PA44 instructor and student and a C400 series cessna had an near midair collision in vgt class D air...

Attributes
ACN	553664
Time
Date	200207
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgt.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl single value : 3200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : vgt.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : vgt.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 401
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 755 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	553664
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2350 flight time type : 1.5
ASRS Report	553665
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 400 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance FAA Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Called vgt tower 10 mi northwest of airport, returning from practice area. Instructed to proceed straight-in runway 12R. Instruction repeated back to tower. Tower told another aircraft to 'cancel altitude restr.' our aircraft was never informed of the other aircraft inbound. On 2 mi final we had not yet received a landing clearance. I inquired with the tower if we were cleared to land. Tower did not respond to us, but instead told the twin cessna that he was cutting off a seminole (our aircraft) on final. I knew he was referring to us, looked to the right and saw the other twin turning base to final and approximately 700 ft. I grabbed the controls from the student. Saw the other aircraft make a climbing left turn so I dove left to avoid. Several seconds after the incident, tower advised us of 'traffic alert, take any action necessary.' I advised tower that we missed, the other aircraft was behind, and asked if we were cleared to land. Tower then cleared us to land runway 12R. We landed without further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: in contact with las TRACON, it was determined the vgt tower is equipped with a BRITE radar. Quality assurance was at a loss as to why the ATCT local controller did not use this radar to assist his control of traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA44 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT AND A C400 SERIES CESSNA HAD AN NMAC IN VGT CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: CALLED VGT TWR 10 MI NW OF ARPT, RETURNING FROM PRACTICE AREA. INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED STRAIGHT-IN RWY 12R. INSTRUCTION REPEATED BACK TO TWR. TWR TOLD ANOTHER ACFT TO 'CANCEL ALT RESTR.' OUR ACFT WAS NEVER INFORMED OF THE OTHER ACFT INBOUND. ON 2 MI FINAL WE HAD NOT YET RECEIVED A LNDG CLRNC. I INQUIRED WITH THE TWR IF WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. TWR DID NOT RESPOND TO US, BUT INSTEAD TOLD THE TWIN CESSNA THAT HE WAS CUTTING OFF A SEMINOLE (OUR ACFT) ON FINAL. I KNEW HE WAS REFERRING TO US, LOOKED TO THE R AND SAW THE OTHER TWIN TURNING BASE TO FINAL AND APPROX 700 FT. I GRABBED THE CTLS FROM THE STUDENT. SAW THE OTHER ACFT MAKE A CLBING L TURN SO I DOVE L TO AVOID. SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER THE INCIDENT, TWR ADVISED US OF 'TFC ALERT, TAKE ANY ACTION NECESSARY.' I ADVISED TWR THAT WE MISSED, THE OTHER ACFT WAS BEHIND, AND ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. TWR THEN CLRED US TO LAND RWY 12R. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: IN CONTACT WITH LAS TRACON, IT WAS DETERMINED THE VGT TWR IS EQUIPPED WITH A BRITE RADAR. QUALITY ASSURANCE WAS AT A LOSS AS TO WHY THE ATCT LCL CTLR DID NOT USE THIS RADAR TO ASSIST HIS CTL OF TFC.

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.

PA44 instructor and student and a C400 series cessna had an near midair collision in vgt class D airspace.