Near midair collision between 2 C172's in the traffic pattern at hyr, wi.

Attributes
ACN	579481
Time
Date	200304
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hyr.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : holding
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 1633 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	579481
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 250
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was on a dual cross country flight with a student pilot approaching for landing at hyr. We were approaching from the south and the wind was out of the ene favoring runway 2. The student elected to enter the traffic pattern on the upwind leg rather than fly a straight-in approach. The student reported each leg of the pattern over the CTAF. While on crosswind for runway 2, we heard a PIREP circling at 2200 ft (traffic pattern altitude) slightly east of the city of hayward. The student and I started looking for the conflicting traffic. We spotted the other aircraft after turning onto downwind, he was circling around a small brush fire at pattern altitude near the point where one would normally turn from downwind to base. The student started a descent below pattern altitude. I did not perceive our descent going fast enough, so I made an additional power reduction and applied more forward pressure on the yoke to speed up our descent. We passed beneath the circling aircraft by about 250 ft. Had I not been preoccupied with ensuring that we avoided a midair, I would have talked to the other pilot about his choice of altitude (poor judgement on his part). This is a case where flying a straight-in approach to runway 2 would likely have avoided an near midair collision.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN 2 C172'S IN THE TFC PATTERN AT HYR, WI.

Narrative: I WAS ON A DUAL XCOUNTRY FLT WITH A STUDENT PLT APCHING FOR LNDG AT HYR. WE WERE APCHING FROM THE S AND THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE ENE FAVORING RWY 2. THE STUDENT ELECTED TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN ON THE UPWIND LEG RATHER THAN FLY A STRAIGHT-IN APCH. THE STUDENT RPTED EACH LEG OF THE PATTERN OVER THE CTAF. WHILE ON XWIND FOR RWY 2, WE HEARD A PIREP CIRCLING AT 2200 FT (TFC PATTERN ALT) SLIGHTLY E OF THE CITY OF HAYWARD. THE STUDENT AND I STARTED LOOKING FOR THE CONFLICTING TFC. WE SPOTTED THE OTHER ACFT AFTER TURNING ONTO DOWNWIND, HE WAS CIRCLING AROUND A SMALL BRUSH FIRE AT PATTERN ALT NEAR THE POINT WHERE ONE WOULD NORMALLY TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO BASE. THE STUDENT STARTED A DSCNT BELOW PATTERN ALT. I DID NOT PERCEIVE OUR DSCNT GOING FAST ENOUGH, SO I MADE AN ADDITIONAL PWR REDUCTION AND APPLIED MORE FORWARD PRESSURE ON THE YOKE TO SPD UP OUR DSCNT. WE PASSED BENEATH THE CIRCLING ACFT BY ABOUT 250 FT. HAD I NOT BEEN PREOCCUPIED WITH ENSURING THAT WE AVOIDED A MIDAIR, I WOULD HAVE TALKED TO THE OTHER PLT ABOUT HIS CHOICE OF ALT (POOR JUDGEMENT ON HIS PART). THIS IS A CASE WHERE FLYING A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 2 WOULD LIKELY HAVE AVOIDED AN NMAC.

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.