Date: 202102
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Cessna 150
Operator: Personal
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: None
Mission: Training
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class E ZZZ
ATC / advisory: UNICOM ZZZ
Second aircraft: Mooney Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Reporter organization: Personal
Reporter function: Instructor; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Anomaly: Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: My student and I were returning to the home airport from the local practice area after a training flight. Since this was the student's 2nd training flight; I was explaining the correct traffic pattern entry and radio calls to him. I made the initial radio call 10 miles away from the airport and stated location; altitude and intentions. A short time later; a Mooney checked on to the CTAF and announced his location and intentions. I noted to myself that the Mooney was near us; but behind and decided to be vigilant. The wind favored landings on Runway XX that day; which meant that we would have to fly from the practice area to the northwest of the airport to an area southwest of the airport in order to make the 45 degree entry to the right traffic. I was a bit concerned as the student and I were flying in a Cessna 150 which is very slow and was worried about being overtaken by the faster Mooney as we both set up for the traffic pattern entry. I made my next radio call at a location approximately 4-5 miles northwest of the airport and stated that we intended to maneuver for the 45 degree entry to the traffic pattern. I also directed the student to descend to traffic pattern altitude. I continued to visually scan for the Mooney. Since I expected the Mooney to overtake us and since the right of way rules state that overtaking aircraft should pass on the right; I spent most of my time searching on our right. The pilot of the Mooney made a radio call and stated a position and distance from the airport that was very similar to ours. I became even more concerned about the possibility for a collision and made an additional radio call with our revised position and stated that we were in a Cessna 150; in an attempt to inform the Mooney pilot of our speed and the possibility for collision. The pilot of the Mooney made another radio call and stated his position; which was very similar to ours; 5 miles west of the airport. I became very concerned about the situation and began to aggressively scan for them. I didn't feel that it would be appropriate to divert towards the airport; as it would cause me to conflict with the traffic pattern. I also didn't feel that it would be appropriate to divert away from the airport; as I expected the Mooney to pass on the right. A very short time later; the Mooney passed by us on our left and slightly above us. It appeared to me that we were vertically separated by less than 200 feet and laterally separated by less than 200 feet.I realized after the fact; that I had allowed myself to continue into the possibility of a collision because I felt I had the right of way as the slower aircraft and because I did not want to cause my student an undue expense of maneuvering away from the airport. I noted that the other pilot made three radio calls that expressed essentially the same position and distance from the airport; yet I made no attempt to escape the situation. In the future; I will be more aggressive about maneuvering out of or away from potential traffic pattern conflicts.




Synopsis: Instructor Pilot reported a Near Mid Air Collision while on approach to landing.