This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
It was a busy day in the pattern at Vance Brand Airport (KLMO) in Longmont, Colorado, and Rocky Mountain Metro Airport (KBJC) in Denver was closed for pattern work.
I had already done one lap in the pattern at LMO and was in the downwind for another lap. In the downwind, the skydiving operation announced a few times, “Jumpers away.” I saw them and told my student to make a slightly wider pattern to accommodate them.
Just as we made a slight deviation, an aircraft, Aircraft Y, entered the pattern mid-field downwind and my ADS-B indicated they were the same altitude as us. Aircraft Y announced they had “downwind traffic in sight” but it was likely another plane.
They cut us off not only in the downwind, but also headed straight for the jump zone. The jump plane announced frantically “parachutes have been deployed.”
I was careful not to climb or descend while I did not have Aircraft Y in sight because ADS-B indicated they were at the same altitude. We did not see them until they were passing just under us. Once I saw them, I asked their intentions with no response. I decided it was best to depart the airport back to BJC.
Upon returning to BJC, I spoke with many instructors from different flight schools in the area and it seems like the traffic pattern at LMO has become increasingly dangerous. Many instructors have had near misses with other pilots not making calls or entering the pattern however they wish.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 1812797
I live in the area and used to fly to LMO regularly. The pattern there is crazy and I have found that many pilots are simply careless. The last time I flew into LMO I was on short final for 29. (Lots of traffic – the pattern was well established and I had several other aircraft behind me.) Some idiot calls out on CTAF that he’s departing 11. I call out that I’m on short final for 29 – he’s response was “I’ll just side step if we get close” – he then proceeded to depart. Obviously, a go around was my course of action. I just left the pattern and went back to my home airport. Never went back to LMO after that.
The answer is NOT more control towers. The answer is – open up more airports in the Denver area to flight training.
Pilot controlled airports are safe if we all fly by the same rules. Instructors in these high density areas need to modify their training and biannual syllabus to include safe operations in high density pilot controlled airports.
I was doing Close traffic at my home airport the other day. 30 minutes in the pattern using RW 32. Announcing my each turn in the pattern. Someone announced they were 20 miles west inbound for landing, I watched them on the iPad.
I continued my pattern figuring the would join for 32. I landed 32 then watched on the iPad that they did a straight in for 14. With no taxi way, I quickly did a 180, announced my intentions to back taxi and clear the RW. I did this as quickly as I safely could but was still too close for my comfort .
Some pilots just don’t care or respect others.
I guess das is just to expensive to follow the wind dictated RW
Until they kill the wrong person.
I find that I am far more fearful of a mid air at near/in my home airport’s pattern than just flying around…apparently statistics verify this. Our airport, KMMV, about 35 southwest of PDX, gets lots of traffic—IFR practice approaches and student traffic from nearby larger airports as we have a long runway, approaches, and no tower—aircraft flood here to avoid the hassles of larger and busier airports….it can be a frenzy of confusion and anxiety approaching and in the pattern. Add to that the Asian student pilots whose English is marginal at best trying to give position and intention reports. So we have long straight ins doing practice IFR who are hopefully monitoring our CTAF as the vfr pattern is using the same runway, a mix of many diff aircraft with diff speeds, language problems, and the dreaded instructor and/or student pilots doing miles wide downwind to miles out final on a ‘stabilized’ approach in their C150s. What a zoo.
Adding another control tower is NOT the answer, they only limit traffic. Keeping and increasing the number of airports open to pattern training traffic is the answer. Training at a busy, pilot-controlled airport, is necessary and can be done safely if the instructor provides specific instruction for the situation. Biannual training can also be tailored for the specific traffic/training issues in the Denver area. It’s all about understanding the risks and mitigating the risks.
Dedicated airports/facilities for non powered and non transient traffic.
Wdr can often get the same way with other airport flight schools often disregarding proper adherence to pattern entry and of course a “yellow cub” guy who cuts everyone off to “sneak in below you guys”.
Education? Enforcement? If you find the answer, let us know.
It is incredibly frustrating & dangerous.
…..AIM-9, AIM-7, AIM-120 & M61A1….come to mind.