Our pilot lives on a private airpark just south of Sacramento, CA. He purchased a PCAS XRX in the fall of 2006. The day it arrived he rushed out to his Bonanza and took off for a short 10 minute flight to Jackson, CA. Shortly after becoming airborne our pilot switched to Jackson’s CTAF when he heard another Bonanza announce that they were 10 miles northwest of Jackson and inbound for landing. Our pilot was about 10 miles to the west and likewise announced his location and intent to land. He contacted the other aircraft and in a brief radio dialogue it was determined that our pilot was actually about ½ mile closer to the airport than was the other Bonanza. They agreed that our pilot would enter the traffic pattern first and the other aircraft would follow. Both planes in turn diligently announced their positions directly over the airport and then soon after on the downwind.

Our pilot announced his turn to base and it was just as he was turning the XRX gave its audible tone alert and voice alerts. “Since it was brand new to me I hadn’t gotten accustomed to adding it to my scan” he states. Even though he was looking for other traffic through the windshield he hadn’t seen another airplane coming in from the north on a straight in approach. With the “monitor traffic” alert sounding he looked at the XRX and saw that the other aircraft was at his 2 o’clock position, less than a mile away, and heading straight for him. Our pilot immediately turned back to the downwind and the other airplane, now identified as a Cessna 182, passed about 300 feet off his left wing. The target 182 had been on a straight in approach and apparently not using his radios. Our pilot followed the Cessna and landed.

“At the fuel pumps I talked to the Cessna pilot and advised him of the near miss. I told him that either his radio wasn’t working or he wasn’t making announcements. In a nonchalant manner he said that he’d been talking to NorCal (Northern California) approach and they heard him fine.” Our pilot continues “He said we should have heard him on the CTAF frequency. I talked to the other Bonanza pilot and he confirmed that no transmissions had come from the Cessna. An almost-midair with an airplane at an uncontrolled field, on a straight in approach, and not communicating on the CTAF. Sound like a familiar story?”

Our pilot concludes “The bottom line to all of this is that without the XRX in my airplane we would have had a midair collision. I had been reluctant to spend the money for this device but my neighbor talked me into the purchase. I firmly believe that without the XRX I would be dead. Within 10 minutes of installation it saved my life. I now tell everyone who will listen that it’s the best money I’ve ever spent.”

Fly safe®.