Near midair collision between a mooney on final and a piper aztec passing 200 ft underneath the moon...

Attributes
ACN	536513
Time
Date	200201
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bdr.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Baron 55/Cochise
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : bdr.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-23-250 Aztec
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	536513
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was the wing man in a flight of 2 approaching bdr for an overhead approach to a landing. Lead was the piper aztec, I was wing man in a beach baron. We were in a left echelon formation at 1000 ft MSL. Tower had a mooney approaching for a landing on runway 24 from the right base. We were instructed to climb to 1500 ft for the overhead. I had been in contact with lead on the other communication radio and the climb command was given. I took my eye off of lead for a second to look at my altimeter and when I looked back at lead, he was gone from sight. At that point, I heard the mooney, which was now on final, called out on the frequency, 'hey, the baron just flew under us!' I (in the baron) stated on the frequency that I was over the numbers at 1500 ft and it must be the aztec that passed under the mooney.' again, I tried to contact my lead (the aztec) as did the tower, but he did not respond. I then acquired him visually departing the pattern nwbound. I completed my overhead break and landed. A few mins later the aztec contacted the tower after a supposed loss of communication and landed. When we debriefed on the ground after the flight, the lead pilot stated that he knew we were doing the overhead break entry, but for some reason, he mistook that for meaning we would do a low approach before the break. Also, since he kept descending, he had to maneuver to avoid the mooney, which he wouldn't have had to if he stayed at 1000 ft or 1500 ft as instructed by ATC. He also stated that at the moment, descending under the mooney appeared to him as the appropriate action to take at that point, and somehow during his maneuvering he accidentally turned down the radio volume. I contacted the tower manager as well as one of the pilots in the mooney, and the operator of the mooney to discuss what happened and the situation was resolved with them. A factor that would or could have alleviated this situation was possibly a more thorough briefing between myself and the lead pilot to make sure we both understood the pattern entry procedure for the overhead approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A MOONEY ON FINAL AND A PIPER AZTEC PASSING 200 FT UNDERNEATH THE MOONEY FOR A LOW PASS.

Narrative: I WAS THE WING MAN IN A FLT OF 2 APCHING BDR FOR AN OVERHEAD APCH TO A LNDG. LEAD WAS THE PIPER AZTEC, I WAS WING MAN IN A BEACH BARON. WE WERE IN A L ECHELON FORMATION AT 1000 FT MSL. TWR HAD A MOONEY APCHING FOR A LNDG ON RWY 24 FROM THE R BASE. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO 1500 FT FOR THE OVERHEAD. I HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH LEAD ON THE OTHER COM RADIO AND THE CLB COMMAND WAS GIVEN. I TOOK MY EYE OFF OF LEAD FOR A SECOND TO LOOK AT MY ALTIMETER AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT LEAD, HE WAS GONE FROM SIGHT. AT THAT POINT, I HEARD THE MOONEY, WHICH WAS NOW ON FINAL, CALLED OUT ON THE FREQ, 'HEY, THE BARON JUST FLEW UNDER US!' I (IN THE BARON) STATED ON THE FREQ THAT I WAS OVER THE NUMBERS AT 1500 FT AND IT MUST BE THE AZTEC THAT PASSED UNDER THE MOONEY.' AGAIN, I TRIED TO CONTACT MY LEAD (THE AZTEC) AS DID THE TWR, BUT HE DID NOT RESPOND. I THEN ACQUIRED HIM VISUALLY DEPARTING THE PATTERN NWBOUND. I COMPLETED MY OVERHEAD BREAK AND LANDED. A FEW MINS LATER THE AZTEC CONTACTED THE TWR AFTER A SUPPOSED LOSS OF COM AND LANDED. WHEN WE DEBRIEFED ON THE GND AFTER THE FLT, THE LEAD PLT STATED THAT HE KNEW WE WERE DOING THE OVERHEAD BREAK ENTRY, BUT FOR SOME REASON, HE MISTOOK THAT FOR MEANING WE WOULD DO A LOW APCH BEFORE THE BREAK. ALSO, SINCE HE KEPT DSNDING, HE HAD TO MANEUVER TO AVOID THE MOONEY, WHICH HE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO IF HE STAYED AT 1000 FT OR 1500 FT AS INSTRUCTED BY ATC. HE ALSO STATED THAT AT THE MOMENT, DSNDING UNDER THE MOONEY APPEARED TO HIM AS THE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO TAKE AT THAT POINT, AND SOMEHOW DURING HIS MANEUVERING HE ACCIDENTALLY TURNED DOWN THE RADIO VOLUME. I CONTACTED THE TWR MGR AS WELL AS ONE OF THE PLTS IN THE MOONEY, AND THE OPERATOR OF THE MOONEY TO DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENED AND THE SIT WAS RESOLVED WITH THEM. A FACTOR THAT WOULD OR COULD HAVE ALLEVIATED THIS SIT WAS POSSIBLY A MORE THOROUGH BRIEFING BTWN MYSELF AND THE LEAD PLT TO MAKE SURE WE BOTH UNDERSTOOD THE PATTERN ENTRY PROC FOR THE OVERHEAD APCH.

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.

Near midair collision between a mooney on final and a piper aztec passing 200 ft underneath the mooney for a low pass.