Georgetown, TX - MIDAIR Collision

There were two aircraft involved - not just one. Apparently no radios were
involved. I would not place the blame on one pilot.


"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...
"Nasir" wrote in message
. com...
Georgetown is a very busy field. On clear days, its an excersize to fit
yourself into the pattern because there are so many in already.

For an FAA control tower, simple being "a very busy field" is
insufficient.
We have several "very busy fields" in the Washington Puget Sound area --
Arlington, Harvey Field in Snohomish, and Bremerton to name a few -- but
none are busy enough to justify a control tower, even though at those
airports on clear days "its [sic] an excersize [sic] to fit yourself into
the pattern".

As with many accidents, there are a number of things that COULD have
prevented the accident. But that doesn't mean that all of those things
should be implemented. After all, the accident could have been prevented
by
shutting down the airport. I doubt the folks there want that to happen,
right?

The real problem is that the pilot of the Extra wasn't paying attention to
the airspace in front of him. Trying to use this accident as an excuse to
build a control tower makes no more sense than if the neighbors tried to
use
the accident as an excuse to shut down the airport.

Pete

"Richard Hertz" wrote in message
. net...
There were two aircraft involved - not just one.

The firsthand report unequivocably puts the pilot of the Extra as being at
fault.

Apparently no radios were involved.

Radios are a useful tool, as an addition to the normal see-and-avoid. Lack
of use of the radios in no way shows fault on either pilot's part.

I would not place the blame on one pilot.

Your choice. But I would.

Pete

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message ...

I would not place the blame on one pilot.

Your choice. But I would.

Pete

FAR 91.113 (g)
Landing. Aircraft, while on final approach to land or while landing,
have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight or operating on
the surface, except that they shall not take advantage of this rule to
force an aircraft off the runway surface which has already landed and
is attempting to
make way for an aircraft on final approach. When two or more aircraft
are approaching an airport for the purpose of landing, the aircraft at
the lower altitude has the right-of-way, but it shall not take
advantage of this rule to cut in front of another which is on final
approach to land or to overtake
that aircraft.


One problem I see is a lot of pilots don't like to use the radios.
They would rather fly 50 miles out of thier way than call a class B
controller and ask permission to fly through their airspace.

Another problem with uncontrolled fields is when someone is practicing
instrument approaches. For instance, if someone is using the localizer
approach doing a straight into the landing runway and gives position
reports like "Georgetown traffic, Cessna xxxxx, final for runway 26
VOR-A". To a non-IFR pilot this gives them little information.

My final pet peeve is pilots (at least around here) that don't like to
talk to other pilots that are in the same traffic pattern (at a
uncontrolled field). Most of the time these pilots make position
reports but then "turn off their ears" while they complete landing
checklists. If I'm in the pattern with another pilot that has just
made a position report, I like to say "OK 38Alpha, I have you in
sight" or "38Alpha, we are both 3 miles out from the airport for
runway 26 and I don't see you. I'll slow down a little and let you
join the pattern. Please let me know when your established on downwind
than I'll enter the 45 for downwind for runway 26". This establishes
a two way dialogue with the other pilot and he/she will then be more
likely to "remember" there is another plane near them.

As for Farmer Joe that won't use his radio cause he hasen't seen
another aircraft in the past hour is a lost cause.

Richard Hertz wrote:

I would not place the blame on one pilot.

I would. It's clearly the fault of the pilot of the Extra.

George Patterson
I childproofed my house, but they *still* get in.