Narrative:

I was approaching el monte airport (emt) from the west, abeam the santa anita race track. At that point, el monte tower cleared me for landing runway 19. I continued inbound and reported to the tower my position, 1 mi out, on final. At about that time, a cessna 310 that had been doing 360 degree turns east of the airport over the 605 freeway, just south of the 210 freeway, suddenly turned toward the airport, on a left base, passing some 200 ft or so in front of me, causing me to dive and turn slightly to the left to avoid a mid-air collision. At that point, I was under 500 ft so I continued to land runway 19. After landing and securing my plane in the hangar, I contacted the pilot of the cessna 310. He said the controller had directed him to the airport but was unsure if the controller had cleared him to land. The airspace around el monte was quite busy with 4, perhaps more, planes converging on the airport. I began monitoring the tower frequency just over 10 mi to the west. At no time did I hear the tower clear a cessna 310 to land. I did hear the tower instruct the plane to remain northeast of the airport. I am not sure if the tower witnessed the cessna 310 make the sudden approach from the east. Some conversation could have taken place, I was busy trying to get out of the way of the oncoming plane. I have flown in and out of el monte, my home base, for almost 15 yrs and this is the closest I have come to being involved in an accident. Since el monte has radar effective at 1600 ft and above, the tower could have been more alert to the position of converging traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 LNDG EMT EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH C310 ON 1 MI FINAL.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING EL MONTE ARPT (EMT) FROM THE W, ABEAM THE SANTA ANITA RACE TRACK. AT THAT POINT, EL MONTE TWR CLRED ME FOR LNDG RWY 19. I CONTINUED INBOUND AND RPTED TO THE TWR MY POS, 1 MI OUT, ON FINAL. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, A CESSNA 310 THAT HAD BEEN DOING 360 DEG TURNS E OF THE ARPT OVER THE 605 FREEWAY, JUST S OF THE 210 FREEWAY, SUDDENLY TURNED TOWARD THE ARPT, ON A L BASE, PASSING SOME 200 FT OR SO IN FRONT OF ME, CAUSING ME TO DIVE AND TURN SLIGHTLY TO THE L TO AVOID A MID-AIR COLLISION. AT THAT POINT, I WAS UNDER 500 FT SO I CONTINUED TO LAND RWY 19. AFTER LNDG AND SECURING MY PLANE IN THE HANGAR, I CONTACTED THE PLT OF THE CESSNA 310. HE SAID THE CTLR HAD DIRECTED HIM TO THE ARPT BUT WAS UNSURE IF THE CTLR HAD CLRED HIM TO LAND. THE AIRSPACE AROUND EL MONTE WAS QUITE BUSY WITH 4, PERHAPS MORE, PLANES CONVERGING ON THE ARPT. I BEGAN MONITORING THE TWR FREQ JUST OVER 10 MI TO THE W. AT NO TIME DID I HEAR THE TWR CLR A CESSNA 310 TO LAND. I DID HEAR THE TWR INSTRUCT THE PLANE TO REMAIN NE OF THE ARPT. I AM NOT SURE IF THE TWR WITNESSED THE CESSNA 310 MAKE THE SUDDEN APCH FROM THE E. SOME CONVERSATION COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE, I WAS BUSY TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE ONCOMING PLANE. I HAVE FLOWN IN AND OUT OF EL MONTE, MY HOME BASE, FOR ALMOST 15 YRS AND THIS IS THE CLOSEST I HAVE COME TO BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. SINCE EL MONTE HAS RADAR EFFECTIVE AT 1600 FT AND ABOVE, THE TWR COULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERT TO THE POS OF CONVERGING 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.