Near midair collision in MVFR conditions.

Attributes
ACN	123248
Time
Date	198909
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 7300
ASRS Report	123248
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	unspecified : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was returning from a patient pickup to my home base hospital in ZZZ, when an small aircraft came out of my 11 O'clock position at my altitude on a collision course. As soon as I saw the aircraft, I banked my aircraft hard left and dove. I estimate we missed by 200'. The small aircraft seemed not to see me until we had passed, then I noticed he went into a slight left bank. No damage to my aircraft or crew members occurred. The small aircraft approached me in a blind spot in my window due to center post and wipers of the wind screen. Visibility was 3-6 mi with haze and fog mixed with light rain. I was too low to be on approach control due to cloud layer, I was flight following with my hospital dispatcher. Since both aircraft were closing upon each other at 150 mph+, that only allowed each of us 1 min to locate and identify the possible danger and take corrective action. Situation occurred due to related factors stated above and although I was constantly scanning for aircraft while performing my cockpit checks and navigation checks, more physical movement to different head positions while scanning may help prevent such an occurrence in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC IN MVFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM A PATIENT PICKUP TO MY HOME BASE HOSPITAL IN ZZZ, WHEN AN SMA CAME OUT OF MY 11 O'CLOCK POSITION AT MY ALT ON A COLLISION COURSE. AS SOON AS I SAW THE ACFT, I BANKED MY ACFT HARD LEFT AND DOVE. I ESTIMATE WE MISSED BY 200'. THE SMA SEEMED NOT TO SEE ME UNTIL WE HAD PASSED, THEN I NOTICED HE WENT INTO A SLIGHT LEFT BANK. NO DAMAGE TO MY ACFT OR CREW MEMBERS OCCURRED. THE SMA APCHED ME IN A BLIND SPOT IN MY WINDOW DUE TO CENTER POST AND WIPERS OF THE WIND SCREEN. VISIBILITY WAS 3-6 MI WITH HAZE AND FOG MIXED WITH LIGHT RAIN. I WAS TOO LOW TO BE ON APCH CTL DUE TO CLOUD LAYER, I WAS FLT FOLLOWING WITH MY HOSPITAL DISPATCHER. SINCE BOTH ACFT WERE CLOSING UPON EACH OTHER AT 150 MPH+, THAT ONLY ALLOWED EACH OF US 1 MIN TO LOCATE AND IDENTIFY THE POSSIBLE DANGER AND TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. SITUATION OCCURRED DUE TO RELATED FACTORS STATED ABOVE AND ALTHOUGH I WAS CONSTANTLY SCANNING FOR ACFT WHILE PERFORMING MY COCKPIT CHECKS AND NAVIGATION CHECKS, MORE PHYSICAL MOVEMENT TO DIFFERENT HEAD POSITIONS WHILE SCANNING MAY HELP PREVENT SUCH AN OCCURRENCE IN THE FUTURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.