Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan en route to csg from evv. I was handed off to csg approach (actually ZTL) and cleared for the visual approach to csg. I was not assigned an approach clearance to any specific runway. I was approaching the csg airport from the northwest and was approximately perpendicular to runway 5. I was then handed off to csg tower who advised me to enter a downwind for runway 5 and advised of T33 traffic in the pattern. I acknowledged visual contact with the T33 that was mid field making a high speed pass down runway 5 at about 50 ft AGL. I was nearing the entry point to turn onto the downwind leg of the traffic pattern when the T33 making the 'low pass' performed an abrupt pull-up followed immediately with the execution of a steep left turn. The T33 was advised of our presence in the traffic area by the csg tower and responded he did not have us in sight. As the T33 continued his steep turn, I could visually tell we were on a collision course with an exceeding high closure rate. I performed a hard-over r-hand turn along with a sharp descent. The T33 continued his left turn to downwind and passed in front of us. Upon arrival at the parking ramp, I contacted csg tower personnel to discuss this incident. They advised me it was the pilot's responsibility to maintain visual separation in VFR conditions and not their responsibility. I have filed foia requests for all pertinent information to follow this incident up. How the problem arose: failure of the csg tower to adequately monitor and control traffic in their traffic area. Contributing factors: 1) the csg tower personnel were working both ground and tower frequencys at the same time. They appeared disorganized and disoriented at times. Upon our departure from csg to ism, they apparently gave us a departure heading into restr airspace as we were given a heading of 360B degrees from departure control upon handoff. 2) the pending air show traffic increased the level of activity at csg. 3) the T33's pilot failed to visually locate and maintain adequate separation with other traffic. 4) the T33's pilot was performing abrupt maneuvers in an air traffic area. I believe these maneuvers were abrupt enough to be classified as aerobatic in nature and in violation of far's. 5) the T33's pilot was operating at much higher speeds than required. I believe at speeds in excess of those permitted in air traffic area's and in violation of far's. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had discussed this matter with the tower after landing. He had received confirmation back from the FAA southeast regional office of his foia request and that the matter was under investigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER CHEROKEE PA28 PLT ENTERING THE DOWNWIND LEG AT CTLED ARPT TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A T33 WHO HAD JUST TURNED DOWNWIND FROM A STEEP 180 DEG CLBING TURN FROM A LOW RWY PASS. TWR CTLR HAD ISSUED TA'S TO EACH ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN ENRTE TO CSG FROM EVV. I WAS HANDED OFF TO CSG APCH (ACTUALLY ZTL) AND CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO CSG. I WAS NOT ASSIGNED AN APCH CLRNC TO ANY SPECIFIC RWY. I WAS APCHING THE CSG ARPT FROM THE NW AND WAS APPROX PERPENDICULAR TO RWY 5. I WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO CSG TWR WHO ADVISED ME TO ENTER A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 5 AND ADVISED OF T33 TFC IN THE PATTERN. I ACKNOWLEDGED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE T33 THAT WAS MID FIELD MAKING A HIGH SPD PASS DOWN RWY 5 AT ABOUT 50 FT AGL. I WAS NEARING THE ENTRY POINT TO TURN ONTO THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TFC PATTERN WHEN THE T33 MAKING THE 'LOW PASS' PERFORMED AN ABRUPT PULL-UP FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY WITH THE EXECUTION OF A STEEP L TURN. THE T33 WAS ADVISED OF OUR PRESENCE IN THE TFC AREA BY THE CSG TWR AND RESPONDED HE DID NOT HAVE US IN SIGHT. AS THE T33 CONTINUED HIS STEEP TURN, I COULD VISUALLY TELL WE WERE ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH AN EXCEEDING HIGH CLOSURE RATE. I PERFORMED A HARD-OVER R-HAND TURN ALONG WITH A SHARP DSCNT. THE T33 CONTINUED HIS L TURN TO DOWNWIND AND PASSED IN FRONT OF US. UPON ARR AT THE PARKING RAMP, I CONTACTED CSG TWR PERSONNEL TO DISCUSS THIS INCIDENT. THEY ADVISED ME IT WAS THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION IN VFR CONDITIONS AND NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. I HAVE FILED FOIA REQUESTS FOR ALL PERTINENT INFO TO FOLLOW THIS INCIDENT UP. HOW THE PROB AROSE: FAILURE OF THE CSG TWR TO ADEQUATELY MONITOR AND CTL TFC IN THEIR TFC AREA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) THE CSG TWR PERSONNEL WERE WORKING BOTH GND AND TWR FREQS AT THE SAME TIME. THEY APPEARED DISORGANIZED AND DISORIENTED AT TIMES. UPON OUR DEP FROM CSG TO ISM, THEY APPARENTLY GAVE US A DEP HDG INTO RESTR AIRSPACE AS WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 360B DEGS FROM DEP CTL UPON HDOF. 2) THE PENDING AIR SHOW TFC INCREASED THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY AT CSG. 3) THE T33'S PLT FAILED TO VISUALLY LOCATE AND MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SEPARATION WITH OTHER TFC. 4) THE T33'S PLT WAS PERFORMING ABRUPT MANEUVERS IN AN ATA. I BELIEVE THESE MANEUVERS WERE ABRUPT ENOUGH TO BE CLASSIFIED AS AEROBATIC IN NATURE AND IN VIOLATION OF FAR'S. 5) THE T33'S PLT WAS OPERATING AT MUCH HIGHER SPDS THAN REQUIRED. I BELIEVE AT SPDS IN EXCESS OF THOSE PERMITTED IN ATA'S AND IN VIOLATION OF FAR'S. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH THE TWR AFTER LNDG. HE HAD RECEIVED CONFIRMATION BACK FROM THE FAA SE REGIONAL OFFICE OF HIS FOIA REQUEST AND THAT THE MATTER WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

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.