Narrative:

WX: wind 300 degrees at 15 KTS, no clouds, visibility excellent. As a designated pilot examiner, I was observing a private pilot applicant in a PA38-112 piper tamahawk. The applicant had approximately 60 hours of total time, all of which was based at new smyrna beach (evb), fl. While flying left downwind for runway 29 at 800 ft MSL, I observed a C172 flying northbound along the beach approximately 2 1/2 NM east of the airport at an estimated 600 ft MSL. The PIC and private pilot applicant of our aircraft turned a normal base leg approximately 1 NM from the threshold of runway 19. At the same time, the C172 also turned directly toward the runway. With the C172 200 ft lower than the PA38, we had a classic midair collision situation developing, a high wing aircraft below a low wing aircraft descending for a landing. The private pilot applicant I was testing could not have reasonably been expected to anticipate the actions of the C172, which was first sighted 2 1/2 mi east of the airport. It is my understanding there was a fatal accident at this airport resulting from an identical situation approximately 5 yrs ago. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he watched this scenario develop and since the private pilot applicant had no way to see the other aircraft he intervened and told him to make a go around. The applicant could not figure out why and was told of the proximity of the second aircraft. It was about 100 ft vertical and 200 ft horizontal. PF on his check ride was making position reports, but the reporter is not sure if the other pilot was or not. He admits that he hears about 98% of the unicom calls, but since there are 3 other airports on the same frequency it is sometimes difficult to know where some are coming from.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AVIATION EXAMINER ON A CHK FLT WITH A STUDENT PLT IN A PA38 SIGHTS A CESSNA ACFT BELOW AND TO THE E OF THEIR BASE LEG TURN TO AN UNCTLED ARPT. THE SECOND ACFT TURNS AND ONTO BASE AS WELL AND IS SOON FLYING ALMOST DIRECTLY BELOW. THERE IS NO WAY THE PLT CAN SEE THE ACFT SO THE EXAMINER INTERVENES AND HAS HIM MAKE A GAR.

Narrative: WX: WIND 300 DEGS AT 15 KTS, NO CLOUDS, VISIBILITY EXCELLENT. AS A DESIGNATED PLT EXAMINER, I WAS OBSERVING A PVT PLT APPLICANT IN A PA38-112 PIPER TAMAHAWK. THE APPLICANT HAD APPROX 60 HRS OF TOTAL TIME, ALL OF WHICH WAS BASED AT NEW SMYRNA BEACH (EVB), FL. WHILE FLYING L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 29 AT 800 FT MSL, I OBSERVED A C172 FLYING NBOUND ALONG THE BEACH APPROX 2 1/2 NM E OF THE ARPT AT AN ESTIMATED 600 FT MSL. THE PIC AND PVT PLT APPLICANT OF OUR ACFT TURNED A NORMAL BASE LEG APPROX 1 NM FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 19. AT THE SAME TIME, THE C172 ALSO TURNED DIRECTLY TOWARD THE RWY. WITH THE C172 200 FT LOWER THAN THE PA38, WE HAD A CLASSIC MIDAIR COLLISION SIT DEVELOPING, A HIGH WING ACFT BELOW A LOW WING ACFT DSNDING FOR A LNDG. THE PVT PLT APPLICANT I WAS TESTING COULD NOT HAVE REASONABLY BEEN EXPECTED TO ANTICIPATE THE ACTIONS OF THE C172, WHICH WAS FIRST SIGHTED 2 1/2 MI E OF THE ARPT. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THERE WAS A FATAL ACCIDENT AT THIS ARPT RESULTING FROM AN IDENTICAL SIT APPROX 5 YRS AGO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE WATCHED THIS SCENARIO DEVELOP AND SINCE THE PVT PLT APPLICANT HAD NO WAY TO SEE THE OTHER ACFT HE INTERVENED AND TOLD HIM TO MAKE A GAR. THE APPLICANT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY AND WAS TOLD OF THE PROX OF THE SECOND ACFT. IT WAS ABOUT 100 FT VERT AND 200 FT HORIZ. PF ON HIS CHK RIDE WAS MAKING POS RPTS, BUT THE RPTR IS NOT SURE IF THE OTHER PLT WAS OR NOT. HE ADMITS THAT HE HEARS ABOUT 98% OF THE UNICOM CALLS, BUT SINCE THERE ARE 3 OTHER ARPTS ON THE SAME FREQ IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHERE SOME ARE COMING FROM.

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.