Narrative:

We had just dropped off passengers and our aircraft was to return to ugn, which is normally flown VFR northbound along the lake shore of lake michigan. Having departed cgx air traffic area to the north, the normal practice is to call nbu on 126.20 prior to the bahai temple which is about 6 mi southeast of the nbu airport. My copilot reported in to glenview that we were 1 mi south of the bahai temple northbound at 1800' MSL and that we were requesting clearance through the air traffic area to pass off their east side north along the lake shore going to waukegan, they cleared us as requested and made no other advisories to our aircraft. Seconds later another aircraft reported that he was now east of glenview and at that point glenview told the pilot only that he was to report clear southeast, I then realized that this aircraft might be heading, head on at our aircraft. As my copilot began to try to ask the controller where this guy was to the east of glenview a third aircraft checked onto the frequency tying up the frequency, the back of my mind told me that the bulk of traffic in this area makeup mostly single engine aircraft who traverse the area, do so along the shoreline in order to meet engine failure gliding distance to shore requirements. I began a steep turn to the right to about a 040 degree heading thinking that if I was right this aircraft would pass off our left wing. As I leveled my wings now heading northeast a small aircraft did indeed pass off my left side at about our same altitude about 300' away, I do not believe he ever saw us or at least he never indicated to the tower that he did when he called clear. My copilot looked at me and just stared in total disbelief, 'never was so much said west/O a single word being spoken.' finally he asked 'how bad should I ream this guy...?' I thought for a moment and said let's wait and make a phone call. I can still not believe that this controller did not report my position as a possible conflict to the other aircraft or that his position was not reported to me. I did make a phone call and talked to an operations chief by the name of mr X. He stated that glenview does a lot of training but would follow up on our conversation with those parties involved and asked if I would like to pursue the matter, I declined. I did explain to mr X that I would complete a NASA report and that I would recommend the following to enhance safety and reduce the chances of a midair collision along the shores of lake michigan. The chicago area VFR terminal area chart be changed and the notation added to state that all hi performance aircraft operating VFR along the lake shore under the chicago TCA operate at least 3 mi away from the shore line over the water to reduce conflict with smaller slower single engine aircraft that hug the shore line north and southbound. That a special symbol be added to all VFR sectional charts and to all instrument approachs procedures charts to advise pilots that the tower being used is also a training facility for controllers. This symbol could be noted right next to the tower frequency in the form of a small cross etc. Note' flight instrs currently instruct student pilots to advise controllers of their inexperience by telling controllers that they are student pilots. Pilots knowing that a facility such as glenview is a training facility could now extend more consideration and be forwarned that the controller is also inexperienced. Pilots cancelling IFR flight and proceeding VFR under the chicago TCA from the east side of the lake should be encourged to contact the appropriate tower at least 30 NM out to allow better sequencing of traffic into air traffic area whether it be mdw ugn nbu pwk or ugn.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CGA ACFT REPORTS NMAC WITH SMA.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST DROPPED OFF PAXS AND OUR ACFT WAS TO RETURN TO UGN, WHICH IS NORMALLY FLOWN VFR NBND ALONG THE LAKE SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN. HAVING DEPARTED CGX ATA TO THE N, THE NORMAL PRACTICE IS TO CALL NBU ON 126.20 PRIOR TO THE BAHAI TEMPLE WHICH IS ABOUT 6 MI SE OF THE NBU ARPT. MY COPLT RPTED IN TO GLENVIEW THAT WE WERE 1 MI S OF THE BAHAI TEMPLE NBND AT 1800' MSL AND THAT WE WERE REQUESTING CLRNC THROUGH THE ATA TO PASS OFF THEIR E SIDE N ALONG THE LAKE SHORE GOING TO WAUKEGAN, THEY CLRED US AS REQUESTED AND MADE NO OTHER ADVISORIES TO OUR ACFT. SECS LATER ANOTHER ACFT RPTED THAT HE WAS NOW E OF GLENVIEW AND AT THAT POINT GLENVIEW TOLD THE PLT ONLY THAT HE WAS TO RPT CLR SE, I THEN REALIZED THAT THIS ACFT MIGHT BE HDG, HEAD ON AT OUR ACFT. AS MY COPLT BEGAN TO TRY TO ASK THE CTLR WHERE THIS GUY WAS TO THE E OF GLENVIEW A THIRD ACFT CHKED ONTO THE FREQ TYING UP THE FREQ, THE BACK OF MY MIND TOLD ME THAT THE BULK OF TFC IN THIS AREA MAKEUP MOSTLY SINGLE ENG ACFT WHO TRAVERSE THE AREA, DO SO ALONG THE SHORELINE IN ORDER TO MEET ENG FAILURE GLIDING DISTANCE TO SHORE REQUIREMENTS. I BEGAN A STEEP TURN TO THE R TO ABOUT A 040 DEG HDG THINKING THAT IF I WAS R THIS ACFT WOULD PASS OFF OUR L WING. AS I LEVELED MY WINGS NOW HDG NE A SMALL ACFT DID INDEED PASS OFF MY L SIDE AT ABOUT OUR SAME ALT ABOUT 300' AWAY, I DO NOT BELIEVE HE EVER SAW US OR AT LEAST HE NEVER INDICATED TO THE TWR THAT HE DID WHEN HE CALLED CLR. MY COPLT LOOKED AT ME AND JUST STARED IN TOTAL DISBELIEF, 'NEVER WAS SO MUCH SAID W/O A SINGLE WORD BEING SPOKEN.' FINALLY HE ASKED 'HOW BAD SHOULD I REAM THIS GUY...?' I THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT AND SAID LET'S WAIT AND MAKE A PHONE CALL. I CAN STILL NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS CTLR DID NOT RPT MY POS AS A POSSIBLE CONFLICT TO THE OTHER ACFT OR THAT HIS POS WAS NOT RPTED TO ME. I DID MAKE A PHONE CALL AND TALKED TO AN OPS CHIEF BY THE NAME OF MR X. HE STATED THAT GLENVIEW DOES A LOT OF TRAINING BUT WOULD FOLLOW UP ON OUR CONVERSATION WITH THOSE PARTIES INVOLVED AND ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE THE MATTER, I DECLINED. I DID EXPLAIN TO MR X THAT I WOULD COMPLETE A NASA RPT AND THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING TO ENHANCE SAFETY AND REDUCE THE CHANCES OF A MIDAIR COLLISION ALONG THE SHORES OF LAKE MICHIGAN. THE CHICAGO AREA VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART BE CHANGED AND THE NOTATION ADDED TO STATE THAT ALL HI PERFORMANCE ACFT OPERATING VFR ALONG THE LAKE SHORE UNDER THE CHICAGO TCA OPERATE AT LEAST 3 MI AWAY FROM THE SHORE LINE OVER THE WATER TO REDUCE CONFLICT WITH SMALLER SLOWER SINGLE ENG ACFT THAT HUG THE SHORE LINE N AND SBND. THAT A SPECIAL SYMBOL BE ADDED TO ALL VFR SECTIONAL CHARTS AND TO ALL INSTRUMENT APCHS PROCS CHARTS TO ADVISE PLTS THAT THE TWR BEING USED IS ALSO A TRNING FAC FOR CTLRS. THIS SYMBOL COULD BE NOTED R NEXT TO THE TWR FREQ IN THE FORM OF A SMALL CROSS ETC. NOTE' FLT INSTRS CURRENTLY INSTRUCT STUDENT PLTS TO ADVISE CTLRS OF THEIR INEXPERIENCE BY TELLING CTLRS THAT THEY ARE STUDENT PLTS. PLTS KNOWING THAT A FAC SUCH AS GLENVIEW IS A TRNING FAC COULD NOW EXTEND MORE CONSIDERATION AND BE FORWARNED THAT THE CTLR IS ALSO INEXPERIENCED. PLTS CANCELLING IFR FLT AND PROCEEDING VFR UNDER THE CHICAGO TCA FROM THE E SIDE OF THE LAKE SHOULD BE ENCOURGED TO CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE TWR AT LEAST 30 NM OUT TO ALLOW BETTER SEQUENCING OF TFC INTO ATA WHETHER IT BE MDW UGN NBU PWK OR UGN.

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.