PA28 EXPERIENCED AN NMAC WITH TFC ON FINAL AT 500 FT RESULTING IN SGJ INITIATED GAR.

Date: 2004-03 · Aircraft: PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior

Anomalies: conflict-nmac

Synopsis

PA28 EXPERIENCED AN NMAC WITH TFC ON FINAL AT 500 FT RESULTING IN SGJ INITIATED GAR.

Narrative

ON MAR/FRI/04; I WAS FLYING FROM COLUMBIA; SC; TO BOCA RATON; FL; WITH A STOP FOR FUEL AT ST AUGUSTINE; FL. I RECEIVED VFR FLT FOLLOWING FOR THE ENTIRE RTE OF FLT. AS I WAS APCHING ST AUGUSTINE; I WAS IN COM WITH JACKSONVILLE APCH. A LONG WAY OUT; THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT ST AUGUSTINE WAS USING RWY 31. WHEN I GOT CLOSER; THE JACKSONVILLE CTLR TOLD ME THAT ST AUGUSTINE HAD CHANGED TO RWY 13; TO EXPECT RWY 13; AND FOR ME TO CONTACT THE ST AUGUSTINE TWR. I THEN CALLED THE ST AUGUSTINE TWR AND WAS TOLD TO MAKE A 45 DEG ENTRY TO THE TFC PATTERN L DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 13. I REPEATED BACK THE DIRECTIONS AND THEN MANEUVERED TO COMPLY. I THEN FOLLOWED THE STANDARD TFC PATTERN. IT WAS WORTHY TO NOTE THAT THE TWR FREQ WAS QUITE BUSY DURING THIS TIME WITH MULTIPLE AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN. AS I WAS FOLLOWING THE STANDARD TFC PATTERN; THE TWR CTLR DID NOT CALL ME AND I DID NOT CALL HIM. WHEN I GOT ONTO FINAL; I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THE TWR AND ASK FOR CLRNC TO LAND WHEN HE CALLED ME WITH 'CHEROKEE (CALL SIGN); WHERE ARE YOU?' I REPLIED THAT I WAS ON FINAL. AT ABOUT THAT TIME; I NOTICED ANOTHER AIRPLANE WAS TO MY R (AT APPROX MY 2:30 O'CLOCK POS) ALSO ON FINAL. THE TWR CTLR EXCLAIMED; 'HOW DID YOU GET FROM BASE TO FINAL WITHOUT MAKING A CALL?' I REPLIED SIMPLY 'SORRY.' NOTICE THAT I FELT THAT THIS SHORT REPLY WAS PERHAPS MORE APPROPRIATE AT THE MOMENT THAN A LENGTHY EXPLANATION THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF ANY REQUIREMENT TO ANNOUNCE MY TURNS WHEN FOLLOWING THE STANDARD PATTERN TO AN ARPT WITH AN OPERATING CTL TWR WITH WHICH I WAS IN COM. ANYWAY; THE TWR CTLR 'SCOLDED' ME WITH 'SORRY ISN'T GOING TO CUT IT. GO AROUND; STRAIGHT AHEAD; AND AFTER YOU GET ON THE GND CALL THE TWR.' WHEN I CALLED FROM THE FBO; THE CTLR WAS MUCH MORE CORDIAL AND HE SPOKE OF ME MISSING A CALL. WELL; I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T RECALL HIM REQUESTING ME TO MAKE A CALL. HE SAID THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IN CASE THE CTLR FORGOT ABOUT ME; GIVEN THAT THERE WERE 7 AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN AT THE TIME. I'M STILL UNCERTAIN OF EXACTLY WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF ME. SURE I WOULD'VE CALLED HAD I KNOWN THAT HE FORGOT ABOUT ME; BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS. WHEN I'VE FLOWN INTO UNCTLED ARPTS IN THE PAST; I'VE CALLED EACH TURN IN THE PATTERN. HOWEVER; WHEN ARRIVING AT ARPTS WITH ACTIVE CTL TWRS; IN CLASS B AND C AIRSPACE; I'VE GENERALLY NOT CALLED MY TURNS UNLESS REQUESTED BY ATC. THIS IS HOW I WAS INSTRUCTED. I HAVEN'T FLOWN INTO CLASS D ARPTS MUCH; BUT GUESSED THAT IT WOULD WORK SIMILAR TO THE CLASS C AND D ARPTS IN THIS REGARD. I FEEL THAT IF ATC HAD WANTED ME TO MAKE ANY FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENT; THEN THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE SAID SO.

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