft at about 100 ft clearance. Ffz tower again advised negative. A couple seconds later, ffz tower advised aircraft #2, 'oh, I just got another aircraft in your area 4 mi from ffz.' I was actually still over 5 mi out. I remedied the problem with my press-to-talk, and contacted ffz tower. I proceeded to land at ffz with no further problems. The transponder in my aircraft was checked during IFR certification in feb/98. I have requested transponder checks from different control towers about every 30-45 days, always with the positive results. My transponder was operating normally at the time of this incident. Problems of this nature occur with very alarming frequency at ffz. I understand that ffz is a 'training tower.' but something needs to be done before ffz ATC gets someone killed. Poor ATC is a major complaint among ffz based pilots, especially the CFI's that operate at ffz.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FLIES ALONG AND UNDER PHX CLASS B ENRTE TO FFZ WHEN HE HEARS A PIPER ACFT CALL FFZ TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC FROM SAME GENERAL AREA. SMA PLT ATTEMPTS TO COM WITH TWR, IS UNABLE, AND COMES INTO CONFLICT WITH PIPER. SMA PLT FINALLY GETS RADIO TO WORK, CALLS TWR FOR LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. SMA PLT BLAMES FFZ TWR FOR INCIDENT.

Narrative: I WAS PROCEEDING EBOUND IN A NARROW CORRIDOR BTWN THE CLASS D AIRSPACES OF FFZ AND IWA. BECAUSE MY ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH ONLY 1 COM RADIO AND FFZ TFC IS MUCH HEAVIER THAN IWA, I WAS MONITORING FFZ TWR. AT THAT TIME, I HEARD A PIPER (ACFT #2) ADVISE FFZ TWR HE WAS OFF OF IWA INBOUND FFZ FOR LNDG WITH ATIS INFO. HE ALSO ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER TFC IN THE AREA. FFZ TWR REPLIED NEGATIVE TFC AND CLRED ACFT #2 TO A R BASE ENTRY FOR LNDG RWY 4R. ACFT #2 ACKNOWLEDGED. I THEN PRESSED MY YOKE MOUNTED PRESS-TO-TALK BUTTON TO ADVISE FFZ TWR AND ACFT #2 OF MY LOCATION AND ALT. WHEN THE PRESS-TO-TALK BUTTON FAILED, I WAS UNABLE TO XMIT. I WAS WATCHING TO MY 1-3 O'CLOCK AREA AND STARTED TO REACH UP TO DIAL 7600 AND IDENT ON MY XPONDER WHEN I MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH ACFT #2 AT ABOUT MY 1:30 LEVEL POS. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A STEEP DSCNT. ACFT #2 SAW ME AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND INITIATED A CLB. I PASSED DIRECTLY UNDER ACFT #2 ABOUT 100 FT. I CONTINUED EBOUND WORKING WITH MY PRESS-TO-TALK. ACFT #2 AGAIN ASKED FFZ TWR IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER TFC IN HIS AREA BECAUSE HE HAD JUST PASSED DIRECTLY OVER ANOTHER ACFT AT ABOUT 100 FT CLRNC. FFZ TWR AGAIN ADVISED NEGATIVE. A COUPLE SECONDS LATER, FFZ TWR ADVISED ACFT #2, 'OH, I JUST GOT ANOTHER ACFT IN YOUR AREA 4 MI FROM FFZ.' I WAS ACTUALLY STILL OVER 5 MI OUT. I REMEDIED THE PROB WITH MY PRESS-TO-TALK, AND CONTACTED FFZ TWR. I PROCEEDED TO LAND AT FFZ WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. THE XPONDER IN MY ACFT WAS CHKED DURING IFR CERTIFICATION IN FEB/98. I HAVE REQUESTED XPONDER CHKS FROM DIFFERENT CTL TWRS ABOUT EVERY 30-45 DAYS, ALWAYS WITH THE POSITIVE RESULTS. MY XPONDER WAS OPERATING NORMALLY AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. PROBS OF THIS NATURE OCCUR WITH VERY ALARMING FREQ AT FFZ. I UNDERSTAND THAT FFZ IS A 'TRAINING TWR.' BUT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE FFZ ATC GETS SOMEONE KILLED. POOR ATC IS A MAJOR COMPLAINT AMONG FFZ BASED PLTS, ESPECIALLY THE CFI'S THAT OPERATE AT FFZ.

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.