Narrative:

I was on approach, 1/4 mi final for runway 21 at sdl airport. I was turning base to final, following the traffic that was called out. My passenger and I both witnessed a C172/182 on the opposite base, also turning base to final. I initiated a hard right turn and applied full power for a go around, as did the other aircraft. Given that when I did the hard right turn I had no visibility of the other airplane, I descended 100 additional ft, taking my altitude to 250-300 ft AGL. This was done to accelerate in front of the other, slower plane. I lined up for a standard upwind go around and announced on the radio the other plane, which tower had failed to call out. They advised me to make a nonstandard go around and initiate a left turn from runway heading back to the downwind. This nonstandard go around then put me in immediate conflict with a hot air balloon that was 1 mi from the runway at 500-600 ft AGL. I flew a wider downwind to avoid the additional traffic and landed without further incident. During the near miss with the cessna, our separation was approximately 100 ft horizontal, and the same altitude. My airspeed was 90 KTS, and visibility was not a factor. The evasive turn made was approximately 60-70 degrees of bank. Scottsdale tower is another accident waiting to happen. The mixture of jets, GA, and student pilots, mixed with the trainee status of the tower will result in more lives being lost due to accidents. The controllers routinely create conditions that put conflicting aircraft together in dangerous scenarios. I have had 'minor' incidents occur on almost every flight where they have breached safety. Every pilot that I know has similar problems. These range from gars, not calling traffic, putting slow planes in front of jets, and trapping planes on txwys. For safety's sake, this tower and airport need to be investigated. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he will follow up with the tower supervisor and the local FSDO. He was also given the hotline number. This situation has been growing over the last 3-4 yrs. This is an extremely busy airport and reporter feels it is not appropriate to use as a training facility. There was a midair in nov/98 or dec/98 and now the tower is calling base leg and not allowing adequate spacing between the variety of aircraft. This results in many gars. When the tower closes and it becomes uncontrolled, the reporter feels it works much better because everyone works together to be aware of all other aircraft. He has spoken to many other pilots who feel as he does.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA CLRED TO BASE NOTICES ANOTHER SMA TURNING BASE TO FINAL FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTION. BOTH ACFT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. ACFT HAD NOT BEEN ADVISED OF THE TFC.

Narrative: I WAS ON APCH, 1/4 MI FINAL FOR RWY 21 AT SDL ARPT. I WAS TURNING BASE TO FINAL, FOLLOWING THE TFC THAT WAS CALLED OUT. MY PAX AND I BOTH WITNESSED A C172/182 ON THE OPPOSITE BASE, ALSO TURNING BASE TO FINAL. I INITIATED A HARD R TURN AND APPLIED FULL PWR FOR A GAR, AS DID THE OTHER ACFT. GIVEN THAT WHEN I DID THE HARD R TURN I HAD NO VISIBILITY OF THE OTHER AIRPLANE, I DSNDED 100 ADDITIONAL FT, TAKING MY ALT TO 250-300 FT AGL. THIS WAS DONE TO ACCELERATE IN FRONT OF THE OTHER, SLOWER PLANE. I LINED UP FOR A STANDARD UPWIND GAR AND ANNOUNCED ON THE RADIO THE OTHER PLANE, WHICH TWR HAD FAILED TO CALL OUT. THEY ADVISED ME TO MAKE A NONSTANDARD GAR AND INITIATE A L TURN FROM RWY HDG BACK TO THE DOWNWIND. THIS NONSTANDARD GAR THEN PUT ME IN IMMEDIATE CONFLICT WITH A HOT AIR BALLOON THAT WAS 1 MI FROM THE RWY AT 500-600 FT AGL. I FLEW A WIDER DOWNWIND TO AVOID THE ADDITIONAL TFC AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. DURING THE NEAR MISS WITH THE CESSNA, OUR SEPARATION WAS APPROX 100 FT HORIZ, AND THE SAME ALT. MY AIRSPD WAS 90 KTS, AND VISIBILITY WAS NOT A FACTOR. THE EVASIVE TURN MADE WAS APPROX 60-70 DEGS OF BANK. SCOTTSDALE TWR IS ANOTHER ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE MIXTURE OF JETS, GA, AND STUDENT PLTS, MIXED WITH THE TRAINEE STATUS OF THE TWR WILL RESULT IN MORE LIVES BEING LOST DUE TO ACCIDENTS. THE CTLRS ROUTINELY CREATE CONDITIONS THAT PUT CONFLICTING ACFT TOGETHER IN DANGEROUS SCENARIOS. I HAVE HAD 'MINOR' INCIDENTS OCCUR ON ALMOST EVERY FLT WHERE THEY HAVE BREACHED SAFETY. EVERY PLT THAT I KNOW HAS SIMILAR PROBS. THESE RANGE FROM GARS, NOT CALLING TFC, PUTTING SLOW PLANES IN FRONT OF JETS, AND TRAPPING PLANES ON TXWYS. FOR SAFETY'S SAKE, THIS TWR AND ARPT NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE TWR SUPVR AND THE LCL FSDO. HE WAS ALSO GIVEN THE HOTLINE NUMBER. THIS SIT HAS BEEN GROWING OVER THE LAST 3-4 YRS. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY BUSY ARPT AND RPTR FEELS IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO USE AS A TRAINING FACILITY. THERE WAS A MIDAIR IN NOV/98 OR DEC/98 AND NOW THE TWR IS CALLING BASE LEG AND NOT ALLOWING ADEQUATE SPACING BTWN THE VARIETY OF ACFT. THIS RESULTS IN MANY GARS. WHEN THE TWR CLOSES AND IT BECOMES UNCTLED, THE RPTR FEELS IT WORKS MUCH BETTER BECAUSE EVERYONE WORKS TOGETHER TO BE AWARE OF ALL OTHER ACFT. HE HAS SPOKEN TO MANY OTHER PLTS WHO FEEL AS HE DOES.

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.