Two Flight Instructors reported a near miss with each other at a non-towered airport. The aircraft on final approach performed a go-around when the other aircraft landed on the same runway; opposite direction.
Synopsis
Two Flight Instructors reported a near miss with each other at a non-towered airport. The aircraft on final approach performed a go-around when the other aircraft landed on the same runway; opposite direction.
Narrative
This was a training flight with a PPL student. It was an exercise in finding the airport; entering the pattern; and landing. Approximately 10 miles from the airport; I prompted the student to obtain the weather and announce his position. I observed the student enter the AWOS frequency on Radio 2 as I had previously instructed. The winds were from 190 at 5 knots. I asked the student what runway that favors and he correctly answered 11. I then prompted the student to enter the CTAF frequency on Radio 1 and observed as he incorrectly entered the frequency for a different airport. I pointed out his mistake and then watched him enter the correct frequency. He switched it to the active frequency and started making radio calls as I instructed. I asked the student how he planned to enter the pattern. He said he would enter the downwind leg for runway 11 on a 45-degree entry. At this time; we were already at pattern altitude. At the same time; I observed a traffic target heading to the same airport behind us and at roughly the same altitude on my iPad screen using ADS-B. I did not hear any radio calls from him. I assumed he was also entering the pattern the same direction as us. We continued to join the pattern; at the same time taking note of the windsock; which also indicated favorable winds for runway 11. When we were abeam the runway 11 threshold; my student was distracted by a plane on the taxiway holding short of 11 and pointed it out to me. I told him to continue. The distraction delayed the beginning of our descent and we also got too close to the runway while on downwind; which caused the student to overshoot the extended centerline when turning from base to final. As I was sitting on the right side; I could not see the runway or the airport at all until we were facing it once again. Once we were on final approach for 11 and getting back to centerline at approximately 500 feet AGL; I saw that a plane had just landed in the opposite direction on runway 29 and was still on the runway. I immediately took control and initiated a go around; sidestepping to the right so that my student would be able to keep the runway in sight from his side. As we were climbing back to pattern altitude; I once again glanced at radio 1 and saw that the frequency was off by .025 Hz. As I had observed the student put in the correct CTAF frequency after I corrected him; I realized that he must have accidentally bumped the frequency adjustment knob as he was switching the standby frequency to the active and I had not noticed. Although we were making consistent radio calls during the entire approach to the airport and in the pattern; they were going off into nowhere. We had no further communication with the airplane that had just landed in the opposite direction but I concluded that he must have been on an instrument approach for runway 29. At the time of the incident; we were the only two aircraft in the air over the airport. As previously mentioned; there was an airplane holding short of the departure end of runway 11 but was not a factor.
Second reporter narrative
My student and I went in to Quakertown after an instrument flight lesson. We decided to shoot a practice RNAV 29; as we checked the AWOS and it reported a direct crosswind. The wind was a little bit gusty but was slightly favoring 29. We made a 5-mile; 3-mile; and Short Final call over our CTAF frequency 122.725. We did observe a plane a little above pattern altitude on what would be a very wide downwind for Runway 11; but we did not observe any radio calls from that airplane. We shot the approach and landed at UKT; only to see Aircraft X on an unannounced short approach into runway 11. We did not hear any radio calls from the other aircraft. The airplane proceeded to descend until about 50-70 feet above the runway; which we were still on. The aircraft finally initiated a go-around and continued to fly the pattern at UKT. We did not observe any radio call from them until they were re-entering a base for runway 11.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.