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.
Flying Aircraft X, which is not equipped with either an electrical system or radio, I conducted a run-up and 360° turn in the hammerhead of Runway 24 at Cable Airport. I did not observe any traffic in the pattern and elected to take off. I did not observe any traffic entering the pattern via the standard crosswind or midfield local entry procedures.
Upon reaching the downwind abeam point, I scanned final and did not observe any traffic and began my base turn.
After rolling out on final, I ended up wingtip to wingtip within a 1/2 mile of Aircraft Y. I must not have been able to see the aircraft due to ground clutter.
Aircraft Y initiated a go-around and I continued to land to prevent further conflict.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 1818620
I always find it amusing that the same people who are appalled by the mere thought that a no radio airplane may be flying on the same day they are don’t give a second thought to driving 70 mph on the freeway 3 feet away from someone they don’t know.
Yet thousands die every year in vehicle collisions.
Maybe it’s time to require all vehicles to be radio equipped. Think of the lives that would be saved!
interesting thought….but cars have brake lights and turn signals, to identify intentions, [ if they are used ].
Airplanes don’t , so the mark 1 eyeball and radio work well.
Anyone flying without a two way radio for communication, has no business flying in a busy airspace, it will happen sooner or later. It is totally bad business…and very irresponsible. This is the year 2022, not 1934, use a radio !!!
With Bluetooth hand held NavCom radios available for under 200 bucks ( Rexon ) and applicable head sets for a bit more there is really no excuse for any type aircraft to fly without a radio.
Add an external antenna to the handheld and it becomes even a more efficient device .
I will never understand why someone in a NORDO craft does not have a handheld radio and a headset.
But that’s just me. It’s a tool available to you so why not use it?
is there a digital glass based version of the owi
The biggest problem is everyone flies an airliner type pattern these days. I was taught you should be able to make the runway from any point in the pattern, in case of an engine failure. I’ve also run into this, where I’m on downwind and another aircraft announces downwind and he’s 1 1/2 miles to my right; at least 2 miles from the runway.
No communication is a problem at small airports. It seems nobody uses Unicom anymore. Even aircraft with radios seem not to be tuned into it.
1/2 mile huh 😒
Half mile is not a near miss thats the length of most small airports .
I agree ‘1/2 mile’ is not really a near miss…if your flight paths are not converging.
You gotta remember: The pilot writes the ASRS Narrative and the General Aviation News staff writes the headline.
No where in the Narrative does the pilot (ATP) use the words “near miss”; he does list 500’ Horizontal & 300’ Vertical Miss Distances on the form and then comes up with his “within 1/2 mile” wingtip-to-wingtip spacing in his text & “NMAC” is the closest matching Anomaly Category to it on the form.
Worth writing it up….mmmm.
Pilots should use the Outside World Indicator as part of a scan pattern whether glass cockpit or NORDO.
it is amazingly accurate. The AIRSPEED can be maintained within 2 knots or less.
If a pilot listens the can hear their engine RPM. If you have a constant speed pro p Eller it will monitor oil pressure too..
All airplanes have an Outside World Indicator. It is not just for sightseeing the scenery.
The Outside World Indicator is truly amazing, but does not work well when viewed through a glass bellybutton…