Narrative:

I was practicing touch-and-goes on runway 18L at napa, left traffic. On my upwind leg, the tower advised traffic approaching from the southwest. I remained alert and continued onto my crosswind and downwind. As I entered my downwind the tower asked the mooney his position. He advised he was downwind. I began to scan rapidly. As the tower advised me the mooney was on a wide downwind, I caught site of him at my 4 O'clock position. He appeared to be on a 45 rolling right onto his downwind. Because we were converging rapidly I maneuvered into a steep banked left descending turn. I advised the tower I was spinning. The mooney advised he never saw me. I feel the problem arose for several reasons: first, once I turned downwind, I began a pre landing check, which reduced my ability to scan effectively. Secondly, I was expecting the mooney from another direction. Finally, on both crosswind and downwind, I could not see well to the southwest, so I failed to scan well for traffic. Additionally, the tower was busy with other traffic and may not have had time to adequately separate the mooney and myself. Other contributing factors were the mooney failing to see me, and my lack of recent flying and generally low flying time. This event could have been prevented with a radar system that advised the controller of the proximity of the mooney and myself. A different approach for the mooney which could have allowed better separation might have also helped. Better visual scan by myself and the mooney were the primary contributing factors, however, and perhaps the most important aspect on which improvement needed to be made to prevent a future event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28-151 IN CLOSED TFC AT A TWRED ARPT HAD AN NMAC WITH AN ACFT ENTERING THE PATTERN.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GOES ON RWY 18L AT NAPA, L TFC. ON MY UPWIND LEG, THE TWR ADVISED TFC APCHING FROM THE SW. I REMAINED ALERT AND CONTINUED ONTO MY XWIND AND DOWNWIND. AS I ENTERED MY DOWNWIND THE TWR ASKED THE MOONEY HIS POS. HE ADVISED HE WAS DOWNWIND. I BEGAN TO SCAN RAPIDLY. AS THE TWR ADVISED ME THE MOONEY WAS ON A WIDE DOWNWIND, I CAUGHT SITE OF HIM AT MY 4 O'CLOCK POS. HE APPEARED TO BE ON A 45 ROLLING RIGHT ONTO HIS DOWNWIND. BECAUSE WE WERE CONVERGING RAPIDLY I MANEUVERED INTO A STEEP BANKED L DSNDING TURN. I ADVISED THE TWR I WAS SPINNING. THE MOONEY ADVISED HE NEVER SAW ME. I FEEL THE PROB AROSE FOR SEVERAL REASONS: FIRST, ONCE I TURNED DOWNWIND, I BEGAN A PRE LNDG CHK, WHICH REDUCED MY ABILITY TO SCAN EFFECTIVELY. SECONDLY, I WAS EXPECTING THE MOONEY FROM ANOTHER DIRECTION. FINALLY, ON BOTH XWIND AND DOWNWIND, I COULD NOT SEE WELL TO THE SW, SO I FAILED TO SCAN WELL FOR TFC. ADDITIONALLY, THE TWR WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TFC AND MAY NOT HAVE HAD TIME TO ADEQUATELY SEPARATE THE MOONEY AND MYSELF. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE MOONEY FAILING TO SEE ME, AND MY LACK OF RECENT FLYING AND GENERALLY LOW FLYING TIME. THIS EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WITH A RADAR SYS THAT ADVISED THE CTLR OF THE PROX OF THE MOONEY AND MYSELF. A DIFFERENT APCH FOR THE MOONEY WHICH COULD HAVE ALLOWED BETTER SEPARATION MIGHT HAVE ALSO HELPED. BETTER VISUAL SCAN BY MYSELF AND THE MOONEY WERE THE PRIMARY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, HOWEVER, AND PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT ON WHICH IMPROVEMENT NEEDED TO BE MADE TO PREVENT A FUTURE EVENT.

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.