Narrative:

On aug/xa/99, I was operating a beechcraft 18, VFR, without a flight plan. At approximately XA15 and 15 NM west of the janesville, wi, airport, I contacted the jvl control tower, informed them that I had the current ATIS, my position and that I wished to land at jvl. The tower instructed me to report 3 NM west on a left base leg to runway 4. I requested that I be allowed to proceed direct to the jvl VOR then continue on the runway 4 localizer course to the airport. My request was approved and I was advised to report passing the jvl VOR. Upon passing the jvl VOR, I reported my position and was advised that I was to follow a beechcraft baron 2 mi west of the airport on a left base leg to runway 4. The jvl WX was good with scattered clouds above 5000 ft and a visibility greater than 10 mi. I replied to the tower that I did not have the preceding aircraft in sight and remarked that he was probably lost in the trees. I continued to descend at 105 KTS with landing gear and flaps extended and approximately 1-2 dots high on the GS. At approximately 1500 ft AGL, a beechcraft baron passed to my left, 75 ft horizontal and 15 ft vertical below my altitude. His course was the same as mine. He had overtaken me and was continuing at a speed of about 10 KTS greater than my own. At that moment the tower asked me if I had my traffic in sight. My response was that I did and that he had just passed under my left wing. The control tower then instructed the baron to make a left 360 degree turn to follow a twin beech and cleared me to land behind an aircraft that was just touching down on runway 4. The pilot of the baron accepted the clearance and a short time later asked what the position of the twin beech was, to what the tower replied, 'touching down.' several things may have precluded the above from happening. I probably should not have requested a flight path that was different than what my original clearance was, although I did hear an aircraft report over the weave OM inbound to the airport a few mins before my encounter. I should have looked for the aircraft in my 7-8 O'clock position rather than my 9-12 O'clock position, assuming that perhaps the aircraft was 4-5 mi west of the airport rather than the reported 2 mi and just because I was high on the approach did not necessarily mean that he was lower than I was. The approach should have not been allowed to continue without having the preceding aircraft in sight with 3 aircraft on final within 3 mi of the airport. A possibility exists that the pilot of the baron, knowing that I was to follow him, felt that I was simply cutting in and elected to pass me by. The only reason that I mention this is that I can't imagine that he did not see my aircraft as he overtook me from behind. Saturday afternoons are a very busy time at janesville, especially during good WX. The tower operator at times has his hands full, which makes me wish that I had not requested a routing different than what his initial clearance entailed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A BEECH 18 ON FINAL AND A BEECH BARON PASSING ON THE L ON FINAL TO A CTLED ARPT.

Narrative: ON AUG/XA/99, I WAS OPERATING A BEECHCRAFT 18, VFR, WITHOUT A FLT PLAN. AT APPROX XA15 AND 15 NM W OF THE JANESVILLE, WI, ARPT, I CONTACTED THE JVL CTL TWR, INFORMED THEM THAT I HAD THE CURRENT ATIS, MY POS AND THAT I WISHED TO LAND AT JVL. THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO RPT 3 NM W ON A L BASE LEG TO RWY 4. I REQUESTED THAT I BE ALLOWED TO PROCEED DIRECT TO THE JVL VOR THEN CONTINUE ON THE RWY 4 LOC COURSE TO THE ARPT. MY REQUEST WAS APPROVED AND I WAS ADVISED TO RPT PASSING THE JVL VOR. UPON PASSING THE JVL VOR, I RPTED MY POS AND WAS ADVISED THAT I WAS TO FOLLOW A BEECHCRAFT BARON 2 MI W OF THE ARPT ON A L BASE LEG TO RWY 4. THE JVL WX WAS GOOD WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS ABOVE 5000 FT AND A VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 10 MI. I REPLIED TO THE TWR THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE PRECEDING ACFT IN SIGHT AND REMARKED THAT HE WAS PROBABLY LOST IN THE TREES. I CONTINUED TO DSND AT 105 KTS WITH LNDG GEAR AND FLAPS EXTENDED AND APPROX 1-2 DOTS HIGH ON THE GS. AT APPROX 1500 FT AGL, A BEECHCRAFT BARON PASSED TO MY L, 75 FT HORIZ AND 15 FT VERT BELOW MY ALT. HIS COURSE WAS THE SAME AS MINE. HE HAD OVERTAKEN ME AND WAS CONTINUING AT A SPD OF ABOUT 10 KTS GREATER THAN MY OWN. AT THAT MOMENT THE TWR ASKED ME IF I HAD MY TFC IN SIGHT. MY RESPONSE WAS THAT I DID AND THAT HE HAD JUST PASSED UNDER MY L WING. THE CTL TWR THEN INSTRUCTED THE BARON TO MAKE A L 360 DEG TURN TO FOLLOW A TWIN BEECH AND CLRED ME TO LAND BEHIND AN ACFT THAT WAS JUST TOUCHING DOWN ON RWY 4. THE PLT OF THE BARON ACCEPTED THE CLRNC AND A SHORT TIME LATER ASKED WHAT THE POS OF THE TWIN BEECH WAS, TO WHAT THE TWR REPLIED, 'TOUCHING DOWN.' SEVERAL THINGS MAY HAVE PRECLUDED THE ABOVE FROM HAPPENING. I PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE REQUESTED A FLT PATH THAT WAS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT MY ORIGINAL CLRNC WAS, ALTHOUGH I DID HEAR AN ACFT RPT OVER THE WEAVE OM INBOUND TO THE ARPT A FEW MINS BEFORE MY ENCOUNTER. I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED FOR THE ACFT IN MY 7-8 O'CLOCK POS RATHER THAN MY 9-12 O'CLOCK POS, ASSUMING THAT PERHAPS THE ACFT WAS 4-5 MI W OF THE ARPT RATHER THAN THE RPTED 2 MI AND JUST BECAUSE I WAS HIGH ON THE APCH DID NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT HE WAS LOWER THAN I WAS. THE APCH SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO CONTINUE WITHOUT HAVING THE PRECEDING ACFT IN SIGHT WITH 3 ACFT ON FINAL WITHIN 3 MI OF THE ARPT. A POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT THE PLT OF THE BARON, KNOWING THAT I WAS TO FOLLOW HIM, FELT THAT I WAS SIMPLY CUTTING IN AND ELECTED TO PASS ME BY. THE ONLY REASON THAT I MENTION THIS IS THAT I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT HE DID NOT SEE MY ACFT AS HE OVERTOOK ME FROM BEHIND. SATURDAY AFTERNOONS ARE A VERY BUSY TIME AT JANESVILLE, ESPECIALLY DURING GOOD WX. THE TWR OPERATOR AT TIMES HAS HIS HANDS FULL, WHICH MAKES ME WISH THAT I HAD NOT REQUESTED A ROUTING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HIS INITIAL CLRNC ENTAILED.

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.