Narrative:

This report is filed due to an near midair collision over santa paula airport (szp) while on an IFR flight in VMC. Our airplane is a P28B/I, piper dakota. I departed gnoss field (dvo) on an IFR clearance in MVFR WX transitioning to IMC at XA16. My route and altitude were changed en route but not my clearance limit of camarillo (cma). The MEA of V25 from paso robles VOR (prb) to san marcus VOR (rzs) is 8600 ft and, therefore, required a transit altitude of 9000 ft in the sse direction of flight. At 10 NM from rzs, I was instructed to continue on a 135 degree heading through rzs and maintain 9000 ft due to traffic. Just after crossing rzs, I was cleared direct cma. I requested lower as I had 8000 ft to lose in less than 14 mins at 140 KTS. I was held at 9000 ft and xferred to pt mugu approach and given dscnts to 8000 ft and then to 7000 ft over 2-3 NM. I reduced power in order to not arrive over cma too high. I was given a frequency change, staying with pt mugu approach. I reported in, requested a visual approach to cma and stated I had the current ATIS. I was cleared to 5000 ft and cleared for the visual approach to runway 26 at cma, via a left pattern. Just as I began my descent and initiated a slight right turn to enter a left downwind for runway 26 cma, I received an amended clearance, canceling my approach to cma and to fly heading 080 degrees. No altitude was given so I requested an altitude and was assigned 4000 ft. As it was VMC and this vector took me up toward szp airport, I knew that VFR traffic would be a factor. My wife -- also a pilot -- had several aircraft in and around cma in sight. I slowed to approach confign to reduce my distance from cma -- approximately 100 KIAS. I received a traffic call of traffic 12 O'clock position and if I remember correctly of 3400 ft. I sighted an aircraft and reported traffic in sight with a comment that the aircraft was involved in aerobatic maneuvers. I maintained visual contact with the aerobatic aircraft, as my wife was visual with another aircraft crossing our 3-5 O'clock position and low. After 2 or 3 additional aerobatic maneuvers (aileron and snap rolls, etc) the other aircraft rolled out at 1/2 NM in a nose-to-nose position. I reported to pt mugu approach that 'impact imminent turning left now.' pt mugu responded with instruction to turn to 120 degrees, followed quickly by instructions to maneuver as necessary for safety of flight. I continued through 120 degrees for additional separation and rolled out at 150 degrees. I was temporarily 'blind' to the aerobatic aircraft due to my left wing up for turn. Upon leveling out, I reacquired the aerobatic aircraft at about my 7 O'clock position while my wife cleared the other traffic transiting below us to the northeast. Pt mugu then turned me over to cma tower after confirming that I still had the field in sight and was cleared for a straight-in visual to runway 26 at cma. I was nicely picked up by cma only 3.63 NM (by GPS) from the field and was given a traffic call and then cleared to land (#4) runway 26 cma. The remainder of the flight and landing were uneventful. I would recommend the following preventive actions: 1) eliminate the multiple frequencys for pt mugu approach -- it is a small airspace. The reduced radio calls and handoffs would reduce pilot and controller workload. As in this case, the traffic coming in from the north spend very few mins with one controller before being handed off again. 2) increase the cma tower staffing. Many times the tower is so busy that they can barely handle the local workload, let alone get the handoffs from pt mugu easily organized into the traffic flow. 3) this could be helped by developing a 'hot/cold' system for the sbz aerobatic box, as used for MOA's. Until this is done, no IFR aircraft should be vectored into the szp airspace/aerobatic box below 6000 ft. 4) remind controllers that when a clearance for a visual approach has been given and then amended, canceling the approach, that amendment must include both a heading and altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING IFR ARR IN VMC TO CMA, PLT OF PA28 VECTORED INTO VICINITY OF AEROBATIC PRACTICE AREA EXPERIENCES LESS THAN DESIRED SEPARATION.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS FILED DUE TO AN NMAC OVER SANTA PAULA ARPT (SZP) WHILE ON AN IFR FLT IN VMC. OUR AIRPLANE IS A P28B/I, PIPER DAKOTA. I DEPARTED GNOSS FIELD (DVO) ON AN IFR CLRNC IN MVFR WX TRANSITIONING TO IMC AT XA16. MY RTE AND ALT WERE CHANGED ENRTE BUT NOT MY CLRNC LIMIT OF CAMARILLO (CMA). THE MEA OF V25 FROM PASO ROBLES VOR (PRB) TO SAN MARCUS VOR (RZS) IS 8600 FT AND, THEREFORE, REQUIRED A TRANSIT ALT OF 9000 FT IN THE SSE DIRECTION OF FLT. AT 10 NM FROM RZS, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE ON A 135 DEG HDG THROUGH RZS AND MAINTAIN 9000 FT DUE TO TFC. JUST AFTER XING RZS, I WAS CLRED DIRECT CMA. I REQUESTED LOWER AS I HAD 8000 FT TO LOSE IN LESS THAN 14 MINS AT 140 KTS. I WAS HELD AT 9000 FT AND XFERRED TO PT MUGU APCH AND GIVEN DSCNTS TO 8000 FT AND THEN TO 7000 FT OVER 2-3 NM. I REDUCED PWR IN ORDER TO NOT ARRIVE OVER CMA TOO HIGH. I WAS GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE, STAYING WITH PT MUGU APCH. I RPTED IN, REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH TO CMA AND STATED I HAD THE CURRENT ATIS. I WAS CLRED TO 5000 FT AND CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26 AT CMA, VIA A L PATTERN. JUST AS I BEGAN MY DSCNT AND INITIATED A SLIGHT R TURN TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26 CMA, I RECEIVED AN AMENDED CLRNC, CANCELING MY APCH TO CMA AND TO FLY HDG 080 DEGS. NO ALT WAS GIVEN SO I REQUESTED AN ALT AND WAS ASSIGNED 4000 FT. AS IT WAS VMC AND THIS VECTOR TOOK ME UP TOWARD SZP ARPT, I KNEW THAT VFR TFC WOULD BE A FACTOR. MY WIFE -- ALSO A PLT -- HAD SEVERAL ACFT IN AND AROUND CMA IN SIGHT. I SLOWED TO APCH CONFIGN TO REDUCE MY DISTANCE FROM CMA -- APPROX 100 KIAS. I RECEIVED A TFC CALL OF TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY OF 3400 FT. I SIGHTED AN ACFT AND RPTED TFC IN SIGHT WITH A COMMENT THAT THE ACFT WAS INVOLVED IN AEROBATIC MANEUVERS. I MAINTAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AEROBATIC ACFT, AS MY WIFE WAS VISUAL WITH ANOTHER ACFT XING OUR 3-5 O'CLOCK POS AND LOW. AFTER 2 OR 3 ADDITIONAL AEROBATIC MANEUVERS (AILERON AND SNAP ROLLS, ETC) THE OTHER ACFT ROLLED OUT AT 1/2 NM IN A NOSE-TO-NOSE POS. I RPTED TO PT MUGU APCH THAT 'IMPACT IMMINENT TURNING L NOW.' PT MUGU RESPONDED WITH INSTRUCTION TO TURN TO 120 DEGS, FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY INSTRUCTIONS TO MANEUVER AS NECESSARY FOR SAFETY OF FLT. I CONTINUED THROUGH 120 DEGS FOR ADDITIONAL SEPARATION AND ROLLED OUT AT 150 DEGS. I WAS TEMPORARILY 'BLIND' TO THE AEROBATIC ACFT DUE TO MY L WING UP FOR TURN. UPON LEVELING OUT, I REACQUIRED THE AEROBATIC ACFT AT ABOUT MY 7 O'CLOCK POS WHILE MY WIFE CLRED THE OTHER TFC TRANSITING BELOW US TO THE NE. PT MUGU THEN TURNED ME OVER TO CMA TWR AFTER CONFIRMING THAT I STILL HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND WAS CLRED FOR A STRAIGHT-IN VISUAL TO RWY 26 AT CMA. I WAS NICELY PICKED UP BY CMA ONLY 3.63 NM (BY GPS) FROM THE FIELD AND WAS GIVEN A TFC CALL AND THEN CLRED TO LAND (#4) RWY 26 CMA. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. I WOULD RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING PREVENTIVE ACTIONS: 1) ELIMINATE THE MULTIPLE FREQS FOR PT MUGU APCH -- IT IS A SMALL AIRSPACE. THE REDUCED RADIO CALLS AND HDOFS WOULD REDUCE PLT AND CTLR WORKLOAD. AS IN THIS CASE, THE TFC COMING IN FROM THE N SPEND VERY FEW MINS WITH ONE CTLR BEFORE BEING HANDED OFF AGAIN. 2) INCREASE THE CMA TWR STAFFING. MANY TIMES THE TWR IS SO BUSY THAT THEY CAN BARELY HANDLE THE LCL WORKLOAD, LET ALONE GET THE HDOFS FROM PT MUGU EASILY ORGANIZED INTO THE TFC FLOW. 3) THIS COULD BE HELPED BY DEVELOPING A 'HOT/COLD' SYS FOR THE SBZ AEROBATIC BOX, AS USED FOR MOA'S. UNTIL THIS IS DONE, NO IFR ACFT SHOULD BE VECTORED INTO THE SZP AIRSPACE/AEROBATIC BOX BELOW 6000 FT. 4) REMIND CTLRS THAT WHEN A CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH HAS BEEN GIVEN AND THEN AMENDED, CANCELING THE APCH, THAT AMENDMENT MUST INCLUDE BOTH A HDG AND ALT.

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.