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 am a flight Instructor and were conducting training out of our Cessna 172. We were doing a routine practice flight followed by landings.
We made a radio call roughly seven miles out from the southeast that we were coming in for the left downwind of Runway XX. We were aware that the winds were not favoring that runway but because there were traffic already landing on XX, we decided to follow them in and re-assess the situation after we landed.
Roughly 60 seconds after making our radio call, we observed an airplane 800 feet below us, coming in the opposite direction. At that time he seemed to be flying parallel with us.
Upon him coming close to being abeam our left wing, the traffic suddenly made a sharp left turn unannounced and started ascending towards us.
I made a split second decision to take evasive action and turn right and start a climb immediately.
Thankfully he seemed to have passed less than 100 feet below us.
I immediately asked on the radio if that traffic was on the frequency of ZZZ and got no response after three attempts.
We later proceeded to safely make a landing.
After we taxied back to the runway, we observed that the same traffic was on an extended final practicing some sort of an ILS XX into ZZZ. We talked to him on the radio and he stated that
- He did not hear us make the radio call, which we definitely did.
- He had us visual the entire time.
I do not understand why if someone had us visual that they would turn direct towards us and would not listen out for radio calls in such a busy uncontrolled airport.
I am a CFI/I and have been flying for the last five years. I am saying with full confidence this is the closest mid-air collision I have ever encountered and to see the negligence from the other aircraft is mind-blowing.
For him to come out on ATC and state that he never heard us or had us visual the entire time made me confused even more.
I am more than happy to provide more information and hope that proper action is taken. This is absolutely unacceptable.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 1935834
I believe that AWOS is the problem. No one declares an “active”. It’s a free for all. If I am coming from the west, I land to the east. If I am coming from the east, I land to the west. What could go wrong.
Runway is plenty long enough to do a tail wind take off. Be dammed with the downwind from the opposite direction.
The bigger the plane and engine, the more I can get away with, I hope.
LP on RW 15 and RP on RW 33, light winds, or direct cross wind, one guy SE and the other guy NW. AWOS broadcasting, no one declaring an active.
Throw in a couple of clear day RNAV practice approaches on a nice spring Saturday and hold on.
The big city airports are a mess, let’s go out to that non towered airport, its only 40 miles away, and I don’t have some guy telling me what to do.
I like to fly evenings and during the week. Nice to be retired.
The problem with non towered airports is no one follows the recommended procedure entering the traffic pattern. Too many pilots are not looking out side the cockpit instead they believe ADS-B pinpoints all traffic.
Straight in approaches with full patterns cause problems when the pilot making the straight in believes he has the right of way!
BTW what type aircraft was the other aircraft??
I also never fly at 2000 or 2500 feet because most aircraft use those altitudes.
Fly odd altitudes like 2350 feet you will be amazed how close you pass an aircraft you did not see!!
Thanks
True. Statistics will probably prove ADS-B INCREASES mid-air risks because of increased ‘heads down’ flying. But the FAA will never admit this.
Next time continue flying straight instead of making a glorious “split second decision” and turning toward him, increasing your closure rate.
The FAA has been questioning instructor quality lately, it’s getting hard to ignore.
I would have winged him.
Share the airspace. It doesn’t belong to you.
Precisely, ET.