What happened
On April 9, 2017, at approximately 18:50 local time, a serious flight disturbance occurred south of the Eggenfelden aerodrome traffic pattern. Two aircraft flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR)—a Diamond DV 20 and a TL 96 STAR—experienced a dangerous close approach. Radar data indicated the minimum separation between the two aircraft was approximately 0.2 nautical miles horizontally and 5 and 50 feet vertically.
The pilot of the Diamond DV 20 was arriving from Klagenfurt, Austria, and intended to perform several circuits before landing. While performing these circuits, the pilot provided position reports to maintain awareness. Simultaneously, the pilot of the TL 96 STAR was arriving from Sonnen and requested entry into the traffic pattern. The air traffic controller informed the TL 96 STAR pilot that runway 26 was in use and that other traffic was present in the pattern. The TL 96 STAR pilot then proceeded to fly parallel to the downwind leg of the Diamond DV 20.
As the Diamond DV 20 transitioned from the downwind leg to the base leg, the pilot prepared for landing by reducing speed and deploying flaps. During this phase, the pilot and a passenger were scanning for other traffic but did not initially see the second aircraft. Just before turning onto the base leg, the pilot heard a radio call from the other aircraft and simultaneously observed the TL 96 STAR performing an evasive left turn. The TL 96 STAR was positioned slightly lower than the Diamond DV 20.
The pilot of the TL 96 STAR attempted a direct approach to runway 26. Following instructions from the controller to use the downwind leg due to existing traffic, the pilot flew south of a wooded area. The pilot reported seeing a white aircraft approaching from the north and managed to issue a radio call stating, "Traffic in sight, avoiding," before executing a leftward maneuver. GPS data from the TL 96 STAR confirmed a flight path change of approximately 30 degrees to the left at the time of the incident. No injuries or damage to persons or property were reported.