 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Near midair collision between a sel small aircraft low wing circling 200 ft above an uncontrolled airport traffic pattern and a cessna 172 passing 200 ft below the reporter.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 468480 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200004 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : wea.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : holding cruise : level |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 2270 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 468480 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was flying from mineral wells (west of incident) to a location just a few mi northeast of parker county airport to view some property from the air. En route, I was communicating with another aircraft in the pattern at parker county, and was scanning for other traffic. The spot I wanted to view was about where an aircraft would be turning downwind-base, so I was trying to keep a good lookout, and remained at 2000 ft MSL (tpa for parker county is 1800 ft MSL). Just as I neared the point I wanted to see I saw a cessna (172?) below me and on my right side traveling north. Somehow I had missed seeing this aircraft until the last second, and fortunately it passed harmlessly under me by about 200 ft, maybe more. I instinctively pulled up a little, but it would have been too late if we had been at the same altitude. I do not know if he/she saw me. There was no visible evasive action there either, and nothing on the radio. They did have the right of way, for what that's worth. I had been alert, but now I am wide awake. It would have been a classic cavu collision, with me in the wreckage. I have a few thoughts on this one: 1) I will avoid high traffic areas. If near an airport, I will provide more vertical clearance in the future. 2) right of way is not worth much if the other person doesn't see you. 3) I'm still not sure how I missed seeing this one, perhaps a blind spot was contributing. I was looking exactly where it was. 4) I'm glad I'm here to write this report. 5) the nagging question: would I have seen it if at my altitude? Probably I was mostly scanning the horizon. But the question still nags.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NMAC BTWN A SEL SMA LOW WING CIRCLING 200 FT ABOVE AN UNCTLED ARPT TFC PATTERN AND A CESSNA 172 PASSING 200 FT BELOW THE RPTR.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM MINERAL WELLS (W OF INCIDENT) TO A LOCATION JUST A FEW MI NE OF PARKER COUNTY ARPT TO VIEW SOME PROPERTY FROM THE AIR. ENRTE, I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN AT PARKER COUNTY, AND WAS SCANNING FOR OTHER TFC. THE SPOT I WANTED TO VIEW WAS ABOUT WHERE AN ACFT WOULD BE TURNING DOWNWIND-BASE, SO I WAS TRYING TO KEEP A GOOD LOOKOUT, AND REMAINED AT 2000 FT MSL (TPA FOR PARKER COUNTY IS 1800 FT MSL). JUST AS I NEARED THE POINT I WANTED TO SEE I SAW A CESSNA (172?) BELOW ME AND ON MY R SIDE TRAVELING N. SOMEHOW I HAD MISSED SEEING THIS ACFT UNTIL THE LAST SECOND, AND FORTUNATELY IT PASSED HARMLESSLY UNDER ME BY ABOUT 200 FT, MAYBE MORE. I INSTINCTIVELY PULLED UP A LITTLE, BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO LATE IF WE HAD BEEN AT THE SAME ALT. I DO NOT KNOW IF HE/SHE SAW ME. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE EVASIVE ACTION THERE EITHER, AND NOTHING ON THE RADIO. THEY DID HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, FOR WHAT THAT'S WORTH. I HAD BEEN ALERT, BUT NOW I AM WIDE AWAKE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CLASSIC CAVU COLLISION, WITH ME IN THE WRECKAGE. I HAVE A FEW THOUGHTS ON THIS ONE: 1) I WILL AVOID HIGH TFC AREAS. IF NEAR AN ARPT, I WILL PROVIDE MORE VERT CLRNC IN THE FUTURE. 2) RIGHT OF WAY IS NOT WORTH MUCH IF THE OTHER PERSON DOESN'T SEE YOU. 3) I'M STILL NOT SURE HOW I MISSED SEEING THIS ONE, PERHAPS A BLIND SPOT WAS CONTRIBUTING. I WAS LOOKING EXACTLY WHERE IT WAS. 4) I'M GLAD I'M HERE TO WRITE THIS RPT. 5) THE NAGGING QUESTION: WOULD I HAVE SEEN IT IF AT MY ALT? PROBABLY I WAS MOSTLY SCANNING THE HORIZON. BUT THE QUESTION STILL NAGS.
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.