A PA28 flying in marginal VFR to IFR conditions hears a C208 pilot reporting in the same general are...

Attributes
ACN	622466
Time
Date	200406
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 4a4.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : a80.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Turboprop Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : vfr
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 650 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	622466
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : diverted to another airport
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

We were northbound, and had just passed west georgia regional gray (ctj), which is directly west of atlanta. In about 15 mins time, the WX went from marginal VFR to IFR. We were talking with atlanta approach, who had been talking with us since 20 or 30 mi before we got to columbus, GA. Whoever we were talking with around columbus, seemed to be keeping up with the load, but whoever it was, forgot about us, until we were too far away for them to hear us on the radio. We had to have someone relay our VHF radio xmissions, to the controller, so that they could pass us off to another person in atlanta. We were handed off, and told to contact atlanta on 121.0. We did so, and were told 'stay clear of class B airspace, and we will get back with you.' we continued on our northbound course. After passing west georgia regional gray (ctj, directly west of atlanta), we heard lots of confusion on the radio. It sounded as if a supervisor had stepped in, and was beginning to assign aircraft to other frequencys. One pilot said 'I have been assigned 3 different frequencys in the past 2 mins, please tell me what you want me to do here.' about that time, I stated that I was running into significant WX deterioration, and that I was going to have to squawk 1200, and land at cornelius moore (4a4). After multiple attempts to get some sort of response from the controller, I switched over to 122.8 to announce my position, and intentions. I stated that I was just south of the field at 2000 ft, and would be entering the pattern for landing. I then heard a rather stressed pilot of a cessna caravan state that he was 'also in the pattern at cedartown.' I could see nobody, and he said he was also south of the field, and also at about 2000 ft. At this point, I am on adrenaline overload, and state 'I'm going down,' to which the other pilot said, 'are you declaring an emergency?' I said, 'no, I am just losing altitude,' and I put my plane into a very steep dive. Witnesses on the ground stated that they could hear us, and could see 'one of us on the upwind side, and the other on the downwind side.' we both felt it was a very near miss. Things that can be learned (to avoid this in the future): controllers that were working that area were either way overloaded, or were just confused. The fact that I was forgotten twice, and that others on the frequency were complaining about the confusion makes it evident that some quality control work needs to happen there. I should have been quicker to switch over to unicom, and not have continued to wait on controller's instructions. I should also have remained clear of the cornelius moore area, until I had made a traffic call, and then listened for responses. The pilot of the caravan needs to refer to the cornelius moore airport, as 'cornelius moore,' not 'cedartown.' it was not until several hours later in the day, that I got a chance to look at the chart closely, and noticed that the name of the town, just west of the airport is cedartown.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 FLYING IN MARGINAL VFR TO IFR CONDITIONS HEARS A C208 PLT RPTING IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA APCHING TO LAND, DOES NOT SEE THE ACFT, AND MAKES A RAPID DSCNT TO AVOID A CONFLICT.

Narrative: WE WERE NBOUND, AND HAD JUST PASSED WEST GEORGIA REGIONAL GRAY (CTJ), WHICH IS DIRECTLY W OF ATLANTA. IN ABOUT 15 MINS TIME, THE WX WENT FROM MARGINAL VFR TO IFR. WE WERE TALKING WITH ATLANTA APCH, WHO HAD BEEN TALKING WITH US SINCE 20 OR 30 MI BEFORE WE GOT TO COLUMBUS, GA. WHOEVER WE WERE TALKING WITH AROUND COLUMBUS, SEEMED TO BE KEEPING UP WITH THE LOAD, BUT WHOEVER IT WAS, FORGOT ABOUT US, UNTIL WE WERE TOO FAR AWAY FOR THEM TO HEAR US ON THE RADIO. WE HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE RELAY OUR VHF RADIO XMISSIONS, TO THE CTLR, SO THAT THEY COULD PASS US OFF TO ANOTHER PERSON IN ATLANTA. WE WERE HANDED OFF, AND TOLD TO CONTACT ATLANTA ON 121.0. WE DID SO, AND WERE TOLD 'STAY CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE, AND WE WILL GET BACK WITH YOU.' WE CONTINUED ON OUR NBOUND COURSE. AFTER PASSING WEST GEORGIA REGIONAL GRAY (CTJ, DIRECTLY W OF ATLANTA), WE HEARD LOTS OF CONFUSION ON THE RADIO. IT SOUNDED AS IF A SUPVR HAD STEPPED IN, AND WAS BEGINNING TO ASSIGN ACFT TO OTHER FREQS. ONE PLT SAID 'I HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED 3 DIFFERENT FREQS IN THE PAST 2 MINS, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO HERE.' ABOUT THAT TIME, I STATED THAT I WAS RUNNING INTO SIGNIFICANT WX DETERIORATION, AND THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO SQUAWK 1200, AND LAND AT CORNELIUS MOORE (4A4). AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO GET SOME SORT OF RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR, I SWITCHED OVER TO 122.8 TO ANNOUNCE MY POS, AND INTENTIONS. I STATED THAT I WAS JUST S OF THE FIELD AT 2000 FT, AND WOULD BE ENTERING THE PATTERN FOR LNDG. I THEN HEARD A RATHER STRESSED PLT OF A CESSNA CARAVAN STATE THAT HE WAS 'ALSO IN THE PATTERN AT CEDARTOWN.' I COULD SEE NOBODY, AND HE SAID HE WAS ALSO S OF THE FIELD, AND ALSO AT ABOUT 2000 FT. AT THIS POINT, I AM ON ADRENALINE OVERLOAD, AND STATE 'I'M GOING DOWN,' TO WHICH THE OTHER PLT SAID, 'ARE YOU DECLARING AN EMER?' I SAID, 'NO, I AM JUST LOSING ALT,' AND I PUT MY PLANE INTO A VERY STEEP DIVE. WITNESSES ON THE GND STATED THAT THEY COULD HEAR US, AND COULD SEE 'ONE OF US ON THE UPWIND SIDE, AND THE OTHER ON THE DOWNWIND SIDE.' WE BOTH FELT IT WAS A VERY NEAR MISS. THINGS THAT CAN BE LEARNED (TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE): CTLRS THAT WERE WORKING THAT AREA WERE EITHER WAY OVERLOADED, OR WERE JUST CONFUSED. THE FACT THAT I WAS FORGOTTEN TWICE, AND THAT OTHERS ON THE FREQ WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE CONFUSION MAKES IT EVIDENT THAT SOME QUALITY CTL WORK NEEDS TO HAPPEN THERE. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN QUICKER TO SWITCH OVER TO UNICOM, AND NOT HAVE CONTINUED TO WAIT ON CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. I SHOULD ALSO HAVE REMAINED CLR OF THE CORNELIUS MOORE AREA, UNTIL I HAD MADE A TFC CALL, AND THEN LISTENED FOR RESPONSES. THE PLT OF THE CARAVAN NEEDS TO REFER TO THE CORNELIUS MOORE ARPT, AS 'CORNELIUS MOORE,' NOT 'CEDARTOWN.' IT WAS NOT UNTIL SEVERAL HRS LATER IN THE DAY, THAT I GOT A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE CHART CLOSELY, AND NOTICED THAT THE NAME OF THE TOWN, JUST W OF THE ARPT IS CEDARTOWN.

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.

A PA28 flying in marginal VFR to IFR conditions hears a C208 pilot reporting in the same general area approaching to land, does not see the aircraft, and makes a rapid descent to avoid a conflict.