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 instructing a student in a Cessna 172 at ZZZ. We were holding short Runway XX while listening to comms. Two aircraft were approaching the airport and making position calls to enter the pattern for XX.
One was an Aircraft Y, an unknown Beechcraft, the other a local flight school aircraft. The flight school said they would give way since Aircraft Y was much faster. Aircraft Y stated yes, they were flying 140 kts.
Based on their position call, we departed XX to remain in the pattern. Aircraft Y announced entry to the pattern, called base for XX, called final for XX. On climb out, at approximately 1,800 feet MSL and about time to turn crosswind, I glanced to my iPad and noticed an aircraft heading towards us for Runway X.
I took controls from my student, put the nose down and made an evasive bank to the right to avoid Aircraft Y. I also made a call on the comms that Aircraft Y was coming at us for Runway X, not XX. Aircraft Y broke off as well and proceeded to fly a right downwind, base to then land on XX. The traffic pattern for ZZZ is left-hand and there were two aircraft flying left pattern at the time.
I called the company the plane was registered under. They are a broker and told me they had sold the plane and the owner had recurrent training.
The pilot clearly thought he was flying to land on Runway XX while actually descending to Runway X, which is especially concerning since his last indicated airspeed on approach was 129 kts. while I was approaching at 75 kts.
Most disturbing is this pilot came back to ZZZ several days later and I spoke with him, indicating I was his near midair the other day. He made light of it and lied, stating he was trying to look for the windsock.
If that were the case, he would not have been calling out his pattern legs for Runway XX if he was looking for the windsock, especially since there were two of us in the pattern flying XX already.
A pilot this nonchalant about a near midair, flying a fast aircraft is a safety hazard.
We were lucky that day I had traffic show on my iPad as our climb out puts in a compromised nose high position to see and avoid an aircraft coming right at us, especially when not expecting it based on the current traffic patterns and comm calls by the pilot.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 1950910
CUDO’s to this instructor. The other pilot should have been turned in to FAA. Obviously he needs to learn to read the charts for airport traffic patterns. He should also know that if looking for windsock he should fly midfield 500 feet above traffic pattern. He/she should also, if on the radio, should have heard which runway was in use, and the pattern. We must be eternally vigilant specially around non towered airports. Even flying cross country at altitude there are a few. At 7,500 feet, on a cross country, I’m always on Flt Following, I received a transmission to make an immediate 20 degree right turn and climb to 8,500. I was flying north east. There was a plane NORDO at same altitude heading right for me. They’re out there. He also had no ADS-B. Thank you ATC.
I’m fourty years into my aviation career,glad i transistioned to flight simulation.After thirty years of provideing top notch avionics repairs and hundreds of AP test flights,i was blessed with a history of no problems of any kind,but i feel its not as safe as it could be ,right?
lets get deciplined serious,its fun and games untill someone gets an eye poked out,yall know that.I provide FAA approved flight simulation,i think everone needs more time in the sim,its a better learning envourment,you can hit pause,that button is NOT in your aircraft.
Speaking of nonchalant, if the FAA were more diligent in investigating and prosecuting these more lesser-known but more frequent violations of pilot negligence we would have far fewer of these episodes and much safer skies.
No problem, just make IFR mandatory for all flights so the FAA can keep track of everyone.
May be that’s a way for more safety in the sky, although at cost of the freedom of flying. But, sometimes, necessity overcames some others rights.
Sounds lie a bunch of democrats. Always willing to give up freedom. The frog is slowly boiling….
I’m a fifty year pilot and airport owner.