Narrative:

The C172 I was flying; and another aircraft; a piper warrior; came within 30 ft vertically of each other. My flight was a part 91 private pilot training flight. Our airplane was in the traffic pattern along with the conflict airplane and one other C172. The warrior and my airplane had been in the pattern for approximately 3 circuits before the incident. As we were on short final to runway 27; another instructor radioed in to me 'that warrior just cut in front of you and is directly over top of you.' I could not get a visual on the target aircraft; and so asked for a confirmation while maneuvering to the south of the runway centerline at approximately 50 ft AGL. We finally spotted the aircraft over our position continuing over the runway centerline; at which point we maintained visual separation; broke off the landing attempt to the north; and resequenced for an uneventful landing after 1 more flight in the pattern. Since we had been in the pattern for 3 circuits prior to the incident; we had what I thought to be pretty good spacing between our aircraft. The 3 airplanes were making position reports and we had visual contact with the airplanes. Just prior to the incident; we had visually cleared the final approach path; turned final and made our position report. At this point we knew the warrior was second in sequence on downwind; and the other cessna was in an upwind for the pattern; so I turned my attention to instructing the student. According to the pilot of the other cessna and the aircraft from which I received the radio warning; the warrior pilot then proceeded to make a call stating that he was performing a simulated engine out. Neither myself nor my student; since we were discussing landing technique; heard that call. At approximately 50 ft AGL; just over the runway threshold; I received the radio warning about the warrior directly overhead. Since the C172 is a high wing airplane and the piper warrior is a low wing airplane; neither of us was able to see the other airplane. I believe 2 factors contributed to this incident. The first was the failure of the warrior pilot to maintain situational awareness and visual contact with right-of-way traffic. As our aircraft had turned and announced final; we had the right-of-way over other traffic in the pattern. The warrior pilot should not have attempted a simulated engine out when he did not have the right-of-way nor when he did not have visual confirmation of the position of our aircraft. The second contributing factor was our failure to maintain an awareness of radio xmissions. I was preoccupied with instructing the student -- assuming that since I knew where the warrior was; he knew where I was; and since we had visually cleared final before turning; in my mind we were all clear for landing. As a result; we missed the warrior's call for simulated engine out. Also; instructors and pilots wishing to practice simulated engine outs should either avoid doing them in a crowded traffic pattern or make certain that both their intentions are fully understood by other aircraft and that they maintain an extremely careful awareness of the location of other airplanes in the pattern. There is no excuse for 2 airplanes in communication with each other coming within 30 ft. In clear WX; the duty to see and avoid is absolutely paramount. I'm just glad that the other instructor was taxiing out; saw the situation; and warned us of it over the radio. Otherwise; the first indication that something was wrong would have been the warrior's nosewheel coming through our windshield.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172S AND PA28 HAVE NMAC IN UNCTLED TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: THE C172 I WAS FLYING; AND ANOTHER ACFT; A PIPER WARRIOR; CAME WITHIN 30 FT VERTLY OF EACH OTHER. MY FLT WAS A PART 91 PVT PLT TRAINING FLT. OUR AIRPLANE WAS IN THE TFC PATTERN ALONG WITH THE CONFLICT AIRPLANE AND ONE OTHER C172. THE WARRIOR AND MY AIRPLANE HAD BEEN IN THE PATTERN FOR APPROX 3 CIRCUITS BEFORE THE INCIDENT. AS WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 27; ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR RADIOED IN TO ME 'THAT WARRIOR JUST CUT IN FRONT OF YOU AND IS DIRECTLY OVER TOP OF YOU.' I COULD NOT GET A VISUAL ON THE TARGET ACFT; AND SO ASKED FOR A CONFIRMATION WHILE MANEUVERING TO THE S OF THE RWY CTRLINE AT APPROX 50 FT AGL. WE FINALLY SPOTTED THE ACFT OVER OUR POS CONTINUING OVER THE RWY CTRLINE; AT WHICH POINT WE MAINTAINED VISUAL SEPARATION; BROKE OFF THE LNDG ATTEMPT TO THE N; AND RESEQUENCED FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AFTER 1 MORE FLT IN THE PATTERN. SINCE WE HAD BEEN IN THE PATTERN FOR 3 CIRCUITS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT; WE HAD WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE PRETTY GOOD SPACING BTWN OUR ACFT. THE 3 AIRPLANES WERE MAKING POS RPTS AND WE HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANES. JUST PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT; WE HAD VISUALLY CLRED THE FINAL APCH PATH; TURNED FINAL AND MADE OUR POS RPT. AT THIS POINT WE KNEW THE WARRIOR WAS SECOND IN SEQUENCE ON DOWNWIND; AND THE OTHER CESSNA WAS IN AN UPWIND FOR THE PATTERN; SO I TURNED MY ATTN TO INSTRUCTING THE STUDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PLT OF THE OTHER CESSNA AND THE ACFT FROM WHICH I RECEIVED THE RADIO WARNING; THE WARRIOR PLT THEN PROCEEDED TO MAKE A CALL STATING THAT HE WAS PERFORMING A SIMULATED ENG OUT. NEITHER MYSELF NOR MY STUDENT; SINCE WE WERE DISCUSSING LNDG TECHNIQUE; HEARD THAT CALL. AT APPROX 50 FT AGL; JUST OVER THE RWY THRESHOLD; I RECEIVED THE RADIO WARNING ABOUT THE WARRIOR DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. SINCE THE C172 IS A HIGH WING AIRPLANE AND THE PIPER WARRIOR IS A LOW WING AIRPLANE; NEITHER OF US WAS ABLE TO SEE THE OTHER AIRPLANE. I BELIEVE 2 FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. THE FIRST WAS THE FAILURE OF THE WARRIOR PLT TO MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND VISUAL CONTACT WITH RIGHT-OF-WAY TFC. AS OUR ACFT HAD TURNED AND ANNOUNCED FINAL; WE HAD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OVER OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN. THE WARRIOR PLT SHOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED A SIMULATED ENG OUT WHEN HE DID NOT HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY NOR WHEN HE DID NOT HAVE VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF THE POS OF OUR ACFT. THE SECOND CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS OUR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN AWARENESS OF RADIO XMISSIONS. I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH INSTRUCTING THE STUDENT -- ASSUMING THAT SINCE I KNEW WHERE THE WARRIOR WAS; HE KNEW WHERE I WAS; AND SINCE WE HAD VISUALLY CLRED FINAL BEFORE TURNING; IN MY MIND WE WERE ALL CLR FOR LNDG. AS A RESULT; WE MISSED THE WARRIOR'S CALL FOR SIMULATED ENG OUT. ALSO; INSTRUCTORS AND PLTS WISHING TO PRACTICE SIMULATED ENG OUTS SHOULD EITHER AVOID DOING THEM IN A CROWDED TFC PATTERN OR MAKE CERTAIN THAT BOTH THEIR INTENTIONS ARE FULLY UNDERSTOOD BY OTHER ACFT AND THAT THEY MAINTAIN AN EXTREMELY CAREFUL AWARENESS OF THE LOCATION OF OTHER AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR 2 AIRPLANES IN COM WITH EACH OTHER COMING WITHIN 30 FT. IN CLR WX; THE DUTY TO SEE AND AVOID IS ABSOLUTELY PARAMOUNT. I'M JUST GLAD THAT THE OTHER INSTRUCTOR WAS TAXIING OUT; SAW THE SIT; AND WARNED US OF IT OVER THE RADIO. OTHERWISE; THE FIRST INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WOULD HAVE BEEN THE WARRIOR'S NOSEWHEEL COMING THROUGH OUR WINDSHIELD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.