This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
The event happened during a practice flight in my aircraft.
The purpose of the flight was to practice some checklist items subsequent to me finishing my instrument rating and to help my instructor maintain instrument currency.
The flight took place with my instructor (who at the time was not formally providing instruction) flying using a view limiting device from the right seat and me sitting in the left seat acting as safety pilot and pilot monitoring.
We were practicing the ILS 32 approach to Winchester Regional Airport (KOKV) in Virginia in VMC conditions.
We made numerous traffic calls, and at times would break off the practice to allow incoming traffic that was faster to come in without having to go around us.
We heard, among others, a single radio call from a Cirrus reporting a position near the field, and we determined that they would be no factor.
We continued the approach and I continued looking for traffic. We then saw a ADS-B return from the Cirrus very close to our position, and we immediately began looking for the traffic, and taking evasive action by side stepping to the right.
At the same time, a friend in an aircraft on the ground made a radio call warning us that it appeared that the Cirrus was “right on top of us” and to break off.
We then observed the Cirrus make several erratic maneuvers directly over the airport at or about traffic pattern altitude including a right (non standard) pattern, and an erratic entry to reenter the left downwind for Runway 32.
At least one other aircraft had to take evasive action.
After we verified that we were clear of conflict, we called the Cirrus on the radio but the pilot did not respond nor make any further radio calls.
There were at least three other aircraft in the pattern or vicinity of the airport at this time.
My instructor and I debriefed the incident and discussed the importance of situational awareness, communication in a busy pattern, and correct pattern entry procedures.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2009296
“a single radio call from a Cirrus reporting a position”. This to me is an example of what typically happens in or near the traffic pattern that may eventually lead to a conflict. What is the pilot going to do next? Is that going to become a conflict with other traffic? It’s confusing that the pilot could first determine there was no conflict but then shortly afterwards, find the Cirrus nearly on top of him. Maybe he should have queried the Cirrus pilot when he made the initial call so they could better coordinate their maneuvering.
Good example of the increasing perils associated with flying “practice approaches” in VMC, into a popular non-towered airport. Assume they were NOT monitoring/talking to Potomac Approach.
I think we’ve determined that relying on CTAF and ADS-B to avoid a traffic pattern MAC is
not the best strategy. Report doesn’t state when the CFI removed the ‘view limiting device’…hopefully early on.
KOKV has a published TPA of 2706 ft MSL for turboprop and jet aircraft & 1706 ft MSL for all other aircraft. Maybe the Cirrus driver just got confused?
Probable that when the pilot of the Cirrus made his single radio call, that he was NOT where he actually reported to be. Hence them believing that the Cirrus would not be a factor. I’ve found ADSB to be a useful tool but, not as reliable and/or immediate as we would like it to be. It’s merely another resource to assist with our visual scan.
Not to be critical, but it doesn’t sound like the ADS-B was particularly useful. First you heard him, determined no conflict, but didn’t see him. Then didn’t know he was on top of you but a guy on the ground did?
Agree. The fault, although very accentuated by the Cirrus, also has a contribution (and not a very tiny one) from the owner and instructor – “at the time was not formally providing instruction” – of the other aircraft.