J3 EXPERIENCES NMAC WITH PA28 IN TRAFFIC PATTERN.

Narrative

TRAINING IN THE TFC PATTERN AT HOME ARPT. OUR ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH RADIO. THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL ACFT COMING IN AND OUT OF THE TFC PATTERN AND WE WERE DOING TOUCH-AND-GOES. WE WERE FOLLOWING ONE ACFT AND WERE ON BASE LEG JUST STARTING OUR TURN TO FINAL WHEN WE SAW A PIPER CHEROKEE ON FINAL JUST BELOW US AND TO OUR R. I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND FLEW OVER THE ARRIVING CHEROKEE AND CONTINUED AROUND THE PATTERN TO THE R OF THE RWY. I THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB OF LOOKING FOR OTHER ACFT BUT I MISSED THIS ONE. HE DID NOT MANEUVER OR GO AROUND AND I DO NOT KNOW IF HE SAW US OR NOT. OBVIOUSLY THE PRIMARY CAUSE WAS US NOT SEEING THE OTHER ACFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE THE VERY LARGE PATTERNS FLOWN BY MANY OF THE ACFT ARRIVING AT THIS FIELD. SINCE I DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT I DO NOT KNOW HOW HE ENTERED THE PATTERN. UNCTLED FIELDS REQUIRE EXTRA VIGILANCE. FLT INSTRUCTION ADDS SOME DISTR AND THE INSTRUCTOR MUST BE VERY CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL TFC IS SPOTTED ESPECIALLY IN THE TFC PATTERN.