1991-08 · NASA ASRS report 187752
SMA IN PATTERN HAS NMAC WITH SECOND SMA.
I WAS ACTING AS FLT INSTRUCTOR IN AN SMA A. STUDENT RECENT PRIVATE PLT TRANSITIONING FROM SMA B INVOLVED IN SHORT FIELD TKOF PROCS. COMPLETED SEVERAL TKOFS AND LNDGS; RWY 5; L TFC. LITTLE TFC IN PATTERN. MY ACFT INSTRUCTED POS AND HOLD RWY 5; DEPARTING TFC ON 14; L CLOSED TFC. TAXIED INTO POS; OTHER ACFT WAS CLRED TO TKOF AFTER SOME DELAY; ADDITIONAL DELAY WHILE TWR DEALT WITH TFC TRANSITIONING THE ATA. I WAS THEN CLRED TO TKOF. AT SOME POINT; TWR CALLED MY POS TO ANOTHER ACFT AS DEPARTING RWY 5; L CLOSED TFC. WAS UNCLR TO ME WHERE THIS OTHER ACFT WAS; POSSIBLY AN INBOUND TO THE ARPT. DISCOVERED AFTER THE INCIDENT; OTHER TFC WAS AN SMA B WHO DEPARTED 14 AND WAS TURNING ONTO DOWNWIND. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF THIS TFC. NO TA WAS ISSUED TO ME AFTER MY TKOF CLRNC. MY STUDENT FLEW A NORMAL PATTERN; TURNING XWIND; CONTINUING TO CLB TO PATTERN ALT (1500 FT); UNDERNEATH THE SMA B ON ITS DOWNWIND LEG. SMA B WAS NOT SEEN BY MYSELF OR MY STUDENT. HIGH WINGS BLOCKED VISION WHERE SMA B PROBABLY WAS PRIOR TO OUR TURN TO XWIND. WE WERE THE ONLY 2 AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN. AS WE REACHED 1500 FT MSL; STUDENT LOWERED NOSE; RAISED L WING TO CLR TFC; AND DISCOVERED THE SMA B AT OUR ALT WITHIN 100 FT HORIZ; ABEAM OUR L WING IN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT; SAME DIRECTION. I QUERIED TWR AS TO THE INTENTIONS OF THE TFC. REPLY WAS 'I CALLED OUT THAT TFC FOR YOU'; REFERRING TO THE ADVISORY GIVEN WHILE I WAS STILL ON THE TAXIWAY PRIOR TO TKOF. LACKING INFO ON THE INTENTIONS OF THE SMA B I EVADED WITH A R 270 WITH TWR APPROVAL. I VISITED TWR CAB; TO GET IMPRESSION OF THE CTLR INVOLVED. HIS STATEMENTS: 1) THE ADVISORY HE GAVE ME ON THE TAXIWAY MET LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND 'HIS ASS WAS COVERED'. 2) A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT LODGED BY ME ABOUT THE TWR WAS THE REASON FOR PROVIDING MIN ADVISORIES. 3) I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LISTENING TO TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE TWR TO OTHERS; AND KNOW WHERE THEY WERE. 4) HE KNEW THAT I WAS ABOARD; AS AN INSTRUCTOR; AND AS THE CONFLICT DEVELOPED THOUGH MY FLT PATH WAS UNUSUAL WITH RESPECT TO THAT OF THE _______. HIS ATTITUDE WAS HOSTILE; AND THE ABOVE STATEMENTS ARE NOT INTENDED AS DIRECT QUOTES BUT ARE PARAPHRASED TO BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION. TWR CTLR WATCHED A LIFE THREATENING CONVERSION OF 2 ACFT DEVELOP; AND CHOSE NOT TO PROVIDE SEPARATION OR ADVISORIES TO ONE OF THE ACFT. THE HUMAN FACTOR INVOLVED INCLUDED THE CTLR ALLOWING A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT TO INTERFERE WITH COMMON SENSE; GOOD JUDGEMENT; CONCERN FOR SAFETY AND STANDARD PRACTICE IN THIS UNSAFE CTLING SITUATION. UNDER OTHER CONDITIONS AN ADVISORY WOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO THE DEPARTING SMA AFTER THIS TKOF.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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