A C180 pilot reports a near miss with a bonanza aircraft while the reporter was approaching a class ...

Narrative:

I was approaching the airport from the northwest for the purpose of landing. The tower instructed me to enter left traffic on tunway 36 and report mid field. The tower had not yet spotted me. I was still about 5 miles out at this point. The tower then cleared a bonanza for takeoff on 36 and approved a right turn out. The bonanza pilot then requested a left turn out which the tower approved and told the bonanza to be on the lookout for my cessna. The tower then called me and asked me my altitude; which was 2;500 I had not yet started my decent to the pattern altitude of 1;800. The tower did not tell me to hold this altitude. The tower then advised me they had cleared a bonanza for left turn out. I told the tower I would be looking for the traffic which I never had in sight. I was about 3 miles northwest at this point and was about to start my decent. Then suddenly the bonanza passed right underneath my cessna with no time for me to take evasive action. The bonanza pilot immediately told the tower what had happened and nothing else was said. I have flown into this airport several times and this was the first time I ever had a problem. The tower always seems to know what they are doing. As a pilot I know how difficult it can some times be to spot traffic and even more so for a controller with no radar at a class D airport. I think it would improve safety if class D towers assigned altitudes and had some type of radar to help them spot traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C180 pilot reports a near miss with a Bonanza aircraft while the reporter was approaching a Class D airport from which the Bonanza departed. ATC called the traffic but did not provide controlling instructions to prevent a conflict.

Narrative: I was approaching the airport from the northwest for the purpose of landing. The Tower instructed me to enter left traffic on Tunway 36 and report mid field. The Tower had not yet spotted me. I was still about 5 miles out at this point. The tower then cleared a Bonanza for takeoff on 36 and approved a right turn out. The Bonanza pilot then requested a left turn out which the tower approved and told the Bonanza to be on the lookout for my Cessna. The tower then called me and asked me my altitude; which was 2;500 I had not yet started my decent to the pattern altitude of 1;800. The tower did not tell me to hold this altitude. The Tower then advised me they had cleared a Bonanza for left turn out. I told the tower I would be looking for the traffic which I never had in sight. I was about 3 miles northwest at this point and was about to start my decent. Then suddenly the Bonanza passed right underneath my Cessna with no time for me to take evasive action. The Bonanza pilot immediately told the tower what had happened and nothing else was said. I have flown into this airport several times and this was the first time I ever had a problem. The tower always seems to know what they are doing. As a pilot I know how difficult it can some times be to spot traffic and even more so for a controller with no radar at a Class D airport. I think it would improve safety if Class D towers assigned altitudes and had some type of radar to help them spot traffic.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	837178
Time
Date	200905
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Cessna 180 Skywagon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Initial Approach Descent
Route In Use	Direct
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Beechcraft Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	Climb
Route In Use	Other unknown
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Instrument
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 120 Flight Crew Total 580 Flight Crew Type 580
Events
Anomaly	Conflict NMAC
Miss Distance	Horizontal 50 Vertical 100

A C180 pilot reports a near miss with a bonanza aircraft while the reporter was approaching a class D airport from which the bonanza departed. ATC called the traffic but did not provide controlling instructions to prevent a conflict.