Narrative:

I had just completed the ILS approach to runway 16 and was circling to land at our hangar. The tower told us to circle to the west, which is what we did, at our normal pattern altitude of 500 ft AGL. Tower warned us about an aircraft departing runway 30 and I told the student to start slowing up to pass behind the aircraft. The tower then told us to pass behind the other aircraft and a cessna came from the west -- right in front of us. We had to do a quick stop in order to avoid hitting it. The tower controller then asked the cessna what his altitude was and he replied 500 ft AGL and tower asked why he was so low on his downwind (for runway 30). I discussed this incident with the tower chief, the tape was reviewed, and the cessna had been told to report 2 mi out, which he did not. The controller said the aircraft was too low for radar and she did not expect him because he failed to make his report. One thing that contributed to this was that myself and the controller were fixated on the aircraft off runway 30. I must continue to look for traffic -- especially in such a high density traffic area. The tower chief discussed the incident with the chief pilot from the school.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN ENSTROM HELI WITH STUDENT PLT AND INSTRUCTOR CIRCLING TO LAND AT 500 FT AGL AND A C172 AT THE SAME ALT TURNING DOWNWIND TO LAND.

Narrative: I HAD JUST COMPLETED THE ILS APCH TO RWY 16 AND WAS CIRCLING TO LAND AT OUR HANGAR. THE TWR TOLD US TO CIRCLE TO THE W, WHICH IS WHAT WE DID, AT OUR NORMAL PATTERN ALT OF 500 FT AGL. TWR WARNED US ABOUT AN ACFT DEPARTING RWY 30 AND I TOLD THE STUDENT TO START SLOWING UP TO PASS BEHIND THE ACFT. THE TWR THEN TOLD US TO PASS BEHIND THE OTHER ACFT AND A CESSNA CAME FROM THE W -- RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. WE HAD TO DO A QUICK STOP IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING IT. THE TWR CTLR THEN ASKED THE CESSNA WHAT HIS ALT WAS AND HE REPLIED 500 FT AGL AND TWR ASKED WHY HE WAS SO LOW ON HIS DOWNWIND (FOR RWY 30). I DISCUSSED THIS INCIDENT WITH THE TWR CHIEF, THE TAPE WAS REVIEWED, AND THE CESSNA HAD BEEN TOLD TO RPT 2 MI OUT, WHICH HE DID NOT. THE CTLR SAID THE ACFT WAS TOO LOW FOR RADAR AND SHE DID NOT EXPECT HIM BECAUSE HE FAILED TO MAKE HIS RPT. ONE THING THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS WAS THAT MYSELF AND THE CTLR WERE FIXATED ON THE ACFT OFF RWY 30. I MUST CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR TFC -- ESPECIALLY IN SUCH A HIGH DENSITY TFC AREA. THE TWR CHIEF DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH THE CHIEF PLT FROM THE SCHOOL.

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.