SMA ON LEFT CROSSWIND FOR PATTERN WORK AT FME EXPERIENCED CONFLICT WITH OVERFLIGHT TFC AT APPROX 1000 FT. INCIDENT COMPLICATED DUE TO AIRSPACE CONFIGURATION/RESTRICTIONS IN THE DCA AREA.
Synopsis
SMA ON LEFT CROSSWIND FOR PATTERN WORK AT FME EXPERIENCED CONFLICT WITH OVERFLIGHT TFC AT APPROX 1000 FT. INCIDENT COMPLICATED DUE TO AIRSPACE CONFIGURATION/RESTRICTIONS IN THE DCA AREA.
Narrative
I WAS PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GOES AT FME. RWY 28 WAS ACTIVE. I WAS MONITORING AND MAKING POS RPTS ON THE CTAF; 123.05. I WAS ALSO MONITORING 121.5. ON DEP; PERFORMANCE WAS QUITE GOOD WITH A 1000+ FPM CLB RATE. AT 800 FT MSL; I BEGAN MY L TURN TO XWIND. IN THE TURN; I SAW THE OTHER AIRPLANE PASS BEHIND ME WBOUND. IT APPEARED AS IF THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS OVERFLYING THE ARPT AT ABOUT 1000 FT MSL ALONG THE DEP PATH. A FEW SECONDS AFTER COMPLETING MY TURN TO XWIND; I WAS PASSING THROUGH HIS ALT. PUBLISHED PATTERN ALT AT FME IS 1150 FT MSL. I BELIEVE WE MAY HAVE COLLIDED HAD I DELAYED MY XWIND TURN. BECAUSE OF THE GEOMETRY OF THE SIT; I BELIEVE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE EACH OTHER IN THIS CASE. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE; I AM IN A CLB AND THE TFC IS APCHING FROM ABOVE AND BEHIND ME. THE CABIN CEILING PREVENTED ME FROM EVER SEEING HIM UNTIL AFTER BEGINNING MY TURN. FROM THE OTHER ACFT'S PERSPECTIVE; I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN FRONT OF AND BELOW HIM. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT I WAS OBSCURED BY HIS ENG COWLING. ALSO; BECAUSE OF MY HIGH RATE OF CLB AND THE RELATIVE SPDS OF THE 2 ACFT; I BELIEVE THAT I MAY HAVE STAYED OBSCURED BY HIS ENG COWLING PERHAPS UNTIL WE MADE CONTACT. I THINK THE BEST WAY TO HAVE AVOIDED THIS WOULD BE IF THE OTHER ACFT CROSSED THE ARPT WELL ABOVE TFC PATTERN ALT. HOWEVER; I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE AIRSPACE REQUIREMENTS IN THE AREA. OVERLYING THE ARPT AT 1500 FT MSL IS THE BALTIMORE CLASS B AIRSPACE. JUST A FEW MI TO THE N IS THE BALTIMORE CLASS B SURFACE AREA AND JUST A FEW MI TO THE S IS THE SFAR 94 FLT RESTR ZONE. THIS CREATES A VERY NARROW CORRIDOR FOR A HIGH VOLUME OF VFR TRANSIT TFC THAT MUST REMAIN BELOW 1500 FT MSL. FURTHER TFC CONFLICTS WITHIN THE CORRIDOR MAY PUSH TFC LOWER. FINALLY; ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF COMS. THE OTHER ACFT WAS FLYING WITHIN THE WASHINGTON ADIZ AND WAS REQUIRED TO BE IN CONTACT WITH POTOMAC TRACON. THEREFORE; HE MAY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO MONITOR MY POS RPTS ON CTAF OR ANNOUNCE HIS POS AND INTENTIONS. ADDITIONALLY; HE MAY HAVE FELT A SENSE OF SECURITY BY BEING IN RADAR CONTACT. HOWEVER; WITH MY CLB RATE; I WAS ABLE TO CLB FROM THE RWY TO HIS ALT IN LESS THAN 1 MIN. THIS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TIME FOR ME TO APPEAR ON RADAR AND FOR THE CTLR TO NOTICE THE CONFLICT AND ISSUE AN ADVISORY.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.