Amateur/Home Built/Experimental
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20; Flight Crew Total 550; Flight Crew Type 50
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Conflict NMAC
Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
I was involved in a mid-air near miss on approach to Runway 30 at Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland. I was flying into my home base of Frederick; MD after a .5 hour sightseeing flight from the South West at about 2;500 MSL. I made a radio call to the tower prior to entering class D airspace with my position; altitude and intentions. I was instructed to call 3 miles advanced of a left downwind entry for 30. A few moments later; [another aircraft] called 8 miles South of the field inbound for landing. He received the same instruction I did (3 miles call prior to downwind entry to 30). I made my call as instructed and received 'not in sight; cleared to land.' The [other] pilot then called in 2 miles south; received a #2 for the runway and relayed that he did not have me in sight. I gave my position as on left downwind abeam the arrival end of runway 30. The pilot of the Socata replied that he was 'searching'. It turns out; the [other] pilot was East of the field and was making a straight in approach for 30; and my turn from base to final approach put us on a collision course. The tower had the [other] pilot execute an evasive 360 turn to the right. He completed this turn in less than 40 seconds; rolled out of the turn on short final and I was then issued an expeditious runway exit instruction from the tower. I felt that the pilot's aggressive maneuvering; incorrect position reporting; and lack of judgment on entering a final approach vector as #2 with no visual contact with traffic ahead were contributing factors. My failure to identify the aircraft prior to the evasive instruction was also a contributing factor. Although I contacted the tower on my own accord after the event; I feel that this incident should have required a debrief for both pilots involved.
A pilot reported a near mid air collision when another aircraft reported an incorrect location and failure by both pilots and ATC to identify the conflict.