Near midair collision occurs at a non tower airport between a C172 and an overtaking PA32 which had ...

Attributes
ACN	539427
Time
Date	200203
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : buy.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 800 msl bound upper : 1400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 7200 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	539427
Person 2
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : nmac non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation non adherence other other anomaly other other spatial deviation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : pax 2
Resolutory Action	flight crew : executed go around flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	other Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 100 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Airspace Structure Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While on a maintenance flight around the pattern of an uncontrolled airport, I took off with an a&P flight in r-hand seat. The purpose was to monitor oil pressure on a newly installed engine. I flew a square but wider pattern than usual. 3 mi from airport, I called in the blind my position, downwind, base, lining final (over the interstate) and 1 mi final. There were 2 other aircraft in the pattern -- 1 ahead and the C172 behind me. I flew the downwind to base varying power setting from maximum to cruise to approach all within a minute. Each of us took a turn watching the oil pressure gauge. The C172 called downwind I think behind my aircraft, since I was passing the runway end (abeam). The radio call was very weak. This was the last transmission from the C172 that I heard. At a 1/2 mi final, the landing aircraft in front of me was clearing the runway. I heard a call that 'the landing aircraft ahead of me had just passed after he had cut me off' and he wanted to talk to me on the ground. After landing, I went up to the C172. The pilot was very mad and emotional. He exited the C172 from the r-hand seat. A young boy was in the l-hand seat, a woman in the back seat of the rented skyhawk. He said I cut him off on his final approach passing him on his l-hand side. The sun was in my face. I never saw this C172. My right seat passenger said he saw him as we passed, but never heard his radio calls without the downwind call. The pilot was loud and very angry. I explained I would discuss this further when he was not so hot. He said that might be good. He asked the a&P from my r-hand seat about what happened and he said the radio calls were weak or non existent. The pilot asked him for my name and address. I believe I did not cut him off but flew a wide pattern and he flew one slower and closer -- not aligning on final but to the right of final. The setting sun and lack of loud radio calls caused me to not look further for an aircraft, still believing the C172 was behind me. I made the radio calls to express I was flying a longer pattern. I believe this will not go further but just in case I wanted to place this report on file.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC OCCURS AT A NON TWR ARPT BTWN A C172 AND AN OVERTAKING PA32 WHICH HAD BEEN ON THE FINAL BEFORE THE C172 TURNED AN EARLIER BASE THAN EXPECTED AT BUY, NC.

Narrative: WHILE ON A MAINT FLT AROUND THE PATTERN OF AN UNCTLED ARPT, I TOOK OFF WITH AN A&P FLT IN R-HAND SEAT. THE PURPOSE WAS TO MONITOR OIL PRESSURE ON A NEWLY INSTALLED ENG. I FLEW A SQUARE BUT WIDER PATTERN THAN USUAL. 3 MI FROM ARPT, I CALLED IN THE BLIND MY POS, DOWNWIND, BASE, LINING FINAL (OVER THE INTERSTATE) AND 1 MI FINAL. THERE WERE 2 OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN -- 1 AHEAD AND THE C172 BEHIND ME. I FLEW THE DOWNWIND TO BASE VARYING PWR SETTING FROM MAX TO CRUISE TO APCH ALL WITHIN A MINUTE. EACH OF US TOOK A TURN WATCHING THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE. THE C172 CALLED DOWNWIND I THINK BEHIND MY ACFT, SINCE I WAS PASSING THE RWY END (ABEAM). THE RADIO CALL WAS VERY WEAK. THIS WAS THE LAST XMISSION FROM THE C172 THAT I HEARD. AT A 1/2 MI FINAL, THE LNDG ACFT IN FRONT OF ME WAS CLRING THE RWY. I HEARD A CALL THAT 'THE LNDG ACFT AHEAD OF ME HAD JUST PASSED AFTER HE HAD CUT ME OFF' AND HE WANTED TO TALK TO ME ON THE GND. AFTER LNDG, I WENT UP TO THE C172. THE PLT WAS VERY MAD AND EMOTIONAL. HE EXITED THE C172 FROM THE R-HAND SEAT. A YOUNG BOY WAS IN THE L-HAND SEAT, A WOMAN IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE RENTED SKYHAWK. HE SAID I CUT HIM OFF ON HIS FINAL APCH PASSING HIM ON HIS L-HAND SIDE. THE SUN WAS IN MY FACE. I NEVER SAW THIS C172. MY R SEAT PAX SAID HE SAW HIM AS WE PASSED, BUT NEVER HEARD HIS RADIO CALLS WITHOUT THE DOWNWIND CALL. THE PLT WAS LOUD AND VERY ANGRY. I EXPLAINED I WOULD DISCUSS THIS FURTHER WHEN HE WAS NOT SO HOT. HE SAID THAT MIGHT BE GOOD. HE ASKED THE A&P FROM MY R-HAND SEAT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND HE SAID THE RADIO CALLS WERE WEAK OR NON EXISTENT. THE PLT ASKED HIM FOR MY NAME AND ADDRESS. I BELIEVE I DID NOT CUT HIM OFF BUT FLEW A WIDE PATTERN AND HE FLEW ONE SLOWER AND CLOSER -- NOT ALIGNING ON FINAL BUT TO THE R OF FINAL. THE SETTING SUN AND LACK OF LOUD RADIO CALLS CAUSED ME TO NOT LOOK FURTHER FOR AN ACFT, STILL BELIEVING THE C172 WAS BEHIND ME. I MADE THE RADIO CALLS TO EXPRESS I WAS FLYING A LONGER PATTERN. I BELIEVE THIS WILL NOT GO FURTHER BUT JUST IN CASE I WANTED TO PLACE THIS RPT ON FILE.

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 occurs at a non tower airport between a C172 and an overtaking PA32 which had been on the final before the C172 turned an earlier base than expected at buy, nc.