NMAC BTWN A TOW ACFT DURING LOW ALT CIVIL OP AND A C141 ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 20 AT PATRICK AFB; FL. PROX OF MIL ARPT.
Synopsis
NMAC BTWN A TOW ACFT DURING LOW ALT CIVIL OP AND A C141 ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 20 AT PATRICK AFB; FL. PROX OF MIL ARPT.
Narrative
ON JAN/SAT/97 AT APPROX PM20; I WAS APPROVED FOR TRANSITION SBOUND; ALONG THE BEACH INTO PATRICK AFB AIRSPACE FROM THE COCOA BEACH AREA. THE APPROVAL BY PATRICK TWR WAS BASED ON AN ALT OF 500 FT OR BELOW; WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO RPT MY NBOUND TURN AT THE OFFICERS CLUB. I HAD REQUESTED TRANSITION DOWN TO THE OFFICERS CLUB (S) AND THEN BACK TO THE N UP TO COCOA BEACH AREA. I HAD A BANNER IN TOW AT THE TIME. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED THE CURRENT ALTIMETER SETTING FROM ATC. I REPEATED ATC'S INSTRUCTIONS TO RPT THE NBOUND TURN AT THE OFFICERS CLUB UPON MY TRANSITION APPROVAL. AS I PROCEEDED DOWN THE BEACH TOWARD THE OFFICERS CLUB; I TOOK NOTE OF COM BTWN ATC AND AN ACFT IN THE PATTERN AT PATRICK. I WRONGLY ASSUMED THAT PATRICK TWR WOULD SPACE THE 2 OF US PROPERLY. WHEN MY ACFT WAS ABEAM THE OFFICERS CLUB I BEGAN MY L 180 DEG TURN OUT TO THE E; AND RPTED MY NBOUND TURN AS INSTRUCTED. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE; THERE WAS A HVY C141 ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 20. I TOOK IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION BY DIVING; STILL HDG E. THE C141 HAD TO GAR. I'M CONVINCED WE WOULD HAVE COLLIDED HAD I NOT DIVED AND THE C141 THROTTLED UP. (THE C141 PLT THOUGHT SO AS WELL.) THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE PATRICK CTLR BEEN ALERT TO THE FACT THAT THE OFFICERS CLUB AND RWY 20 ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TOGETHER THAT PROPER SPACING MUST BE USED WHEN THAT PARTICULAR RWY IS IN USE. I HAVE HUNDREDS OF HRS OF TOW EXPERIENCE ON THIS BEACH AND HAVE MADE THE S TRANSITION TO THE OFFICERS CLUB HUNDREDS OF TIMES.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.