SMT ON IFR APCH TO UNCONTROLLED ARPT SAW SMA PASS OVERHEAD IN VERY CLSOE PROX JUST AS THE SMT CLEARED THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS.
Synopsis
SMT ON IFR APCH TO UNCONTROLLED ARPT SAW SMA PASS OVERHEAD IN VERY CLSOE PROX JUST AS THE SMT CLEARED THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS.
Narrative
LCL IFR CONDITIONS. ON LOC RWY 36 APCH OCF; APPROX 2 1/2-3 MI S OF OCF. PASSED OM INBND. STARTED DSCNT TO 620' MSL; MINIMUMS. BROKE OUT OF CEILING AT 820' MSL; CONCURRENT WITH '200 ABOVE MINIMUMS' CALL BY COPLT. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING CALL; CREW GLIMPSED AN SMA Y GO OVERHEAD IN BASE OF THE CLOUDS; EBND IN A DSCNT; PERPENDICULAR TO OUR FLT PATH. SMA Y THEN MADE A HARD LEFT TURN (I GUESS TO GET A LOOK AT US). THEN WE LOST SIGHT OF THEM AS WE CONTINUED INBND WITH RWY IN SIGHT. LANDED W/O INCIDENT. SMA Y HAD CROSSED OVERHEAD AT NO MORE THAN 30' ABOVE US. WE DID NOT GET ITS N #. WE WERE STILL IN VOICE CONTACT WITH ZJX; BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE US (OR THE OTHER ACFT) ON RADAR DUE TO OUR ALT. WE WERE STILL ON IFR SQUAWK. IF ACFT HAD BEEN SPOTTED A SECOND OR 2 EARLIER AND EVASIVE ACTION INITIATED ON OUR PART; I BELIEVE A COLLISION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED AS MOST ANY ACTION WOULD HAVE RAISED SOME PORTION OF OUR ACFT INTO THE SMA Y FLT PATH. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS ANY FAULT OR DEVIATION FROM STANDARD PRACTICES OR INSTRUMENT PROCS BY MYSELF; MY COPLT OR ZJX. I FEEL (AS DOES MY COMPANY FLT DEPT) THAT A MVFR-IFR SITUATION AT OCF IS RATHER DANGEROUS DUE TO THE CLOSE PROX OF SEVERAL GRASS ARPTS TO THE LOC 36 APCH. PLT ON THE GND AT OCF HAD OBSERVED SMA Y CIRCLING IN THE AREA SW OF OCF. RPT WAS FILED BY ME OVER THE TELEPHONE WITH GAINESVILLE FSS SUPVR. I CAN ONLY SPECULATE ON THE EXTREME LEVEL OF STUPIDITY OF A PLT WHO WOULD FLY AROUND IN THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS IN THE AREA OF AN INSTRUMENT APCH FAC. MAYBE HE WAS LOST; BUT THERE WAS PLENTY OF VFR WX IN THE AREA. HE CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN WHERE HE WAS FOR ANY REASON. HE ABOUT SENT 9 ON OUR ACFT TO THE GREAT BEYOND!
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.