Narrative:

I was approaching the airport from the west; at pattern altitude. I had called 6 NM out over the rio puerco; and again crossing the escarpment (3 NM) beginning a 45 degree entry for right downwind (as published) runway 22 at aeg. I called over the shooting range (2 NM). All these are regularly used local landmarks. While I was on the 45 degree; a seneca called 'on the go' on runway 22. I never located him visually. I saw another aircraft over the runway and thought it was the seneca. I was or had just turned downwind when the seneca announced he was crosswind and then interrupted himself to say 'oh jesus.' I looked right and saw the seneca heading for me from about 4 O'clock position; rolling into a left turn to avoid me. He was below but climbing quickly. I broke left as well; but the seneca's turn had already ensured no collision. Factors: 1) my 45 degree entry brought me to the downwind leg too close to the departure end of the runway; rather then midfield. 2) I believe the seneca was going around from a practice instrument approach and was thus already well above the runway when he began his climb. Thus he was at an altitude to turn crosswind at or shortly after crossing the departure end of runway 22. Thus his crosswind was unusually close in. 3) practice instrument approachs at aeg are often talking to abq approach control until close to the aeg airport environment; so they sometimes have insufficient information regarding aircraft in the pattern or approaching the pattern. 4) my lookout was inadequate. 5) I had grown accustomed to using a nonstandard 45 degree entry (toward the departure end) because most traffic at aeg consists of trainers that fly long upwind legs to gain altitude. Bad habit. 6) rusty multi-tasking skills due to no recent flying. 7) aeg needs a tower. Traffic is dense and conflicts are frequent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 HAS A CONFLICT WITH A PA34 IN THE PATTERN AT AEG.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE W; AT PATTERN ALT. I HAD CALLED 6 NM OUT OVER THE RIO PUERCO; AND AGAIN XING THE ESCARPMENT (3 NM) BEGINNING A 45 DEG ENTRY FOR R DOWNWIND (AS PUBLISHED) RWY 22 AT AEG. I CALLED OVER THE SHOOTING RANGE (2 NM). ALL THESE ARE REGULARLY USED LCL LANDMARKS. WHILE I WAS ON THE 45 DEG; A SENECA CALLED 'ON THE GO' ON RWY 22. I NEVER LOCATED HIM VISUALLY. I SAW ANOTHER ACFT OVER THE RWY AND THOUGHT IT WAS THE SENECA. I WAS OR HAD JUST TURNED DOWNWIND WHEN THE SENECA ANNOUNCED HE WAS XWIND AND THEN INTERRUPTED HIMSELF TO SAY 'OH JESUS.' I LOOKED R AND SAW THE SENECA HEADING FOR ME FROM ABOUT 4 O'CLOCK POS; ROLLING INTO A L TURN TO AVOID ME. HE WAS BELOW BUT CLBING QUICKLY. I BROKE L AS WELL; BUT THE SENECA'S TURN HAD ALREADY ENSURED NO COLLISION. FACTORS: 1) MY 45 DEG ENTRY BROUGHT ME TO THE DOWNWIND LEG TOO CLOSE TO THE DEP END OF THE RWY; RATHER THEN MIDFIELD. 2) I BELIEVE THE SENECA WAS GOING AROUND FROM A PRACTICE INST APCH AND WAS THUS ALREADY WELL ABOVE THE RWY WHEN HE BEGAN HIS CLB. THUS HE WAS AT AN ALT TO TURN XWIND AT OR SHORTLY AFTER XING THE DEP END OF RWY 22. THUS HIS XWIND WAS UNUSUALLY CLOSE IN. 3) PRACTICE INST APCHS AT AEG ARE OFTEN TALKING TO ABQ APCH CTL UNTIL CLOSE TO THE AEG ARPT ENVIRONMENT; SO THEY SOMETIMES HAVE INSUFFICIENT INFO REGARDING ACFT IN THE PATTERN OR APCHING THE PATTERN. 4) MY LOOKOUT WAS INADEQUATE. 5) I HAD GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO USING A NONSTANDARD 45 DEG ENTRY (TOWARD THE DEP END) BECAUSE MOST TFC AT AEG CONSISTS OF TRAINERS THAT FLY LONG UPWIND LEGS TO GAIN ALT. BAD HABIT. 6) RUSTY MULTI-TASKING SKILLS DUE TO NO RECENT FLYING. 7) AEG NEEDS A TWR. TFC IS DENSE AND CONFLICTS ARE FREQUENT.

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.