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.
After we were done with the flight maneuvers we headed back to the airport.
The CTAF was very congested/crowded that day. On top of that, some people started talking about what type of aircraft each other has on the frequency (it was from another airport in the area that uses the same frequency for CTAF).
The wind was calm according to the airport AWOS, so I decided to use Runway 15. I managed to find a short period to announce my position about 5 miles to join the downwind.
At the same time there was Aircraft X on the ground taxiing to use Runway 33 for takeoff.
I announced my downwind, but I did not hear Aircraft X make a radio call on the ground (most likely due to the crowded radio).
Because of the amount of communication going on over CTAF, and also because I was trying to give some instructions on configuring the aircraft for landing, I neglected to check the airport to see if there was any movement (the Aircraft X taxiing).
I turned base as normal, then final, and when I saw that Aircraft X was already airborne in climb and heading directly at me about 500 feet away, I turned right and lowered the nose to avoid a collision and performed a go-around.
I then heard the first radio call from Aircraft X after the conversation by the people from the other airport stopped. Aircraft X climbed and left the area to northeast.
We switched to Runway 33 and landed safely.
About 30 minutes later the same Aircraft X returned and landed at the airport. I approached him to hear his side of the story.
To my surprise he was very apologetic. He said he only heard my first radio call (5 miles downwind) but not any of my other calls after that. He agreed with me that the CTAF was crowded at that time and it was difficult to make our position calls.
He knew I was coming in but since I was in a small aircraft he assumed it would take us a while to get into the pattern. He did not look at the traffic pattern for me and proceeded to takeoff.
Fortunately, he also saw me on final as he climbed and gave way to the right at the same time I saw him.
Contributing Factors: Congested CTAF.
Complacency of both pilots not to visually check for traffic.
Perfect VFR weather (heavy traffic).
Corrective actions: Each aircraft yielded to the right as soon as the conflict was detected.
Visually check for traffic on the runway and in the air.
Use CTAF only for necessary communications.
Primary Problem: Environment-Non-Weather-Related
ACN: 2167933
When you click on the link it will take you to the ASRS Online Database. Click on Report Number and put the ACN in the search box, then click Search. On that page, click on “view only the 1 most recent report.”
Too many pilot of the proverbial “fat ,dumb & happys ” who have not had sufficient tuition under well experienced instructors past the diaper stage of their careers , need the most experienced ones ‘s first in their initial instruction. Too often abinitio students are entrusted to abinito instructors when they should be introduced to flying by mature flying instructors, not newbies just in the instruction scene to build hours as a stepping stone to an ATPL. The initially learned techniques whether it’s look out or landing etc are what the student will almost ALWAYS instinctively fall back on when under stress. The MOST competent & experienced instructors are needed in the initial stages of pilot training to improve the lack of adherance to the essentials of safe flying.
Paul.
Every commentor has been unknowingly involved to some degree with pattern traffic they never saw nor heard. Traffic patterns are more of a derby than a pattern.
The biggest safety problem is overlap from too many airports using the same frequencies in the same areas. The FAA needs to make more 720ch CATF frequencies available to prevent conflicts, ie: 122.800 should have 122.825 or 122.850 or 122.875 available for multiple airports in the same areas, you get the idea.
This is a constant problem in certain areas, especially those with lots of flight training occurring with frequency blocking from other CATF airports causing significant safety problems. It is a wonder there are not more close encounters between aircraft due to these frequency issues not being addressed by the FAA!
CTAF yeah, yeah I know dug!!!
CATF is commander amphibious task force HOWEVER in aviation it is CTAF common traffic advisory frequency…this is what these two pilots were monitoring at this airport.
Two aircraft, at least three sets of eyes and no one looking for traffic…
“” some people started talking about what type of aircraft each other has on the frequency “”
Uh, ya mean something along the lines of: “Red Skyhawk” or “Blue Cherokee” or “White Pilatus”?
THAT is intentional for others to gauge performance characteristics and to what to look for. They Should be broadcasting that vs Registration Number or callsign (neither of which means anything to someone somewhere else). That isn’t virtue signaling.
If you mean: ” I have an orange Scrappy that I bought from Mike 2 months ago because I was in love with his products and wanted to impress my girlfriend” — Yeah, THAT is totally uncalled for.
The n-number does mean quite a bit. First it’s required by the FCC. The FAA wants pilots to use it per the AIM. How else are you going to find the pilot of an airplane, in case you need to for whatever reason.
This is a good illustration why the FAA & FCC need to free up more frequencies for CTAF use, instead of just eight or so out of the 760 freq’s available.
Having two or more busy airports on the same frequency, esp if they share the same runway numbers, is a recipe for missed calls.
This incident clearly screams…???
/1/ Stick to ‘standard pattern procedures’… go with the established flow… NEVER-EVER against the flow.
/2/Turn on all nav, anti-collision, landing lights… to look like a Christmas tree taxiing and flying in areas of high density or possible high-density.
Exactly what my Dad taught me… 55-years ago with unreliable radios.
Curious what the “established flow” was at the incident airport?
IMHO more of a failure to see and avoid, where the departing aircraft didn’t see the landing aircraft.
I agree what Wk Taylor said, he knew the other guy was using the opposite runway but he still kept going to the one he wanted to use, or that’s the way I understood it.
Ought to tell those other pilots CATF is not CB channel 19.
“CATF.” I heard this in the movie, didn’t know what it meant, but a buddy of mine in the Navy explained it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ibi1KkaSsLY
CATF is commander amphibious task force HOWEVER in aviation it is CTAF common traffic advisory frequency…this is what these two pilots were monitoring at this airport.