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Student pilot on a solo training flight in a PA28 has near midair collision with a bonanza in the traffic pattern at an unfamiliar airport due to disorientation in not spotting the runway while on base leg.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 500787 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200102 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gyr.airport |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : gyr.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : gyr.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Bonanza 35 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Experience | flight time total : 37 |
| ASRS Report | 500787 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : separated traffic controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | vertical : 499 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was practicing stalls, steep turns, and slow flight when I got a call from my flight school telling me I was going to have to land at a different airport than the one I departed from as a result of strong xwinds. I had not started the cross country phase of my private pilot training. One of my instructors flew out to where I was practicing to show me the way to goodyear airport. As I neared the airport on a 4 mi right base for runway 3, I received clearance to land. However, I had never flown to goodyear airport and I could not spot the runway. I had my instructor in sight until he turned from base to final. I was still on my base at 2000 ft MSL (pattern altitude) and I apparently overshot the runway because I didn't see it. I was just about to call ATC when they called me and told me to climb immediately to 2500 ft MSL and stay on the same heading. Apparently, there was a bonanza coming head-on on a left base. I didn't see the traffic. I complied with ATC and told them I was a student pilot and could not locate the runway. They then gave me heading and altitude instructions and I saw the runway and landed safely.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: STUDENT PLT ON A SOLO TRAINING FLT IN A PA28 HAS NMAC WITH A BONANZA IN THE TFC PATTERN AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT DUE TO DISORIENTATION IN NOT SPOTTING THE RWY WHILE ON BASE LEG.
Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING STALLS, STEEP TURNS, AND SLOW FLT WHEN I GOT A CALL FROM MY FLT SCHOOL TELLING ME I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO LAND AT A DIFFERENT ARPT THAN THE ONE I DEPARTED FROM AS A RESULT OF STRONG XWINDS. I HAD NOT STARTED THE XCOUNTRY PHASE OF MY PVT PLT TRAINING. ONE OF MY INSTRUCTORS FLEW OUT TO WHERE I WAS PRACTICING TO SHOW ME THE WAY TO GOODYEAR ARPT. AS I NEARED THE ARPT ON A 4 MI R BASE FOR RWY 3, I RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND. HOWEVER, I HAD NEVER FLOWN TO GOODYEAR ARPT AND I COULD NOT SPOT THE RWY. I HAD MY INSTRUCTOR IN SIGHT UNTIL HE TURNED FROM BASE TO FINAL. I WAS STILL ON MY BASE AT 2000 FT MSL (PATTERN ALT) AND I APPARENTLY OVERSHOT THE RWY BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE IT. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO CALL ATC WHEN THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME TO CLB IMMEDIATELY TO 2500 FT MSL AND STAY ON THE SAME HDG. APPARENTLY, THERE WAS A BONANZA COMING HEAD-ON ON A L BASE. I DIDN'T SEE THE TFC. I COMPLIED WITH ATC AND TOLD THEM I WAS A STUDENT PLT AND COULD NOT LOCATE THE RWY. THEY THEN GAVE ME HDG AND ALT INSTRUCTIONS AND I SAW THE RWY AND LANDED SAFELY.
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.