Near midair collision. Unsolicited rendezvous join up.

Attributes
ACN	304583
Time
Date	199505
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-24 Turbo Comanche
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	304583
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 100 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying straight and level on a steady heading at 1200 ft MSL (1100 ft AGL) scanning for other aircraft. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, I noticed a commanche 250, tail number XXX, pass off my right wing from behind me at a very close proximity. This startled me and upset me so I proceeded to follow the plane and land behind him at linden airport. I confronted the pilot as he was getting out and asked him if he saw me at all. He said yes and went on to say he saw me the whole time and was 'just coming up to say hi.' I didn't know this man nor did I want his fly-by greeting. The next day, I called my local FSDO and filed a safety violation report. The gentleman I spoke to told me it would be difficult to hand down a violation in this case because no written regulation had been broken. He said 'unfortunately we can't regulate stupidity.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC. UNSOLICITED RENDEZVOUS JOIN UP.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL ON A STEADY HDG AT 1200 FT MSL (1100 FT AGL) SCANNING FOR OTHER ACFT. ALL OF A SUDDEN, OUT OF NOWHERE, I NOTICED A COMMANCHE 250, TAIL NUMBER XXX, PASS OFF MY R WING FROM BEHIND ME AT A VERY CLOSE PROX. THIS STARTLED ME AND UPSET ME SO I PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW THE PLANE AND LAND BEHIND HIM AT LINDEN ARPT. I CONFRONTED THE PLT AS HE WAS GETTING OUT AND ASKED HIM IF HE SAW ME AT ALL. HE SAID YES AND WENT ON TO SAY HE SAW ME THE WHOLE TIME AND WAS 'JUST COMING UP TO SAY HI.' I DIDN'T KNOW THIS MAN NOR DID I WANT HIS FLY-BY GREETING. THE NEXT DAY, I CALLED MY LCL FSDO AND FILED A SAFETY VIOLATION RPT. THE GENTLEMAN I SPOKE TO TOLD ME IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO HAND DOWN A VIOLATION IN THIS CASE BECAUSE NO WRITTEN REG HAD BEEN BROKEN. HE SAID 'UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T REGULATE STUPIDITY.'

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.