C172 on VOR approach to runway 16 at mcc experienced conflict with VFR BE90 at approximately 1500; l...

Attributes
ACN	793256
Time
Date	200807
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mcc.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mcc.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : mcc.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	King Air C90 E90
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	793256
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

This was an unusual situation. We were on an instrument training flight and flying a practice VOR/DME runway 16 instrument approach to mcclellan field. Visibility was not very good due to smoke from all the fires burning in california. My instrument student was under the hood and flying the C172. We were working with and cleared for the practice VOR/DME approach to mcc. Just past the FAF; norcal advised us to contact 'advisory' but we knew that a temporary tower was in operation at mcc. So we selected the temporary tower frequency first and overheard a king air pilot informing the tower that he was at the ILS FAF. Both fixes are within 0.2 tenths NM of each other! I checked the cessna's garmin 430/TCAS and observed a target pretty much merged with us on the display. I quickly announced our position on the tower frequency and the king air pilot immediately announced he was making a 360 degree turn for traffic separation. How did this happen? We were working closely with norcal and coordinating our activity with them. I believe that the king air pilot was in a hurry and did not coordination with norcal. Evidently; he was not on an IFR flight plan -- we never heard him on norcal's frequency. He decided to intercept the ILS for a visual approach backed up with an ILS to mcclellan in the smoke. I don't believe he did anything contrary to regulations. His decision to track an ILS without determining if anyone else was on the approach was a poor decision. Had we selected the CTAF as instructed by norcal and not the temporary tower frequency as anticipated; we could very easily have had a midair. We were very lucky. I'm not sure how close we came. No one violated any regulations (near as I can tell) but I believe that the pilot of the king air sacrificed safety by not coordinating his unofficial 'approach' with approach control. And it also appears that norcal was asleep at the switch when they failed to call the king air traffic for us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 ON VOR APCH TO RWY 16 AT MCC EXPERIENCED CONFLICT WITH VFR BE90 AT APPROX 1500; LISTING BE90 PLT AND NCT LACK OF TFC INFO AS CAUSAL.

Narrative: THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL SITUATION. WE WERE ON AN INST TRAINING FLT AND FLYING A PRACTICE VOR/DME RWY 16 INST APCH TO MCCLELLAN FIELD. VISIBILITY WAS NOT VERY GOOD DUE TO SMOKE FROM ALL THE FIRES BURNING IN CALIFORNIA. MY INST STUDENT WAS UNDER THE HOOD AND FLYING THE C172. WE WERE WORKING WITH AND CLRED FOR THE PRACTICE VOR/DME APCH TO MCC. JUST PAST THE FAF; NORCAL ADVISED US TO CONTACT 'ADVISORY' BUT WE KNEW THAT A TEMPORARY TWR WAS IN OP AT MCC. SO WE SELECTED THE TEMPORARY TWR FREQ FIRST AND OVERHEARD A KING AIR PLT INFORMING THE TWR THAT HE WAS AT THE ILS FAF. BOTH FIXES ARE WITHIN 0.2 TENTHS NM OF EACH OTHER! I CHKED THE CESSNA'S GARMIN 430/TCAS AND OBSERVED A TARGET PRETTY MUCH MERGED WITH US ON THE DISPLAY. I QUICKLY ANNOUNCED OUR POS ON THE TWR FREQ AND THE KING AIR PLT IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCED HE WAS MAKING A 360 DEG TURN FOR TFC SEPARATION. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? WE WERE WORKING CLOSELY WITH NORCAL AND COORDINATING OUR ACTIVITY WITH THEM. I BELIEVE THAT THE KING AIR PLT WAS IN A HURRY AND DID NOT COORD WITH NORCAL. EVIDENTLY; HE WAS NOT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN -- WE NEVER HEARD HIM ON NORCAL'S FREQ. HE DECIDED TO INTERCEPT THE ILS FOR A VISUAL APCH BACKED UP WITH AN ILS TO MCCLELLAN IN THE SMOKE. I DON'T BELIEVE HE DID ANYTHING CONTRARY TO REGS. HIS DECISION TO TRACK AN ILS WITHOUT DETERMINING IF ANYONE ELSE WAS ON THE APCH WAS A POOR DECISION. HAD WE SELECTED THE CTAF AS INSTRUCTED BY NORCAL AND NOT THE TEMPORARY TWR FREQ AS ANTICIPATED; WE COULD VERY EASILY HAVE HAD A MIDAIR. WE WERE VERY LUCKY. I'M NOT SURE HOW CLOSE WE CAME. NO ONE VIOLATED ANY REGS (NEAR AS I CAN TELL) BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE PLT OF THE KING AIR SACRIFICED SAFETY BY NOT COORDINATING HIS UNOFFICIAL 'APPROACH' WITH APCH CTL. AND IT ALSO APPEARS THAT NORCAL WAS ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH WHEN THEY FAILED TO CALL THE KING AIR TFC FOR US.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

C172 on VOR approach to runway 16 at mcc experienced conflict with VFR BE90 at approximately 1500; listing BE90 pilot and nct lack of traffic information as causal.