Small aircraft in the traffic pattern shooting touch and go lndgs at night encounters small aircraft...

Attributes
ACN	87214
Time
Date	198805
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgt
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	87214
Person 2
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 100 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was flying in the traffic pattern at north las vegas airport with a student. It was a night flight and the control tower was closed. The time was approximately xa 45 PDT. We were left downwind for runway 25 abeam the numbers when I saw the navigation lights of an airplane approaching nearly head on from my 2 0'clock position. By the angle of the other aircraft's navigation lights, it was indicating a left banked turn but directly into my flight path. My evasive action was a steep banked diving left turn, using extreme control force in order to avoid a collision with the other aircraft. It appears that the other aircraft was approaching from the southeast, making the left turn for an entry to a right downwind traffic pattern for runway 7, the near miss occurred just as he was entering right downwind. We had been in left traffic for runway 25 making multiple touch and go's and broadcasting our position and intentions during each leg on this CTAF, 125.7. The other aircraft gave no broadcast on this frequency until after the near miss. I heard him call out his base leg. The winds were reported by mccarran ATIS to be 230 at 09 KTS and there is no right traffic at north las vegas airport after the tower is closed. Apparently the pilot of the other aircraft did not avail himself of this information. The incident could have been avoided if the pilot of the other aircraft had broadcast his position earlier or at least maintained a listening watch on 125.7. If not certain of the traffic pattern procedure he could have overflown the airport above traffic pattern altitude and then made a proper entry into the pattern. Additionally, if he had used his landing light (it was off) I could have seen him easier. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following. Aircraft was a small aircraft and the trnee heard him announce his intentions as the instrument was doing the evasive maneuver. Did not talk to the pilot but has filed a report with the local FSDO. They are still investigating the incident. No special NOTAM has been issued reference the traffic pattern when the tower is not operating.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN SHOOTING TOUCH AND GO LNDGS AT NIGHT ENCOUNTERS SMA ENTERING NON STANDARD TRAFFIC PATTERN, NMAC.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING IN THE TFC PATTERN AT N LAS VEGAS ARPT WITH A STUDENT. IT WAS A NIGHT FLT AND THE CTL TWR WAS CLOSED. THE TIME WAS APPROX XA 45 PDT. WE WERE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 25 ABEAM THE NUMBERS WHEN I SAW THE NAV LIGHTS OF AN AIRPLANE APCHING NEARLY HEAD ON FROM MY 2 0'CLOCK POS. BY THE ANGLE OF THE OTHER ACFT'S NAV LIGHTS, IT WAS INDICATING A L BANKED TURN BUT DIRECTLY INTO MY FLT PATH. MY EVASIVE ACTION WAS A STEEP BANKED DIVING L TURN, USING EXTREME CONTROL FORCE IN ORDER TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE OTHER ACFT. IT APPEARS THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS APCHING FROM THE SE, MAKING THE L TURN FOR AN ENTRY TO A R DOWNWIND TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 7, THE NEAR MISS OCCURRED JUST AS HE WAS ENTERING R DOWNWIND. WE HAD BEEN IN L TFC FOR RWY 25 MAKING MULTIPLE TOUCH AND GO'S AND BROADCASTING OUR POS AND INTENTIONS DURING EACH LEG ON THIS CTAF, 125.7. THE OTHER ACFT GAVE NO BROADCAST ON THIS FREQ UNTIL AFTER THE NEAR MISS. I HEARD HIM CALL OUT HIS BASE LEG. THE WINDS WERE RPTED BY MCCARRAN ATIS TO BE 230 AT 09 KTS AND THERE IS NO R TFC AT N LAS VEGAS ARPT AFTER THE TWR IS CLOSED. APPARENTLY THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT DID NOT AVAIL HIMSELF OF THIS INFO. THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT HAD BROADCAST HIS POS EARLIER OR AT LEAST MAINTAINED A LISTENING WATCH ON 125.7. IF NOT CERTAIN OF THE TFC PATTERN PROC HE COULD HAVE OVERFLOWN THE ARPT ABOVE TFC PATTERN ALT AND THEN MADE A PROPER ENTRY INTO THE PATTERN. ADDITIONALLY, IF HE HAD USED HIS LNDG LIGHT (IT WAS OFF) I COULD HAVE SEEN HIM EASIER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING. ACFT WAS A SMA AND THE TRNEE HEARD HIM ANNOUNCE HIS INTENTIONS AS THE INSTR WAS DOING THE EVASIVE MANEUVER. DID NOT TALK TO THE PLT BUT HAS FILED A RPT WITH THE LCL FSDO. THEY ARE STILL INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT. NO SPECIAL NOTAM HAS BEEN ISSUED REFERENCE THE TFC PATTERN WHEN THE TWR IS NOT OPERATING.

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.

Small aircraft in the traffic pattern shooting touch and go lndgs at night encounters small aircraft entering non standard traffic pattern, near midair collision.