A C172 student pilot has an near midair collision with a descending, turning C185 and during his eva...

Attributes
ACN	537473
Time
Date	200202
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 005.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 4200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : suu.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skywagon 185
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 59 flight time type : 54
ASRS Report	537473
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Facility
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on a solo cross country as a student pilot, I was climbing out of davis, ca, en route to redding. I had previously filed a VFR flight plan with FSS rancho murieta. That plan had been revised multiple times due to WX. Immediately after takeoff, I contacted rancho FSS to activate the flight plan. I was informed that the flight plan had dropped from the system. Since the flight briefer was the same individual I had filed the plan with, he said he remembered it, and would locate it in the 'dead' file, and he asked me to hold on while the information was located and input again. This procedure took several mins, and I did not change frequencys to contact travis approach while holding. My course was to take me over the west end of woodland, skirting the class C airspace of sacramento international. While close to class C airspace, I observed a C180/185 (gray) suddenly appear at approximately 2 O'clock position, crossing from right to left, in a descending turn across my path. The C180/185 never deviated or altered course, crossing from high on my right, to low on my left, in a constant turn. Aware that I was in the pilot's blind spot, with less than 500 ft horizontal separation, and 50 ft of vertical, I immediately cleared for a r-hand turn, making a steep turn to the east for approximately 1 min, before returning to my original course. Rancho FSS then notified me that my flight plan was activated. I then immediately contacted travis approach to establish radar contact and flight following. At that time I was advised to turn to 10 degrees and clear class C airspace. The incidents are twofold. My concern with the C180/185 near midair collision interfered with accurately navigating the aircraft. The incursion would not have occurred had I been able to contact travis approach prior to nearing the class C airspace. Activating the VFR flight plan with rancho FSS by telephone, rather than by radio, would have avoided the delay in contacting travis, caused by the problem with FSS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 STUDENT PLT HAS AN NMAC WITH A DSNDING, TURNING C185 AND DURING HIS EVASIVE ACTION TURN HE ENTERS THE CLASS C AIRSPACE OF MCC ON FREQ WITH TRAVIS APCH.

Narrative: WHILE ON A SOLO XCOUNTRY AS A STUDENT PLT, I WAS CLBING OUT OF DAVIS, CA, ENRTE TO REDDING. I HAD PREVIOUSLY FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH FSS RANCHO MURIETA. THAT PLAN HAD BEEN REVISED MULTIPLE TIMES DUE TO WX. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, I CONTACTED RANCHO FSS TO ACTIVATE THE FLT PLAN. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FLT PLAN HAD DROPPED FROM THE SYS. SINCE THE FLT BRIEFER WAS THE SAME INDIVIDUAL I HAD FILED THE PLAN WITH, HE SAID HE REMEMBERED IT, AND WOULD LOCATE IT IN THE 'DEAD' FILE, AND HE ASKED ME TO HOLD ON WHILE THE INFO WAS LOCATED AND INPUT AGAIN. THIS PROC TOOK SEVERAL MINS, AND I DID NOT CHANGE FREQS TO CONTACT TRAVIS APCH WHILE HOLDING. MY COURSE WAS TO TAKE ME OVER THE W END OF WOODLAND, SKIRTING THE CLASS C AIRSPACE OF SACRAMENTO INTL. WHILE CLOSE TO CLASS C AIRSPACE, I OBSERVED A C180/185 (GRAY) SUDDENLY APPEAR AT APPROX 2 O'CLOCK POS, XING FROM R TO L, IN A DSNDING TURN ACROSS MY PATH. THE C180/185 NEVER DEVIATED OR ALTERED COURSE, XING FROM HIGH ON MY R, TO LOW ON MY L, IN A CONSTANT TURN. AWARE THAT I WAS IN THE PLT'S BLIND SPOT, WITH LESS THAN 500 FT HORIZ SEPARATION, AND 50 FT OF VERT, I IMMEDIATELY CLRED FOR A R-HAND TURN, MAKING A STEEP TURN TO THE E FOR APPROX 1 MIN, BEFORE RETURNING TO MY ORIGINAL COURSE. RANCHO FSS THEN NOTIFIED ME THAT MY FLT PLAN WAS ACTIVATED. I THEN IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED TRAVIS APCH TO ESTABLISH RADAR CONTACT AND FLT FOLLOWING. AT THAT TIME I WAS ADVISED TO TURN TO 10 DEGS AND CLR CLASS C AIRSPACE. THE INCIDENTS ARE TWOFOLD. MY CONCERN WITH THE C180/185 NMAC INTERFERED WITH ACCURATELY NAVING THE ACFT. THE INCURSION WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED HAD I BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT TRAVIS APCH PRIOR TO NEARING THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. ACTIVATING THE VFR FLT PLAN WITH RANCHO FSS BY TELEPHONE, RATHER THAN BY RADIO, WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE DELAY IN CONTACTING TRAVIS, CAUSED BY THE PROB WITH FSS.

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.

A C172 student pilot has an near midair collision with a descending, turning C185 and during his evasive action turn he enters the class C airspace of mcc on frequency with travis approach.