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Small aircraft descends to maintain VFR with lowered ceiling, has near midair collision with another small aircraft below, does evasive action climb thus penetrating cloud, and requests ATC assistance to return to VMC conditions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 142258 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199004 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : oak |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 1800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : oak |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time total : 770 flight time type : 650 |
| ASRS Report | 142258 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While descending in small aircraft X to maintain VFR conditions under an area of locally lowered ceiling, another small aircraft Y was observed passing below in the same direction. Pulling up to avoid that aircraft while turning slightly to maintain visibility contact with that aircraft resulted in inadvertent entry into the clouds. The climb was continued and bay TRACON was contacted immediately. A descent to VFR conditions was provided after some initial confusion wherein approach control offered an ILS to sjc. This confusion was probably caused in part by the first option given by bay approach having been the approach, instead of a simple descent to VFR. This confusion might have been avoided if the first option offered by approach had been a descent to VFR instead of the approach. I am now working with a cfii to determine what sort of stricter than basic VFR conditions I should observe to prevent this possibility.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA DESCENDS TO MAINTAIN VFR WITH LOWERED CEILING, HAS NMAC WITH ANOTHER SMA BELOW, DOES EVASIVE ACTION CLIMB THUS PENETRATING CLOUD, AND REQUESTS ATC ASSISTANCE TO RETURN TO VMC CONDITIONS.
Narrative: WHILE DSNDING IN SMA X TO MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS UNDER AN AREA OF LOCALLY LOWERED CEILING, ANOTHER SMA Y WAS OBSERVED PASSING BELOW IN THE SAME DIRECTION. PULLING UP TO AVOID THAT ACFT WHILE TURNING SLIGHTLY TO MAINTAIN VIS CONTACT WITH THAT ACFT RESULTED IN INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO THE CLOUDS. THE CLB WAS CONTINUED AND BAY TRACON WAS CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY. A DSNT TO VFR CONDITIONS WAS PROVIDED AFTER SOME INITIAL CONFUSION WHEREIN APCH CTL OFFERED AN ILS TO SJC. THIS CONFUSION WAS PROBABLY CAUSED IN PART BY THE FIRST OPTION GIVEN BY BAY APCH HAVING BEEN THE APCH, INSTEAD OF A SIMPLE DSNT TO VFR. THIS CONFUSION MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE FIRST OPTION OFFERED BY APCH HAD BEEN A DSNT TO VFR INSTEAD OF THE APCH. I AM NOW WORKING WITH A CFII TO DETERMINE WHAT SORT OF STRICTER THAN BASIC VFR CONDITIONS I SHOULD OBSERVE TO PREVENT THIS POSSIBILITY.
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.