Small aircraft pilot had an near midair collision on final to an uncontrolled airport.

Attributes
ACN	500412
Time
Date	200102
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : shn.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Mooney Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 1 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	500412
Person 2
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Reporter flew the GPS runway 23 approach to shn for practice. At about 7 mi from the runway threshold, changed the #1 communication radio (king 155) frequency to the CTAF 122.8, but did not push the FLIP-flop switch hard enough to change the frequency, and did not check the indication to ensure transmission on the correct frequency. Announced on wrong frequency, aircraft identify at sanderson field, and intention to perform low approach to runway 23. Upon descending to and reaching 1000 ft MSL at approximately 3 mi from the threshold, observed wrong communication frequency selected, switched frequencys to correct field frequency, and heard announcement of a mooney turning final to runway 23. Immediately looked out to left, and observed mooney at 9 O'clock position and converging, about 100 ft under my aircraft, in l-hand turn to final approach course. Immediately applied power and initiated climbing l-hand turn to leave mooney to right of reporter aircraft. Event occurred due to violation of fundamental rule of flight of taking all necessary actions to see and be seen. Reporter was unaware of other aircraft in downwind and base leg to active runway because of not selecting correct field frequency, and because of performing only cursory visual checks of the operating environment for other aircraft. Reporter focused too much attention on instrument displays and landing runway versus other areas of potential impact. Contributing to the potential problem, the mooney did not display visible navigation lights nor strobe lights on the fuselage nor wings, and was therefore difficult to see without close scrutiny in fading light. Reporter's aircraft was operating navigation lights and wingtip, double flash strobes, but apparently was not observed by mooney pilot due to pilot's attention diverted to left of aircraft (only) in preparation for landing. To prevent recurrence, reporter will be much more emphatic about seeing and being seen, particularly in the near-airport environment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAD AN NMAC ON FINAL TO AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT.

Narrative: RPTR FLEW THE GPS RWY 23 APCH TO SHN FOR PRACTICE. AT ABOUT 7 MI FROM THE RWY THRESHOLD, CHANGED THE #1 COM RADIO (KING 155) FREQ TO THE CTAF 122.8, BUT DID NOT PUSH THE FLIP-FLOP SWITCH HARD ENOUGH TO CHANGE THE FREQ, AND DID NOT CHK THE INDICATION TO ENSURE XMISSION ON THE CORRECT FREQ. ANNOUNCED ON WRONG FREQ, ACFT IDENT AT SANDERSON FIELD, AND INTENTION TO PERFORM LOW APCH TO RWY 23. UPON DSNDING TO AND REACHING 1000 FT MSL AT APPROX 3 MI FROM THE THRESHOLD, OBSERVED WRONG COM FREQ SELECTED, SWITCHED FREQS TO CORRECT FIELD FREQ, AND HEARD ANNOUNCEMENT OF A MOONEY TURNING FINAL TO RWY 23. IMMEDIATELY LOOKED OUT TO L, AND OBSERVED MOONEY AT 9 O'CLOCK POS AND CONVERGING, ABOUT 100 FT UNDER MY ACFT, IN L-HAND TURN TO FINAL APCH COURSE. IMMEDIATELY APPLIED PWR AND INITIATED CLBING L-HAND TURN TO LEAVE MOONEY TO R OF RPTR ACFT. EVENT OCCURRED DUE TO VIOLATION OF FUNDAMENTAL RULE OF FLT OF TAKING ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS TO SEE AND BE SEEN. RPTR WAS UNAWARE OF OTHER ACFT IN DOWNWIND AND BASE LEG TO ACTIVE RWY BECAUSE OF NOT SELECTING CORRECT FIELD FREQ, AND BECAUSE OF PERFORMING ONLY CURSORY VISUAL CHKS OF THE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT FOR OTHER ACFT. RPTR FOCUSED TOO MUCH ATTN ON INST DISPLAYS AND LNDG RWY VERSUS OTHER AREAS OF POTENTIAL IMPACT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE POTENTIAL PROB, THE MOONEY DID NOT DISPLAY VISIBLE NAV LIGHTS NOR STROBE LIGHTS ON THE FUSELAGE NOR WINGS, AND WAS THEREFORE DIFFICULT TO SEE WITHOUT CLOSE SCRUTINY IN FADING LIGHT. RPTR'S ACFT WAS OPERATING NAV LIGHTS AND WINGTIP, DOUBLE FLASH STROBES, BUT APPARENTLY WAS NOT OBSERVED BY MOONEY PLT DUE TO PLT'S ATTN DIVERTED TO L OF ACFT (ONLY) IN PREPARATION FOR LNDG. TO PREVENT RECURRENCE, RPTR WILL BE MUCH MORE EMPHATIC ABOUT SEEING AND BEING SEEN, PARTICULARLY IN THE NEAR-ARPT ENVIRONMENT.

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.