Narrative:

The student and I were on the second leg of a 3 leg training flight to uncontrolled and unfamiliar airports (very familiar to me). We were climbing out on an en route climb when I noticed the student staring at our 1-2 O'clock position. When I looked to see what he was looking at, we were very close, simultaneously I closed the throttle and pushed the yoke all the way forward. I did not have time to bank the aircraft, besides I wanted to keep him in sight. The other aircraft was an small aircraft Y white with black stripes. This is one of those instances where no one is to blame, aircraft just naturally converge on airports, in other words we were both well within our rights to be where we were. Did the other guy announce himself on the CTAF frequency? I do not know, I never heard him if he did. Maybe he did not even have a radio. One of my other thoughts was why did my student not say something about the conflict? I asked and he said he did not think it would be a conflict. As for the factors affecting performance, the student is 72 yrs old and after this incident I am convinced that maybe his eye sight and inability to react just may cost him and/or others their lives. I, the instructor, must not situation down and really evaluate as to whether or not this man should really be flying. He has a third class medical with limitations for the use of glasses, but I don't think he sees well enough to be a safe pilot. As for me, I have excellent eye sight, but not everyone sees all the traffic all of the time. I might have been too relaxed and not looking hard enough, I don't know.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX 2 GA SMA ACFT IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE.

Narrative: THE STUDENT AND I WERE ON THE SECOND LEG OF A 3 LEG TRAINING FLT TO UNCTLED AND UNFAMILIAR ARPTS (VERY FAMILIAR TO ME). WE WERE CLBING OUT ON AN ENRTE CLB WHEN I NOTICED THE STUDENT STARING AT OUR 1-2 O'CLOCK POS. WHEN I LOOKED TO SEE WHAT HE WAS LOOKING AT, WE WERE VERY CLOSE, SIMULTANEOUSLY I CLOSED THE THROTTLE AND PUSHED THE YOKE ALL THE WAY FORWARD. I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO BANK THE ACFT, BESIDES I WANTED TO KEEP HIM IN SIGHT. THE OTHER ACFT WAS AN SMA Y WHITE WITH BLACK STRIPES. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES WHERE NO ONE IS TO BLAME, ACFT JUST NATURALLY CONVERGE ON ARPTS, IN OTHER WORDS WE WERE BOTH WELL WITHIN OUR RIGHTS TO BE WHERE WE WERE. DID THE OTHER GUY ANNOUNCE HIMSELF ON THE CTAF FREQ? I DO NOT KNOW, I NEVER HEARD HIM IF HE DID. MAYBE HE DID NOT EVEN HAVE A RADIO. ONE OF MY OTHER THOUGHTS WAS WHY DID MY STUDENT NOT SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE CONFLICT? I ASKED AND HE SAID HE DID NOT THINK IT WOULD BE A CONFLICT. AS FOR THE FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE, THE STUDENT IS 72 YRS OLD AND AFTER THIS INCIDENT I AM CONVINCED THAT MAYBE HIS EYE SIGHT AND INABILITY TO REACT JUST MAY COST HIM AND/OR OTHERS THEIR LIVES. I, THE INSTRUCTOR, MUST NOT SIT DOWN AND REALLY EVALUATE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS MAN SHOULD REALLY BE FLYING. HE HAS A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL WITH LIMITATIONS FOR THE USE OF GLASSES, BUT I DON'T THINK HE SEES WELL ENOUGH TO BE A SAFE PLT. AS FOR ME, I HAVE EXCELLENT EYE SIGHT, BUT NOT EVERYONE SEES ALL THE TFC ALL OF THE TIME. I MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO RELAXED AND NOT LOOKING HARD ENOUGH, I DON'T KNOW.

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.