Narrative:

I called and told him I was also north (now at anthem with the other 2 planes) and landing with ATIS. He told me to remain clear of class D. I was now worried as we had 3 airplanes over anthem waiting to get in and I was the last of the 3. Very shortly the controller cleared the bonanza and the twin to enter left bases for runway 7L. At this point I was over carefree highway (7 NM north) and flying east for a few mi then doing a 180 degree and flying west; etc. I figured I was next but the frequency was jammed with new airplanes coming in and I was unable to remind the controller I was still out there. The controller cleared 2 more airplanes in for left bases from the northeast. I was heading wbound now and saw an aerostar right in front of me descending. He was somehow able to get a break on the frequency and was also cleared for a left base. Then an air carrier plane called over anthem (north of me; between me and the airport) and he was cleared to the airport left base entry. Now I was getting both upset and worried and this guy was cleared directly across my path. I was still unable to get any breaks on frequency. I called twice and was blocked. The controller cleared 2 more cessnas in from the west. Finally there was a break. I keyed and told the controller he had forgotten about me. The controller responded he had not forgotten but had numerous other inbound aircraft. While this was true; I was 3RD in that sequence; the closest to the airport and the fastest of all the planes except the aerostar. The controller cleared me for left base entry to runway 7L. I was over I-17 at this time and immediately entered a left base and began descending from 4000 ft. I was overtaking the plane in front of me and while descending and dealing with slowing the plane down even further; I notice another cessna approximately parallel with me offset to my right but flying a heading left of mine and on a collision course with me. Me being a low wing and the other aircraft being a high wing it's amazing we saw each other but we both did at the last min. I told ATC I was arresting my descent because he had another airplane turning into me. He told the cessna to do another right 360 degrees which the cessna had already done one to avoid another plane. The controllers were trying to recover from the emergency and had a definite situation on hand. However; I hear airplanes being told to remain outside of class D on an almost daily basis due to high traffic loads. Since most of the airplanes are trainers they congregate just north of the airport (6-7 NM) in the same location. While this is not under the dvt ATC jurisdiction; it's common practice to hold everyone just outside the class D in a free for all. I believe in order to avoid a midair; standard procedures need to be implemented for holding aircraft outside dvt. The only airspace that VFR aircraft can remain outside and not really be inside other airspace is north of the airport. Either dvt airspace needs to be expanded north so the controllers can sequence better or there needs to be some sort of standardized holding area and entry to the airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he has been flying from the airport for the last 20 yrs and the traffic increase in the last 2 to 3 yrs has increased ten fold. He indicated that the airport has become the busiest GA airport in the nation and the controllers have not established procedures to handle the increased traffic. He indicated that on a daily basis he has observed conflicts between aircraft. The language barrier with foreign nationals increases the controller's workload. He felt that the situation has become a safety issue and that a midair is inevitable if procedures are not put into place. He flies daily flts from the airport and he observes the operation closely. He feels tat the FAA/ATC needs to address the situation. The reporter stated that 99% of the traffic is of the VFR nature; which increases the likelihood of an near midair collision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER PA24 PLT HAS NMAC ON APCH TO DVT.

Narrative: I CALLED AND TOLD HIM I WAS ALSO N (NOW AT ANTHEM WITH THE OTHER 2 PLANES) AND LNDG WITH ATIS. HE TOLD ME TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS D. I WAS NOW WORRIED AS WE HAD 3 AIRPLANES OVER ANTHEM WAITING TO GET IN AND I WAS THE LAST OF THE 3. VERY SHORTLY THE CTLR CLRED THE BONANZA AND THE TWIN TO ENTER L BASES FOR RWY 7L. AT THIS POINT I WAS OVER CAREFREE HWY (7 NM N) AND FLYING E FOR A FEW MI THEN DOING A 180 DEG AND FLYING W; ETC. I FIGURED I WAS NEXT BUT THE FREQ WAS JAMMED WITH NEW AIRPLANES COMING IN AND I WAS UNABLE TO REMIND THE CTLR I WAS STILL OUT THERE. THE CTLR CLRED 2 MORE AIRPLANES IN FOR L BASES FROM THE NE. I WAS HDG WBOUND NOW AND SAW AN AEROSTAR RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME DSNDING. HE WAS SOMEHOW ABLE TO GET A BREAK ON THE FREQ AND WAS ALSO CLRED FOR A L BASE. THEN AN ACR PLANE CALLED OVER ANTHEM (N OF ME; BTWN ME AND THE ARPT) AND HE WAS CLRED TO THE ARPT L BASE ENTRY. NOW I WAS GETTING BOTH UPSET AND WORRIED AND THIS GUY WAS CLRED DIRECTLY ACROSS MY PATH. I WAS STILL UNABLE TO GET ANY BREAKS ON FREQ. I CALLED TWICE AND WAS BLOCKED. THE CTLR CLRED 2 MORE CESSNAS IN FROM THE W. FINALLY THERE WAS A BREAK. I KEYED AND TOLD THE CTLR HE HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT ME. THE CTLR RESPONDED HE HAD NOT FORGOTTEN BUT HAD NUMEROUS OTHER INBOUND ACFT. WHILE THIS WAS TRUE; I WAS 3RD IN THAT SEQUENCE; THE CLOSEST TO THE ARPT AND THE FASTEST OF ALL THE PLANES EXCEPT THE AEROSTAR. THE CTLR CLRED ME FOR L BASE ENTRY TO RWY 7L. I WAS OVER I-17 AT THIS TIME AND IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A L BASE AND BEGAN DSNDING FROM 4000 FT. I WAS OVERTAKING THE PLANE IN FRONT OF ME AND WHILE DSNDING AND DEALING WITH SLOWING THE PLANE DOWN EVEN FURTHER; I NOTICE ANOTHER CESSNA APPROX PARALLEL WITH ME OFFSET TO MY R BUT FLYING A HDG L OF MINE AND ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH ME. ME BEING A LOW WING AND THE OTHER ACFT BEING A HIGH WING IT'S AMAZING WE SAW EACH OTHER BUT WE BOTH DID AT THE LAST MIN. I TOLD ATC I WAS ARRESTING MY DSCNT BECAUSE HE HAD ANOTHER AIRPLANE TURNING INTO ME. HE TOLD THE CESSNA TO DO ANOTHER R 360 DEGS WHICH THE CESSNA HAD ALREADY DONE ONE TO AVOID ANOTHER PLANE. THE CTLRS WERE TRYING TO RECOVER FROM THE EMER AND HAD A DEFINITE SIT ON HAND. HOWEVER; I HEAR AIRPLANES BEING TOLD TO REMAIN OUTSIDE OF CLASS D ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS DUE TO HIGH TFC LOADS. SINCE MOST OF THE AIRPLANES ARE TRAINERS THEY CONGREGATE JUST N OF THE ARPT (6-7 NM) IN THE SAME LOCATION. WHILE THIS IS NOT UNDER THE DVT ATC JURISDICTION; IT'S COMMON PRACTICE TO HOLD EVERYONE JUST OUTSIDE THE CLASS D IN A FREE FOR ALL. I BELIEVE IN ORDER TO AVOID A MIDAIR; STANDARD PROCS NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED FOR HOLDING ACFT OUTSIDE DVT. THE ONLY AIRSPACE THAT VFR ACFT CAN REMAIN OUTSIDE AND NOT REALLY BE INSIDE OTHER AIRSPACE IS N OF THE ARPT. EITHER DVT AIRSPACE NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED N SO THE CTLRS CAN SEQUENCE BETTER OR THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF STANDARDIZED HOLDING AREA AND ENTRY TO THE ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAS BEEN FLYING FROM THE ARPT FOR THE LAST 20 YRS AND THE TFC INCREASE IN THE LAST 2 TO 3 YRS HAS INCREASED TEN FOLD. HE INDICATED THAT THE ARPT HAS BECOME THE BUSIEST GA ARPT IN THE NATION AND THE CTLRS HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED PROCS TO HANDLE THE INCREASED TFC. HE INDICATED THAT ON A DAILY BASIS HE HAS OBSERVED CONFLICTS BTWN ACFT. THE LANGUAGE BARRIER WITH FOREIGN NATIONALS INCREASES THE CTLR'S WORKLOAD. HE FELT THAT THE SIT HAS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT A MIDAIR IS INEVITABLE IF PROCS ARE NOT PUT INTO PLACE. HE FLIES DAILY FLTS FROM THE ARPT AND HE OBSERVES THE OP CLOSELY. HE FEELS TAT THE FAA/ATC NEEDS TO ADDRESS THE SIT. THE RPTR STATED THAT 99% OF THE TFC IS OF THE VFR NATURE; WHICH INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF AN NMAC.

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.