Narrative:

I was returning from a training flight with my student from one of our regular practice areas. The ATIS reported winds of 110 at nine knots. Prior to reaching a regular reporting point I established two-way radio communication with the tower. My altitude indicated 1500 MSL and the strobes and position lights were on. I was instructed by the tower to remain offshore and report a closer in reporting point. As I was descending to 1000 MSL; the tower asked what type of landing I wanted; and I advised a full stop. After reporting abeam the reporting point the tower cleared me to land on runway xxl. I remember telling my student that we would be making a modified traffic pattern and would be using this segment of our flight as our downwind leg abeam the touchdown point. The tower then advised of traffic; another DA40; downwind and turning base for runway xxr. At this point I took the controls from my student because I wanted to make sure that we did not converge on the approach. I reported the traffic in sight turning from downwind to base and saw that they were slightly high and to our right when they leveled out from their downwind to base turn. At this point I was at 700 MSL and around 87K. I then turned base to final and set the flaps for landing. I kept slightly to the left of runway xxl's centerline because I knew that there was landing traffic on the parallel runway. I did not hear the traffic report us in sight at anytime. In order to keep the traffic in sight I flew the approach slightly lower than normal because I was unsure if they had us in sight. I was at approximately 500 MSL and 70K on final when I noticed the traffic was converging on my flight path. I saw that they were in a descending right bank; slightly behind and higher than my wing. At this point I did not change my flight path because I was not sure which way they were going to go. I did not want to bank to the left and initiate a climb because I would have lost sight of them and I knew at that moment that they did not have me in sight because their wing was blocking my view of their cockpit. Also there was traffic downwind in a left pattern on xxl that I did not have in sight. I estimate they were 80 feet from my position and at the same altitude when I saw them level their wings and initiate a slightly steeper descent. I took evasive action and initiated a go-around so that they would pass below me if they were to continue to converge on our flight path. After I initiated the go-around the tower asked if I was going around and I confirmed and continued to fly a standard traffic pattern to a full stop on xxl.I later spoke with the tower and the traffic's instructor pilot separately. The tower agreed our traffic overshot their final approach course and was concerned with their flight path. The instructor pilot said that he had us in sight from his base leg; his student was on the controls; he did not take the controls from the student; and he was aware that he was overshooting the approach path. I believe that this incident occurred because of a number of factors. The tower had me make a straight in approach to runway xxl from the shoreline. In order for me to comply; I must follow the contours of the shoreline as not to overfly the smoke stacks of a nearby industrial park. This brings the aircraft landing on xxl close to the approach course of xxr. The other instructor pilot should not have let the student overshoot the approach course of runway xxr. The crosswind was a contributing factor that led my traffic to overshoot the approach course. The crosswind became a tailwind on the base leg and contributed to the drift during the turn from base to final. However; the other instructor pilot should have been aware of this condition and taught his student how to compensate for the wind drift. The low wing design of both aircraft required me to fly a shallower than normal approach to xxl in order to keep our traffic in sight. Also; the threshold of xxl is approximately 4;000 feet further away than the threshold of xxr. This caused both aircraft to be at similar altitudes during their approach to landing. The other instructor pilot should have been more diligent regarding the wind and his student's performance. As a flight instructor; you want to be constantly teaching and letting your student fly. However; safety should be of utmost concern. By allowing his student to perform reckless maneuvers he not only put himself at risk; but his fellow airmen and passengers. By maintaining situational awareness; sterile cockpit; and using proper scanning techniques I was able to prevent this incident from deteriorating further.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Two DA40-180s suffered an NMAC on approach to parallel runways; the Left of which had a threshold 3500 feet beyond that of the Right.

Narrative: I was returning from a training flight with my student from one of our regular Practice Areas. The ATIS reported winds of 110 at nine knots. Prior to reaching a regular reporting point I established two-way radio communication with the Tower. My altitude indicated 1500 MSL and the strobes and position lights were on. I was instructed by the Tower to remain offshore and report a closer in reporting point. As I was descending to 1000 MSL; the Tower asked what type of landing I wanted; and I advised a full stop. After reporting abeam the reporting point the Tower cleared me to land on Runway XXL. I remember telling my student that we would be making a modified traffic pattern and would be using this segment of our flight as our downwind leg abeam the touchdown point. The Tower then advised of traffic; another DA40; downwind and turning base for Runway XXR. At this point I took the controls from my student because I wanted to make sure that we did not converge on the approach. I reported the traffic in sight turning from downwind to base and saw that they were slightly high and to our right when they leveled out from their downwind to base turn. At this point I was at 700 MSL and around 87K. I then turned base to final and set the flaps for landing. I kept slightly to the left of Runway XXL's centerline because I knew that there was landing traffic on the parallel runway. I did not hear the traffic report us in sight at anytime. In order to keep the traffic in sight I flew the approach slightly lower than normal because I was unsure if they had us in sight. I was at approximately 500 MSL and 70K on final when I noticed the traffic was converging on my flight path. I saw that they were in a descending right bank; slightly behind and higher than my wing. At this point I did not change my flight path because I was not sure which way they were going to go. I did not want to bank to the left and initiate a climb because I would have lost sight of them and I knew at that moment that they did not have me in sight because their wing was blocking my view of their cockpit. Also there was traffic downwind in a left pattern on XXL that I did not have in sight. I estimate they were 80 feet from my position and at the same altitude when I saw them level their wings and initiate a slightly steeper descent. I took evasive action and initiated a go-around so that they would pass below me if they were to continue to converge on our flight path. After I initiated the go-around the Tower asked if I was going around and I confirmed and continued to fly a standard traffic pattern to a full stop on XXL.I later spoke with the tower and the traffic's instructor pilot separately. The Tower agreed our traffic overshot their final approach course and was concerned with their flight path. The instructor pilot said that he had us in sight from his base leg; his student was on the controls; he did not take the controls from the student; and he was aware that he was overshooting the approach path. I believe that this incident occurred because of a number of factors. The Tower had me make a straight in approach to Runway XXL from the shoreline. In order for me to comply; I must follow the contours of the shoreline as not to overfly the smoke stacks of a nearby Industrial Park. This brings the aircraft landing on XXL close to the approach course of XXR. The other Instructor pilot should not have let the student overshoot the approach course of Runway XXR. The crosswind was a contributing factor that led my traffic to overshoot the approach course. The crosswind became a tailwind on the base leg and contributed to the drift during the turn from base to final. However; the other Instructor Pilot should have been aware of this condition and taught his student how to compensate for the wind drift. The low wing design of both aircraft required me to fly a shallower than normal approach to XXL in order to keep our traffic in sight. Also; the threshold of XXL is approximately 4;000 feet further away than the threshold of XXR. This caused both aircraft to be at similar altitudes during their approach to landing. The other Instructor Pilot should have been more diligent regarding the wind and his student's performance. As a flight instructor; you want to be constantly teaching and letting your student fly. However; safety should be of utmost concern. By allowing his student to perform reckless maneuvers he not only put himself at risk; but his fellow airmen and passengers. By maintaining situational awareness; sterile cockpit; and using proper scanning techniques I was able to prevent this incident from deteriorating further.

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.