Near midair collision between 2 small aircraft aircraft over a 'well used' VOR at low altitude.

Attributes
ACN	268377
Time
Date	199404
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mlb airport : mlv
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	enroute airway : cof
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 270 flight time type : 140
ASRS Report	268377
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was practicing holding over the melbourne VOR. I was under the hood, and my instructor was in the right seat. We were talking to patrick approach and we were being advised of traffic. My instructor looked behind the aircraft and to the left and there was an aircraft, cessna, flying towards us at our altitude. I did not see the aircraft until my instructor had taken the controls and placed us in a sleep descent to avoid the aircraft. Approach never mentioned that aircraft in our vicinity. By the time I saw the aircraft, he was approximately 2 seconds away from hitting our aircraft. Both aircraft were converging at strange angles -- it was luck that we saw them before we hit each other. The cessna continued its flight path after it passed directly over us. As if it never knew we were there. My instructor told approach that we had an aircraft flying around at our altitude, and approach responded 'roger.' I think my instructor did a great job of handling the situation, and he definitely saved my life, our observer's life, and his own life.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN 2 SMA ACFT OVER A 'WELL USED' VOR AT LOW ALT.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING HOLDING OVER THE MELBOURNE VOR. I WAS UNDER THE HOOD, AND MY INSTRUCTOR WAS IN THE R SEAT. WE WERE TALKING TO PATRICK APCH AND WE WERE BEING ADVISED OF TFC. MY INSTRUCTOR LOOKED BEHIND THE ACFT AND TO THE L AND THERE WAS AN ACFT, CESSNA, FLYING TOWARDS US AT OUR ALT. I DID NOT SEE THE ACFT UNTIL MY INSTRUCTOR HAD TAKEN THE CTLS AND PLACED US IN A SLEEP DSCNT TO AVOID THE ACFT. APCH NEVER MENTIONED THAT ACFT IN OUR VICINITY. BY THE TIME I SAW THE ACFT, HE WAS APPROX 2 SECONDS AWAY FROM HITTING OUR ACFT. BOTH ACFT WERE CONVERGING AT STRANGE ANGLES -- IT WAS LUCK THAT WE SAW THEM BEFORE WE HIT EACH OTHER. THE CESSNA CONTINUED ITS FLT PATH AFTER IT PASSED DIRECTLY OVER US. AS IF IT NEVER KNEW WE WERE THERE. MY INSTRUCTOR TOLD APCH THAT WE HAD AN ACFT FLYING AROUND AT OUR ALT, AND APCH RESPONDED 'ROGER.' I THINK MY INSTRUCTOR DID A GREAT JOB OF HANDLING THE SIT, AND HE DEFINITELY SAVED MY LIFE, OUR OBSERVER'S LIFE, AND HIS OWN LIFE.

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.