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.
My student and I were flying into Pierce County Airport/Thun Field (KPLU) in Puyallup, Washington. We were approaching from the east. We flew over the airport at 2,000 feet, 500 feet above pattern altitude for Runway 35.
We continued west until we got near the McChord Field Airport (Joint Base Lewis-McChord) (KTCM) airspace near Tacoma before we made our turn back inbound.
We made our position calls 5 miles out, crossing over the top of the airport, and then entering the downwind.
We were aware of the aircraft following behind us. They informed the CTAF frequency that they would be crossing over the top of the airport and then making a turn back inbound to enter the downwind. It sounded like they were doing the exact same thing we were doing.
As we made our turn back inbound I was looking for the aircraft following us. ADS-B was showing they were 500 feet above us as expected.
As we approached the downwind neither my student or I had eyes on the plane. I glanced at ADS-B again to see that they were practically right on top of us.
I quickly looked up only for my student to say, “Did you see that?”
The plane following us had descended to pattern altitude prior to turning back inbound and was actually at pattern altitude when they crossed the downwind. They made an extremely tight 270° turn to enter the downwind behind us.
My student saw the plane. I never saw it. My student estimates the plane was roughly 50 feet from us. I don’t believe the other plane ever saw us.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2230867
When you click on the link it will take you to the ASRS Online Database. Click on Report Number and put the ACN in the search box, then click Search. On that page, click on “view only the 1 most recent report.”
From all of the near misses that I read on this site I believe that in addition to planning and checking the plane an hours prayer is in order before take off.
Amen!
Another case of assuming what the other pilot will do. It takes visual contact and coordination between pilots to avoid these problems.
If I am going to fly over the field for a 270 entry I will fly over midfield 1000′ above pattern altitude. Hopefully this gives me a view of all traffic in the area and on the ground. Then I continue well past the field. As I start my turn I also start my decent so that I am at pattern altitude by the time I am lined up to enter on a 45.
We live about 2 miles North of this small airport. Scary to read an article like this. Someone needs to investigate and find out how this happened.
How it happened? Simple: the other pilot’s arrogance and sense of superiority enabling hm/her to butt in line and get on with their day quickly. Hell with the other guy. GA: The Wild, Wild, West adventure. Regards/J