Narrative:

It was just another normal instructional flight with primary flight students in the local practice area. After demonstrating MCA to the student, I handed the controls over to the student who performed clearing turns before entering the maneuver. My student rolled out on his point and initiated a power reduction. Fortunately, keeping his head outside, he noted traffic at 12 O'clock. I looked and there was another airplane, with no apparent relative motion at 500' and closing. I initiated a diving right turn to avoid a collision. After beginning evasive maneuvers in my airplane, the other pilot apparently saw me and also initiated a turn to (his) right. In the prescott area, there is a very high density of student training with 3 other flight schools just at prc. One school has its own air to air frequency which pilots are supposed to announce their positions while performing maneuvers. We were monitoring this frequency and had been announcing our position every 3-6 min. For the last hour and a half had been in the same relative position, the drake 320 degree right between 12 and 25 DME. There had been no other reported traffic at the time in the vicinity (20 degree radials). Because of an alert scan, my student brought to my attention this potential problem. It was only his fourth flight and he did not have the training, judgement, or experience (or aggressive personality) to take control of the situation himself. Because of its unique situation with nearly 60 airplanes flying at a time, the prescott area is an accident waiting to happen. Prc ATCT had no radar facs and ZAB is 'unable' to provide VFR flight following in our area below certain altitudes because of their workload. The only means of collision avoidance in this high density area is currently by transmitting positions by participating pilots. I think it is relatively clear and understood that the VFR see and avoid method doesn't always work (check the NTSB files). Fortunately, for me it did this time. I just don't want to be the casualty that brings radar to prc post mortem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA TRAINER HAD NMAC WITH ANOTHER SMA TRAINER.

Narrative: IT WAS JUST ANOTHER NORMAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLT WITH PRIMARY FLT STUDENTS IN THE LCL PRACTICE AREA. AFTER DEMONSTRATING MCA TO THE STUDENT, I HANDED THE CTLS OVER TO THE STUDENT WHO PERFORMED CLRING TURNS BEFORE ENTERING THE MANEUVER. MY STUDENT ROLLED OUT ON HIS POINT AND INITIATED A PWR REDUCTION. FORTUNATELY, KEEPING HIS HEAD OUTSIDE, HE NOTED TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK. I LOOKED AND THERE WAS ANOTHER AIRPLANE, WITH NO APPARENT RELATIVE MOTION AT 500' AND CLOSING. I INITIATED A DIVING R TURN TO AVOID A COLLISION. AFTER BEGINNING EVASIVE MANEUVERS IN MY AIRPLANE, THE OTHER PLT APPARENTLY SAW ME AND ALSO INITIATED A TURN TO (HIS) R. IN THE PRESCOTT AREA, THERE IS A VERY HIGH DENSITY OF STUDENT TRNING WITH 3 OTHER FLT SCHOOLS JUST AT PRC. ONE SCHOOL HAS ITS OWN AIR TO AIR FREQ WHICH PLTS ARE SUPPOSED TO ANNOUNCE THEIR POSITIONS WHILE PERFORMING MANEUVERS. WE WERE MONITORING THIS FREQ AND HAD BEEN ANNOUNCING OUR POS EVERY 3-6 MIN. FOR THE LAST HR AND A HALF HAD BEEN IN THE SAME RELATIVE POS, THE DRAKE 320 DEG R BTWN 12 AND 25 DME. THERE HAD BEEN NO OTHER RPTED TFC AT THE TIME IN THE VICINITY (20 DEG RADIALS). BECAUSE OF AN ALERT SCAN, MY STUDENT BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THIS POTENTIAL PROB. IT WAS ONLY HIS FOURTH FLT AND HE DID NOT HAVE THE TRNING, JUDGEMENT, OR EXPERIENCE (OR AGGRESSIVE PERSONALITY) TO TAKE CTL OF THE SITUATION HIMSELF. BECAUSE OF ITS UNIQUE SITUATION WITH NEARLY 60 AIRPLANES FLYING AT A TIME, THE PRESCOTT AREA IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. PRC ATCT HAD NO RADAR FACS AND ZAB IS 'UNABLE' TO PROVIDE VFR FLT FOLLOWING IN OUR AREA BELOW CERTAIN ALTS BECAUSE OF THEIR WORKLOAD. THE ONLY MEANS OF COLLISION AVOIDANCE IN THIS HIGH DENSITY AREA IS CURRENTLY BY XMITTING POSITIONS BY PARTICIPATING PLTS. I THINK IT IS RELATIVELY CLR AND UNDERSTOOD THAT THE VFR SEE AND AVOID METHOD DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK (CHK THE NTSB FILES). FORTUNATELY, FOR ME IT DID THIS TIME. I JUST DON'T WANT TO BE THE CASUALTY THAT BRINGS RADAR TO PRC POST MORTEM.

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.