Narrative:

My student and I had been doing practice approachs to smx airport in VFR conditions receiving radar services. We were doing approachs to runway 12 while tower was using runway 30 for takeoffs and lndgs. On our inbound leg, we switched to smx tower who has no radar. ZLA was giving advisories until that time and informed smx tower of our activities. On the second approach, we reported to smx that we were established inbound and he asked, 'say your DME.' we (not being DME equipped) said, 'we are just (emphasis on word 'just') outside the marker beacon.' (later by telephone, the tower controller told me that he thinks he told us to report the beacon -- my student and I never copied or read that back.) as we were nearing our missed approach point, we saw a brasilia on the runway 30. We heard her cleared onto the runway and subsequently heard her cleared for takeoff and saw the roll. I commented to my student that 'I'm surprised they are letting us come in this far.' (usually they break you off sooner when there is opposing traffic.) when the brasilia lifted off, we calmly veered left (we had been left of the runway anyway) and we didn't think much of it. We hadn't had an opening on radio yet to call our missed approach. We saw the brasilia bank to her left. There never was a danger, but that poor pilot, who had not known we were out there, was certainly shocked and scared. She said something like, 'my god tower, that cessna was too close! My TCASII went off.' tower asked us to phone later. He was also upset and I think wondering if it was his mistake or mine (missing a request to report the marker). He said he would listen to the tape the next day and took my home number. Have not received any call -- it is 5 days later now. I didn't phone him because I was afraid to be 'in trouble.' there never was a danger, but the controller and other pilot felt there was because they didn't know how close we were. Perception: it is confusing when IFR approachs are practiced at airports without radar, opposing runways, etc. Training flts are also a factor with CFI and student talking to each other. When I thought he was letting us get closer than usual, I should have reported our position. I still don't know if I missed a call to report. I'm sorry that fear of violation kept me from calling to hear what the tape revealed!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT AND ACR BRASILIA HAD LESS THAN COMFORTABLE SEPARATION IN SMX CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I HAD BEEN DOING PRACTICE APCHS TO SMX ARPT IN VFR CONDITIONS RECEIVING RADAR SVCS. WE WERE DOING APCHS TO RWY 12 WHILE TWR WAS USING RWY 30 FOR TKOFS AND LNDGS. ON OUR INBOUND LEG, WE SWITCHED TO SMX TWR WHO HAS NO RADAR. ZLA WAS GIVING ADVISORIES UNTIL THAT TIME AND INFORMED SMX TWR OF OUR ACTIVITIES. ON THE SECOND APCH, WE RPTED TO SMX THAT WE WERE ESTABLISHED INBOUND AND HE ASKED, 'SAY YOUR DME.' WE (NOT BEING DME EQUIPPED) SAID, 'WE ARE JUST (EMPHASIS ON WORD 'JUST') OUTSIDE THE MARKER BEACON.' (LATER BY TELEPHONE, THE TWR CTLR TOLD ME THAT HE THINKS HE TOLD US TO RPT THE BEACON -- MY STUDENT AND I NEVER COPIED OR READ THAT BACK.) AS WE WERE NEARING OUR MISSED APCH POINT, WE SAW A BRASILIA ON THE RWY 30. WE HEARD HER CLRED ONTO THE RWY AND SUBSEQUENTLY HEARD HER CLRED FOR TKOF AND SAW THE ROLL. I COMMENTED TO MY STUDENT THAT 'I'M SURPRISED THEY ARE LETTING US COME IN THIS FAR.' (USUALLY THEY BREAK YOU OFF SOONER WHEN THERE IS OPPOSING TFC.) WHEN THE BRASILIA LIFTED OFF, WE CALMLY VEERED L (WE HAD BEEN L OF THE RWY ANYWAY) AND WE DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. WE HADN'T HAD AN OPENING ON RADIO YET TO CALL OUR MISSED APCH. WE SAW THE BRASILIA BANK TO HER L. THERE NEVER WAS A DANGER, BUT THAT POOR PLT, WHO HAD NOT KNOWN WE WERE OUT THERE, WAS CERTAINLY SHOCKED AND SCARED. SHE SAID SOMETHING LIKE, 'MY GOD TWR, THAT CESSNA WAS TOO CLOSE! MY TCASII WENT OFF.' TWR ASKED US TO PHONE LATER. HE WAS ALSO UPSET AND I THINK WONDERING IF IT WAS HIS MISTAKE OR MINE (MISSING A REQUEST TO RPT THE MARKER). HE SAID HE WOULD LISTEN TO THE TAPE THE NEXT DAY AND TOOK MY HOME NUMBER. HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY CALL -- IT IS 5 DAYS LATER NOW. I DIDN'T PHONE HIM BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID TO BE 'IN TROUBLE.' THERE NEVER WAS A DANGER, BUT THE CTLR AND OTHER PLT FELT THERE WAS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW CLOSE WE WERE. PERCEPTION: IT IS CONFUSING WHEN IFR APCHS ARE PRACTICED AT ARPTS WITHOUT RADAR, OPPOSING RWYS, ETC. TRAINING FLTS ARE ALSO A FACTOR WITH CFI AND STUDENT TALKING TO EACH OTHER. WHEN I THOUGHT HE WAS LETTING US GET CLOSER THAN USUAL, I SHOULD HAVE RPTED OUR POS. I STILL DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED A CALL TO RPT. I'M SORRY THAT FEAR OF VIOLATION KEPT ME FROM CALLING TO HEAR WHAT THE TAPE REVEALED!

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.