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Small aircraft atx 'X' attemps to lead a small aircraft 'Y' to a safer position closer to ak shore but is criticized by 'Y' for making close pass and interfering with 'Y's flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 136828 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199002 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : akn |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 136828 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 900 vertical : 50 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was flying about 5 mi west of the alaska peninsula, over the bering sea, at 7500', over a solid undercast, when I saw a plane several mi west of me and lower. I was curious as to what a plane would be doing that far from shore, so I altered my course toward the plane. When I got closer I identify the plane as a single-engine small aircraft Y. I attempted to contact the plane by radio but was unsuccessful. I surmised that the plane could possibly be having navigation problems, so I decided to pass the plane about a quarter mi to his left so he would notice me and signal if he needed assistance. Due to slight heading changes by one or both planes I was a little closer than my intended quarter mi, I estimate about 300 yards, when I passed. After passing the small aircraft Y I made a slight right turn so he could follow me toward shore if he needed to. Shortly after that the undercast started to break up and I felt he could visually determine his position and fly to a safer distance from shore. The small aircraft Y pilot felt that I was closer than 300 yards and that I had interfered with his flight. I feel that my plane's unexpected appearance affected his perception of the event, and that no far's were violated. I now see that it would have been prudent to have initiated visual contact from even farther than my intended quarter mi as some people seem to startle easily.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA ATX 'X' ATTEMPS TO LEAD A SMA 'Y' TO A SAFER POSITION CLOSER TO AK SHORE BUT IS CRITICIZED BY 'Y' FOR MAKING CLOSE PASS AND INTERFERING WITH 'Y'S FLT.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING ABOUT 5 MI W OF THE ALASKA PENINSULA, OVER THE BERING SEA, AT 7500', OVER A SOLID UNDERCAST, WHEN I SAW A PLANE SEVERAL MI W OF ME AND LOWER. I WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHAT A PLANE WOULD BE DOING THAT FAR FROM SHORE, SO I ALTERED MY COURSE TOWARD THE PLANE. WHEN I GOT CLOSER I IDENT THE PLANE AS A SINGLE-ENG SMA Y. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE PLANE BY RADIO BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I SURMISED THAT THE PLANE COULD POSSIBLY BE HAVING NAV PROBS, SO I DECIDED TO PASS THE PLANE ABOUT A QUARTER MI TO HIS L SO HE WOULD NOTICE ME AND SIGNAL IF HE NEEDED ASSISTANCE. DUE TO SLIGHT HDG CHANGES BY ONE OR BOTH PLANES I WAS A LITTLE CLOSER THAN MY INTENDED QUARTER MI, I ESTIMATE ABOUT 300 YARDS, WHEN I PASSED. AFTER PASSING THE SMA Y I MADE A SLIGHT R TURN SO HE COULD FOLLOW ME TOWARD SHORE IF HE NEEDED TO. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE UNDERCAST STARTED TO BREAK UP AND I FELT HE COULD VISUALLY DETERMINE HIS POS AND FLY TO A SAFER DISTANCE FROM SHORE. THE SMA Y PLT FELT THAT I WAS CLOSER THAN 300 YARDS AND THAT I HAD INTERFERED WITH HIS FLT. I FEEL THAT MY PLANE'S UNEXPECTED APPEARANCE AFFECTED HIS PERCEPTION OF THE EVENT, AND THAT NO FAR'S WERE VIOLATED. I NOW SEE THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT TO HAVE INITIATED VISUAL CONTACT FROM EVEN FARTHER THAN MY INTENDED QUARTER MI AS SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO STARTLE EASILY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.