Narrative:

I was practicing lazy-8's. I began the maneuver facing north and turning left. As my heading passed through approximately 230 degrees; I saw a high wing airplane approaching me from approximately 160 degrees. As I pitched and banked away from the aircraft; he disappeared under my left wing and I projected in my mind that he was still probably going to make contact with me. I continued the roll to about 90 degrees of bank and 30 degrees pitch down. I gently brought the plane back to level and looked back to see the traffic. He had changed his heading from roughly 340 degrees to 030 degrees. Since he didn't change course until after I banked; I assume he did not see me. I did not see him in my clearing turn (two 90 degree turns) and I only saw him at the last moment as it was. I think I missed him during the clearing turn because he was so far away (the lazy-8 is a slow; gradual maneuver and the traffic would have traveled about 3-4 mi from the time I was looking in his direction during the clearing turn to when I saw him during the lazy-8). Another factor was that he was coming from the direction of the sun and this obstructed my view. He appeared as a silhouette in the haze and the glint of the sun. If I had not been scanning for traffic; I would have been killed. If he had not seen me and acted as I banked; we may still have collided despite my evasive action. This event illustrated what my instructors meant when they emphasized scanning for traffic; and I will in turn do the same for my students.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28-201 PLT PRACTICING VFR PROFICIENCY MANEUVERS; HAD AN NMAC WITH A HIGH WING ACFT WHICH WAS NOT SEEN UNTIL THE LAST MIN DUE TO SUN POS AND HAZE.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING LAZY-8'S. I BEGAN THE MANEUVER FACING N AND TURNING L. AS MY HDG PASSED THROUGH APPROX 230 DEGS; I SAW A HIGH WING AIRPLANE APCHING ME FROM APPROX 160 DEGS. AS I PITCHED AND BANKED AWAY FROM THE ACFT; HE DISAPPEARED UNDER MY L WING AND I PROJECTED IN MY MIND THAT HE WAS STILL PROBABLY GOING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH ME. I CONTINUED THE ROLL TO ABOUT 90 DEGS OF BANK AND 30 DEGS PITCH DOWN. I GENTLY BROUGHT THE PLANE BACK TO LEVEL AND LOOKED BACK TO SEE THE TFC. HE HAD CHANGED HIS HDG FROM ROUGHLY 340 DEGS TO 030 DEGS. SINCE HE DIDN'T CHANGE COURSE UNTIL AFTER I BANKED; I ASSUME HE DID NOT SEE ME. I DID NOT SEE HIM IN MY CLRING TURN (TWO 90 DEG TURNS) AND I ONLY SAW HIM AT THE LAST MOMENT AS IT WAS. I THINK I MISSED HIM DURING THE CLRING TURN BECAUSE HE WAS SO FAR AWAY (THE LAZY-8 IS A SLOW; GRADUAL MANEUVER AND THE TFC WOULD HAVE TRAVELED ABOUT 3-4 MI FROM THE TIME I WAS LOOKING IN HIS DIRECTION DURING THE CLRING TURN TO WHEN I SAW HIM DURING THE LAZY-8). ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THAT HE WAS COMING FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE SUN AND THIS OBSTRUCTED MY VIEW. HE APPEARED AS A SILHOUETTE IN THE HAZE AND THE GLINT OF THE SUN. IF I HAD NOT BEEN SCANNING FOR TFC; I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. IF HE HAD NOT SEEN ME AND ACTED AS I BANKED; WE MAY STILL HAVE COLLIDED DESPITE MY EVASIVE ACTION. THIS EVENT ILLUSTRATED WHAT MY INSTRUCTORS MEANT WHEN THEY EMPHASIZED SCANNING FOR TFC; AND I WILL IN TURN DO THE SAME FOR MY STUDENTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.