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.
I was approaching Northern Colorado Regional Airport (KFNL) from the southeast with the intention to land.
When 10 miles out and at pattern altitude, I called the temporary Tower to report my position and intentions. I was instructed to report 4 miles out. When 4 miles out, I reported and was instructed to enter the midfield left downwind for Runway 15. I was also informed to look for departing traffic headed to the northwest.
Suddenly, my ADS-B traffic alerted me to traffic at same altitude, same position. I saw a low-wing aircraft at the top left of my windscreen headed for me. The other pilot dived and passed approximately 300 feet under me and continued, barely missing two water towers, seemingly flying between them.
It should be noted that the tower at KFNL is temporary and has no current access to radar but relies on visual observation from the ground level. Though radar has been installed, it has not been certified for almost a year now due to FAA-imposed Covid restrictions.
Seems to me that having radar access would have avoided this situation and not having radar is likely to lead to similar such close calls.
Primary Problem: ATC Equipment
ACN: 1841178
I fly into and out of KFNL often enough, but I’m having trouble picturing how an airplane that entered midfield left downwind for 15 could have a conflict with an aircraft departing 15 to head northwest. I suppose the departing aircraft could have been making a left downwind departure. In any event, it’s up to the pilot (both pilots) to see and avoid—it’s not the responsibility of tower, with or without radar availability. VFR separation in Class D and Class C airspace is the pilot’s responsibility. Only in Class B is VFR separation the responsibility of ATC.
He wasn’t instructed to enter the left downwind until after reaching his reporting point at 4 miles southeast, apparently close to the departure leg. And the traffic wasn’t reported until then either. I wonder why the tower didn’t advise him of departing traffic sooner or instruct him to widen out for the downwind when the other aircraft was cleared for takeoff, and was the arriving pilot monitoring the radio as recommended when the other aircraft was cleared for takeoff on 15.
Only fly radar environments…it’s your option.
Safety tip: have ALL your lights on at all times except ground operations, it helps people to see you. If they are smart enough to have theirs on it make it easy to see them. The only exception that I know of is if they are diving at you out of the sun.
“Close call blamed on lack of radar”….?
Picked up the low-wing traffic at “top left of my windscreen”—& then it dove to 300’ underneath…that must’ve been exciting to watch. Sounds more like a Who-Has-The-Right-of-Away issue….
“Primary Problem: ATC Equipment”? No.
Primary Problem: Failure to See & Avoid
Contributing Factor: ATC Equipment? Sure.
Not all class D airports have radar. They may have a tower or just a “cab” on top of a building, but no radar. And they have been a source of frustration for many, because one can’t relax see and avoid in that class D airspace.
Radar coverage around a class D airport or non-towered airport can be from Center, or an adjacent airport that does have Radar. So that is how you have ADS-B at lower altitudes.
And specifically to cornelius cosentino’s question:
But remember, ADS-B IN is not updated instantaneously. And if another aircraft did not have their transponder on and then turned it on, you will get a “late” notification (or if they can’t use their transponder, you may get late notification of the primary target info).
I don’t understand “10 miles out and at pattern altitude”, that certainly can’t be within gliding distance, nor does the tower’s message about the Northwest departure have a lot of relevance to an aircraft approaching from the Southeast. Finally, both aircraft had to be in a radar environment for ADS-B to provide conflict information to them and if ADS-B was working, I don’t understand why the pilot(s) didn’t see the warning earlier.
I did a lot of flying at a towered airport with radar which can make you start thinking that all towers have that service. Then I learned a lesson at a towered airport with no radar when I was told of other traffic (a Mooney) approaching also from my direction. I assumed I would be advised if there was a conflict and that the Mooney was likely near my ground speed. But I was in a twin and the Mooney was dragging it in, and I got uncomfortably close before getting him in sight. I realized later that not getting distance and altitude information of the traffic was the first clue that the tower didn’t have radar. And asking the tower for the Mooney’s altitude (which the tower could request from the pilot) would have allowed me to manage safe vertical separation. I agree with the question about being at pattern altitude at 10 miles. And maybe being in the departure corridor of the runway wasn’t the best place to be either.
It appears that improper use of the CTAF contributed to the near mid-air. What calls did the tower make to the departing pilot? Did the other pilot fly the departure pattern as given?
If it’s a towered airport, why would CTAF be an issue? Planes should be on tower frequency,, not CTAF.
Radar is a luxury for many of us pilots. ADSB showing up on iPads and IPhones helps.
why the late ADS-B warning ?
Possibly a case of blame displacement by suggesting a radar service would have reduced this risk, which of course it would but with a considerable cost attached. The risk approaching or in the circuit is heightened but personally I would prefer to fly in uncontrolled airspace as we constantly have restrictions placed upon us, let’s not invite more.