A C172 pilot, while on approach to cxy, had an near midair collision with another small aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	530263
Time
Date	200111
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl single value : 1300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : cxy.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 568 flight time type : 28
ASRS Report	530263
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airport Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Incident of nov/xa/01 at XA30 occurred in class D airspace of cxy which is inside a TRSA, radar inoperative at the time of the incident. No TRSA services available at the time. I was given a straight-in approach to runway 30 from 10 mi out. A student pilot, who was also landing at cxy, was unsure of his position as he approached the airport. At the time of the incident, the student was on downwind to runway 30, but inside the 'normal' pattern confign. While on downwind, the student was unsure of a local reporting point (the 'turnpike bridge' which separates cxy and mdt). Because of terrain and proximity of the neighboring mdt airspace and tmi nuclear plant, I was a bit west of the centerline of runway 30. The student reported being over the turnpike bridge at the same time we were crossing it and he passed about 300 ft directly overhead. I got the sense that the tower was unsure of everyone's position. In hindsight, the best remedy would have been to have me complete a more normal pattern (perhaps entering a left base), rather than set up for a straight-in approach to 30 mi from 10 mi out. The student had previously told the tower that this was his first solo away from the pattern and it was clear that he was unsure of his position. I should have acknowledged that I was not in a good position to execute a straight-in to runway 30. With radar out and the clear confusion on the part of the student, the tower might have asked for better position reports from the rest of us approaching to land. I believe that all parties (student, tower and me) had some contribution to the situation (radar was out, student was confused, and I was just a bit west of centerline). This was a good wake-up call to be more vigilant, even under 'positive' control. Unfortunately (based on his conversation on the ground after landing), I don't believe that the student knew (or else didn't care) that he was as confused as he was.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT, WHILE ON APCH TO CXY, HAD AN NMAC WITH ANOTHER SMALL ACFT.

Narrative: INCIDENT OF NOV/XA/01 AT XA30 OCCURRED IN CLASS D AIRSPACE OF CXY WHICH IS INSIDE A TRSA, RADAR INOP AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. NO TRSA SVCS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME. I WAS GIVEN A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 30 FROM 10 MI OUT. A STUDENT PLT, WHO WAS ALSO LNDG AT CXY, WAS UNSURE OF HIS POS AS HE APCHED THE ARPT. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE STUDENT WAS ON DOWNWIND TO RWY 30, BUT INSIDE THE 'NORMAL' PATTERN CONFIGN. WHILE ON DOWNWIND, THE STUDENT WAS UNSURE OF A LCL RPTING POINT (THE 'TURNPIKE BRIDGE' WHICH SEPARATES CXY AND MDT). BECAUSE OF TERRAIN AND PROX OF THE NEIGHBORING MDT AIRSPACE AND TMI NUCLEAR PLANT, I WAS A BIT W OF THE CTRLINE OF RWY 30. THE STUDENT RPTED BEING OVER THE TURNPIKE BRIDGE AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE XING IT AND HE PASSED ABOUT 300 FT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. I GOT THE SENSE THAT THE TWR WAS UNSURE OF EVERYONE'S POS. IN HINDSIGHT, THE BEST REMEDY WOULD HAVE BEEN TO HAVE ME COMPLETE A MORE NORMAL PATTERN (PERHAPS ENTERING A L BASE), RATHER THAN SET UP FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO 30 MI FROM 10 MI OUT. THE STUDENT HAD PREVIOUSLY TOLD THE TWR THAT THIS WAS HIS FIRST SOLO AWAY FROM THE PATTERN AND IT WAS CLR THAT HE WAS UNSURE OF HIS POS. I SHOULD HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I WAS NOT IN A GOOD POS TO EXECUTE A STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 30. WITH RADAR OUT AND THE CLR CONFUSION ON THE PART OF THE STUDENT, THE TWR MIGHT HAVE ASKED FOR BETTER POS RPTS FROM THE REST OF US APCHING TO LAND. I BELIEVE THAT ALL PARTIES (STUDENT, TWR AND ME) HAD SOME CONTRIBUTION TO THE SIT (RADAR WAS OUT, STUDENT WAS CONFUSED, AND I WAS JUST A BIT W OF CTRLINE). THIS WAS A GOOD WAKE-UP CALL TO BE MORE VIGILANT, EVEN UNDER 'POSITIVE' CTL. UNFORTUNATELY (BASED ON HIS CONVERSATION ON THE GND AFTER LNDG), I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE STUDENT KNEW (OR ELSE DIDN'T CARE) THAT HE WAS AS CONFUSED AS HE WAS.

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.