A SAFETY PLT IN AN SMA RPTS AN NMAC.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING R SEAT PLT AS SAFETY FOR A FRIEND WHILE HE WAS PRACTICING INST APCHS. WX WAS VFR WITH VISIBILITY AROUND 7 TO 10 MI. I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY HEARING THE PLT AND SEATTLE FOR SOME REASON BUT THE PLT SEEMED TO BE EXPERIENCING NO DIFFICULTY. MOST OF MY ATTN WAS OUTSIDE THE ACFT. IT WAS A BUSY DAY AND WE HAD ALREADY PASSED CLOSE TO 1 ACFT. (ABOUT 500 FT VERT AND 1000 FT HORIZ.) THE PLT ELECTED TO TAKE THE ILS RWY 17 APCH INTO TACOMA AND WAS BEING VECTORED WHEN I SPOTTED SEVERAL OTHER ACFT IN THE VICINITY. NONE POSED A HAZARD; BUT I BEGAN PAYING MORE ATTN TO THE VIEW TO BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT SINCE ALL THE OTHER ACFT I HAD SEEN WERE XING OUR COURSE. I REMEMBER SEATTLE APCH ASKING THE PLT IF HE WANTED TO DO THE NDB AFTER THE ILS; AND I BELIEVE THE PLT REPLIED THAT HE WANTED TO LAND AT TACOMA. I DID NOT CATCH MUCH ELSE UNTIL I HEARD SEATTLE APCH TELL THE PLT TO CONTACT TACOMA TWR AT SCENN. WE PASSED OVER SCENN ON COURSE AND I HEARD THE PLT TELL TACOMA TWR BUT DID NOT CATCH WHAT HE WAS SAYING. AS WE LANDED; I WAS STARTLED TO SEE AN ACFT PASS OVER US FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. LOOKING UP; I SAW ANOTHER ACFT LNDG AT THE OTHER END OF THE RWY. BOTH OUR ACFT AND THE OTHER ACFT TURNED OFF THE RWY AND STARTED TO TAXI TO THE RAMP. I OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT TAKE OFF FROM RWY 35 AND PASS AN SMA WHICH HAD APPARENTLY MADE THE ILS APCH. THE SMA HAD SIDESTEPPED TO THE E AND WAS PASSING OVER THE TXWY AT ABOUT 300 TO 400 FT AGL AND CLBING. IT APPEARED TO BE MAKING A STANDARD MISSED APCH WITH A SIDESTEP TO AVOID DEPARTING TFC. AFTER THE PLT HAD FUELED HIS ACFT; SOMEONE TOLD HIM TO CALL THE TWR. HE CALLED THE TWR AND HE SAID HE WAS ASKED WHETHER HE HAD CONTACTED THE TWR OVER SCENN AND BEEN CLRED TO LAND. I BELIEVE THE PLT FELT HE WAS CLRED TO LAND FROM THE ILS 17 APCH; BUT SINCE I WAS HAVING PROBS WITH THE HEADSET OR THE INTERCOM AND MISSED SO MUCH OF WHAT WAS BEING SAID; I REALLY DO NOT KNOW FOR SURE WHAT HAPPENED. THE PLT TOLD ME HE ADVISED SEATTLE APCH THAT HE WANTED TO LAND AND WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS; HE SAID HE WAS NOT GIVEN ANY WHEN HE WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR AT SCENN. HE ALSO TOLD ME HE HAD CALLED THE TWR AT SCENN AND THEY HAD ANSWERED. EVEN THOUGH I CONSIDERED MY JOB AS SAFETY PLT AS MOSTLY INVOLVING MY EYES; I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED I NEEDED BETTER COMS. WHEN I REALIZED I WAS MISSING MOST OF THE CONVERSATIONS I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE PLT TO GO BACK TO OUR HOME BASE AND WORKED OUT THE PROB. UNTIL THIS INCIDENT; I DIDN'T THINK THE SAFETY PLT WAS REQUIRED TO LISTEN TO ALL THE RADIO CALLS; BECAUSE PRESUMABLY THE PLT TAKES CARE OF THE RADIO AND FLYING THE ACFT; WHILE THE SAFETY PLT LOOKS OUT FOR OTHER ACFT AND IS ALERT FOR ANY UNSAFE MANEUVER. I REALIZE NOW THAT IF I HAD BEEN ABLE TO HEAR WHAT WAS BEING SAID; I MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PREVENT AN UNFORTUNATE MISUNDERSTANDING; AND THE RESULTING HAZARDOUS SIT. SINCE I HAD NO IDEA THAT ACFT WHERE DEPARTING RWY 35 AT TACOMA; I WAS LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACES TO SEE THEM ON THE RWY AND DEPARTING.