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Pilot apologetic after near miss in pattern

By NASA · July 6, 2023 ·

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.

The airport was extremely busy. It was one of the only VFR days all week.

My student and I were holding short Runway 35. My student made a call that we were holding short. There was a company aircraft on the downwind abeam the numbers.

We then made a call that we were taking Runway 35 and that we saw Aircraft Y and would keep the downwind traffic in sight. Aircraft Y made a double click on the frequency to show that they understood. As we lined up they called that they were on base.

My student was practicing a short field takeoff. We did full power and held the brakes. We checked the engine gauges and released the brakes.

As soon as we saw our speed was about 55 indicated we saw Aircraft Y directly ahead crossing west to east. I took control and decided to rotate because we were too close and too fast to stop. Rotate speed in this aircraft is 45 knots.

The pilot showed up at the FBO and apologized. Said they looked, made a radio call, and then crossed but didn’t see us.

The other aircraft in the pattern landed and we talked as well. They said that they didn’t hear the aircraft make a taxi call that they were crossing. My student also did not hear a call.

The pilot of Aircraft Y apologized multiple times and knew it was their fault. You could tell they really felt bad about the situation. They said they were trying to hurry for the base traffic and didn’t know we were taking the runway.

Primary Problem: Human Factors

ACN: 1966622

About NASA

NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) captures confidential reports, analyzes the resulting aviation safety data, and disseminates vital information to the aviation community.

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Comments

  1. Marc Rodstein says

    July 7, 2023 at 5:47 am

    Yes, poorly written to the point that the reader cannot tell what happened. Were there two other aircraft, one in the air and one taxiing or crossing on the ground? Which aircraft was aircraft Y? Why did the aircraft landing not have right of way over the aircraft taking off? I hope this pilot communicates better in the aircraft than he does in writing.

  2. James Brian Potter says

    July 7, 2023 at 5:25 am

    What’s with ‘their’ for a single individual pilot? Is this service ‘woke’ now? Lose it, please.

    • scott k patterson says

      July 7, 2023 at 5:33 am

      Poorly written article.

      • Bibocas says

        July 7, 2023 at 2:56 pm

        Not really an article, but an report made by – I believe, an CFI – to ASRS.
        Who wrote in such a way that should be sent do school again.

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