Near midair collision with aircraft while entering the vny final approach runway 16R.

Attributes
ACN	84028
Time
Date	198803
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vny
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : vny
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 950 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	84028
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	unspecified : 20
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Contact made with vny tower request landing. Tower said make right base 16 right (vny has 16L 16R). Approach was from the west. 16R base entry made. Tower cleared to 16L?? Made wider base. Tower said cleared 16R. Landed 16R west/O further comment. No traffic called. Some days later FAA called to say someone reported near miss with my plane. It is not known where the complainant was or how near. Corrective actions: after being cleared 16R, a repeat of the cleared to land was unclr if 16L or 16R. I believed that the runway was shifted to 16L partly because this is the short runway used by GA. 16R is used by ANG with large military aircraft. Pilot could have confirmed the runway switch. Tower should have called traffic if it was near enough to be a problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: FAA contacted reporter and advised they had received a report of near midair collision, 20'. No information given as to type aircraft, position of incident or where the conflicting aircraft was going. No information from the tower reference traffic and at no time did the tower mention an near midair collision. FAA going to listen to the tower tapes. Reporter has not heard any more from the FAA. Only flies into vny occasionally.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC WITH ACFT WHILE ENTERING THE VNY FINAL APCH RWY 16R.

Narrative: CONTACT MADE WITH VNY TWR REQUEST LNDG. TWR SAID MAKE RIGHT BASE 16 R (VNY HAS 16L 16R). APCH WAS FROM THE W. 16R BASE ENTRY MADE. TWR CLRED TO 16L?? MADE WIDER BASE. TWR SAID CLRED 16R. LANDED 16R W/O FURTHER COMMENT. NO TFC CALLED. SOME DAYS LATER FAA CALLED TO SAY SOMEONE RPTED NEAR MISS WITH MY PLANE. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHERE THE COMPLAINANT WAS OR HOW NEAR. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: AFTER BEING CLRED 16R, A REPEAT OF THE CLRED TO LAND WAS UNCLR IF 16L OR 16R. I BELIEVED THAT THE RWY WAS SHIFTED TO 16L PARTLY BECAUSE THIS IS THE SHORT RWY USED BY GA. 16R IS USED BY ANG WITH LARGE MIL ACFT. PLT COULD HAVE CONFIRMED THE RWY SWITCH. TWR SHOULD HAVE CALLED TFC IF IT WAS NEAR ENOUGH TO BE A PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FAA CONTACTED RPTR AND ADVISED THEY HAD RECEIVED A RPT OF NMAC, 20'. NO INFORMATION GIVEN AS TO TYPE ACFT, POS OF INCIDENT OR WHERE THE CONFLICTING ACFT WAS GOING. NO INFORMATION FROM THE TWR REF TFC AND AT NO TIME DID THE TWR MENTION AN NMAC. FAA GOING TO LISTEN TO THE TWR TAPES. RPTR HAS NOT HEARD ANY MORE FROM THE FAA. ONLY FLIES INTO VNY OCCASIONALLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.