NMAC BTWN A GOV PIPER PA31 ON A DOWNWIND LEG IN THE TFC PATTERN AND A BEECH BONANZA IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION 200 FT ABOVE MAKING A R TURN. THE RPTR PUSHED FORWARD TO DSND AFTER OBSERVING THE BONANZA.

Date: 1998-08 · Aircraft: PA-31 Navajo/Chieftan/Mojave/T1040

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|other-unspecified

Synopsis

NMAC BTWN A GOV PIPER PA31 ON A DOWNWIND LEG IN THE TFC PATTERN AND A BEECH BONANZA IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION 200 FT ABOVE MAKING A R TURN. THE RPTR PUSHED FORWARD TO DSND AFTER OBSERVING THE BONANZA.

Narrative

ON AUG/XA/98; I WAS ON AN IFR FLT FROM FRANKFORT; KY; TO NASHVILLE; TN. INITIALLY; I WAS APPROVED FOR A VISUAL APCH INTO JC TUNE ARPT. THE AWOS STATED THAT THE WX WAS CLR AND THE WIND WAS FROM 310 DEGS AT 6 KTS. AT APPROX 15 MI OUT; APCH ADVISED ME THAT AN ACFT AHEAD OF ME HAD TO USE THE LOC/DME 19 APCH INTO JC TUNE ARPT. I WAS GIVEN THE SAME APCH AND WAS ASKED TO INFORM THE CTLR WHEN I HAD A VISUAL ON THE ARPT. AT APPROX 6 MI OUT; I ESTABLISHED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ACFT THAT I WAS FOLLOWING HAD CIRCLED TO LAND AT THE JC TUNE ARPT. I TOOK THIS TO MEAN THAT ACFT THAT LANDED AHEAD OF ME CIRCLED TO LAND ON RWY 10 WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT WITH THE 310 DEG WIND RPTED ON THE ASOS. I CANCELED IFR AT APPROX 6 MI NE OF THE ARPT; AND WAS DIRECTED TO CONTACT TA. I CALLED JC TUNE UNICOM FOR TA'S AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. I ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN BY A 45 DEG ENTRY FOR A DOWNWIND AT TFC PATTERN ALT FOR RWY 10. I MADE A CALL TO ANNOUNCE THAT I WAS ENTERING A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 10. AFTER I MADE MY CALL; ANOTHER ACFT CALLED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19. IMMEDIATELY; I NOTICED A BEECH BONANZA ON MY R WHICH APPEARED TO BE IN A R TURN APPROX 200 FT ABOVE ME AND TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I REACTED TO THE OTHER ACFT BY PUSHING DOWN TO INCREASE THE SEPARATION DISTANCE. SEVERAL FACTORS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE NEAR MISS. THE R TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 19 PLACES ACFT ON THE LOC/DME 19 APCH THAT DO NOT INTEND TO LAND STRAIGHT IN; BUT ELECT TO CIRCLE TO LAND INTO THE WIND ON RWY 10; INTO A HEAD-ON CONFLICT WITH ACFT ON A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19 IN LIGHT OR DOWNWIND CONDITIONS. IN THIS CASE; I COULD HAVE ELECTED TO LAND ON RWY 19 WITH A DOWNWIND. THIS MAY HAVE REDUCED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NEAR MISS. SINCE I WAS APPROX 6 MI FROM THE ARPT WHEN I WAS CLRED TO CONTACT TA; MY CONTACT TIME WITH THE UNICOM AND OTHER TFC TO OBTAIN TFC INFO OR POS WAS REDUCED. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL CONTACT TA A MINIMUM OF 15 MI OUT AND MAINTAIN A LISTENING WATCH ON BOTH FREQS. MY DECISION TO LAND ON RWY 10 WAS MADE BECAUSE OF THE ASOS RPTED WIND FAVORED RWY 10; GOOD VISUAL CONDITIONS EXISTED; I WAS IN A GOOD POS TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN ON A 45 DEG ENTRY FOR THE DOWNWIND; AND I HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY RADIO XMISSIONS THAT INDICATED A PREFERRED RWY IN USE OR CONFLICTING TFC.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.