Narrative:

I was cruising at 3000 ft wbound on V20 directly over the le gros airport (3r2). I was operating under VFR; and was receiving flight following from lafayette approach control. All of a sudden I see a plane at my altitude coming towards me. It was close; and I was surprised I hadn't seen it earlier. I noticed that the oncoming plane was upside down; and was trailing smoke. I immediately banked left to avoid the plane. As I passed; I looked back and realized the plane was doing a loop. My initial impression was that the other aircraft was a biplane; but I can't be sure of that. I called ATC (lafayette approach) to ask if they had seen him on radar; and the controller first said he did not see him on radar; then the controller said that he did have a primary target just northeast of my position. I told him that the other plane had just done a loop that topped out at 3000 ft right in the middle of an airway. I rejoined the airway and continued my flight. The cause of this problem was that a pilot chose to do an aerobatic maneuver along a federal airway where it is obvious that air traffic is likely to be. The fact that the maneuver was a loop made the situation even more dangerous; because the rapid climb makes it hard for ATC to give timely alerts to nearby aircraft. To prevent a recurrence of this type of event; an investigation should be made to find this pilot and discipline him.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT OPERATING VFR ON A VICTOR AIRWAY HAS CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH AN AEROBATIC ACFT PRACTICING LOOPS.

Narrative: I WAS CRUISING AT 3000 FT WBOUND ON V20 DIRECTLY OVER THE LE GROS ARPT (3R2). I WAS OPERATING UNDER VFR; AND WAS RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING FROM LAFAYETTE APCH CTL. ALL OF A SUDDEN I SEE A PLANE AT MY ALT COMING TOWARDS ME. IT WAS CLOSE; AND I WAS SURPRISED I HADN'T SEEN IT EARLIER. I NOTICED THAT THE ONCOMING PLANE WAS UPSIDE DOWN; AND WAS TRAILING SMOKE. I IMMEDIATELY BANKED L TO AVOID THE PLANE. AS I PASSED; I LOOKED BACK AND REALIZED THE PLANE WAS DOING A LOOP. MY INITIAL IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS A BIPLANE; BUT I CAN'T BE SURE OF THAT. I CALLED ATC (LAFAYETTE APCH) TO ASK IF THEY HAD SEEN HIM ON RADAR; AND THE CTLR FIRST SAID HE DID NOT SEE HIM ON RADAR; THEN THE CTLR SAID THAT HE DID HAVE A PRIMARY TARGET JUST NE OF MY POS. I TOLD HIM THAT THE OTHER PLANE HAD JUST DONE A LOOP THAT TOPPED OUT AT 3000 FT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN AIRWAY. I REJOINED THE AIRWAY AND CONTINUED MY FLT. THE CAUSE OF THIS PROB WAS THAT A PLT CHOSE TO DO AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER ALONG A FEDERAL AIRWAY WHERE IT IS OBVIOUS THAT AIR TFC IS LIKELY TO BE. THE FACT THAT THE MANEUVER WAS A LOOP MADE THE SITUATION EVEN MORE DANGEROUS; BECAUSE THE RAPID CLB MAKES IT HARD FOR ATC TO GIVE TIMELY ALERTS TO NEARBY ACFT. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THIS TYPE OF EVENT; AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE MADE TO FIND THIS PLT AND DISCIPLINE HIM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.