Narrative:

Inbound to airport receiving class C radar flight following. We were switched to tower 10 mi from the airport. On changing frequencys; tower controller was transmitting IFR clearance and taxi instructions to aircraft on ground. We were unable to establish contact prior to reaching the lateral boundaries of the class D airspace and had to make a quick 360 degree turn to avoid penetrating the class D. While in the turn; contact was established and tower instructed us to enter a left downwind to runway 16 and report mid field. Tower again became busy with 'on the ground' aircraft and an H60 landing on a ramp area. We were past the mid-field point when we were able to call. At this point an IFR beech baron cargo hauler also reported inbound from the northeast. The controller asked the baron to report a left base. He had not acknowledged our position yet. At this point we were 1 - 1 1/2 mi northeast of the airport when I observed the baron at our 1 O'clock position and less than 1/2 mi; moving right to left on a collision course with us (aircraft position was not moving in our windshield). I immediately took evasive action to pass behind the baron. At this point the controller spotted both aircraft and asked if we could follow the baron. We maneuvered to follow and landed without further problems. We did not file an near midair collision report but should have. This time period is normally a busy time at this airport due to inbound/outbound cargo aircraft. This pilot believes the above situations would not have occurred if the local controller had not been distraction by ground/ramp activities. It appeared he was working alone in the tower. Contributing to the incident was the fact that the approach control forgot to switch the baron to tower. The baron pilot advised that she had to ask for the frequency change. The approach control at the time also appeared to be overwhelmed with the volume of traffic and it appeared 1 controller was working both sectors when it should have been de-combined. Sooner than later there will be fatalities due to the FAA's attempt to save dollars by not staffing facilities properly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COLUMBIA 350 PILOT REPORTS CONFLICT WITH BE58 ARRIVING HKS AND DIFFICULTIES COMMUNICATING DUE TO ONE PERSON TOWER OPERATION.

Narrative: INBOUND TO ARPT RECEIVING CLASS C RADAR FLT FOLLOWING. WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR 10 MI FROM THE ARPT. ON CHANGING FREQS; TWR CTLR WAS XMITTING IFR CLRNC AND TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO ACFT ON GND. WE WERE UNABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT PRIOR TO REACHING THE LATERAL BOUNDARIES OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE AND HAD TO MAKE A QUICK 360 DEG TURN TO AVOID PENETRATING THE CLASS D. WHILE IN THE TURN; CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED AND TWR INSTRUCTED US TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND TO RWY 16 AND REPORT MID FIELD. TWR AGAIN BECAME BUSY WITH 'ON THE GND' ACFT AND AN H60 LNDG ON A RAMP AREA. WE WERE PAST THE MID-FIELD POINT WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO CALL. AT THIS POINT AN IFR BEECH BARON CARGO HAULER ALSO RPTED INBOUND FROM THE NE. THE CTLR ASKED THE BARON TO RPT A L BASE. HE HAD NOT ACKNOWLEDGED OUR POS YET. AT THIS POINT WE WERE 1 - 1 1/2 MI NE OF THE ARPT WHEN I OBSERVED THE BARON AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS AND LESS THAN 1/2 MI; MOVING R TO L ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH US (ACFT POS WAS NOT MOVING IN OUR WINDSHIELD). I IMMEDIATELY TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO PASS BEHIND THE BARON. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR SPOTTED BOTH ACFT AND ASKED IF WE COULD FOLLOW THE BARON. WE MANEUVERED TO FOLLOW AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. WE DID NOT FILE AN NMAC RPT BUT SHOULD HAVE. THIS TIME PERIOD IS NORMALLY A BUSY TIME AT THIS ARPT DUE TO INBOUND/OUTBOUND CARGO ACFT. THIS PLT BELIEVES THE ABOVE SITUATIONS WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF THE LCL CTLR HAD NOT BEEN DISTR BY GND/RAMP ACTIVITIES. IT APPEARED HE WAS WORKING ALONE IN THE TWR. CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCIDENT WAS THE FACT THAT THE APCH CTL FORGOT TO SWITCH THE BARON TO TWR. THE BARON PLT ADVISED THAT SHE HAD TO ASK FOR THE FREQ CHANGE. THE APCH CTL AT THE TIME ALSO APPEARED TO BE OVERWHELMED WITH THE VOLUME OF TFC AND IT APPEARED 1 CTLR WAS WORKING BOTH SECTORS WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DE-COMBINED. SOONER THAN LATER THERE WILL BE FATALITIES DUE TO THE FAA'S ATTEMPT TO SAVE DOLLARS BY NOT STAFFING FACILITIES PROPERLY.

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.