Near midair collision between small aircraft and small aircraft towing spn.

Attributes
ACN	124879
Time
Date	198910
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dro
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1100 agl bound upper : 3500 msl bound lower : 7600 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 62 flight time total : 978 flight time type : 256
ASRS Report	124879
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 75 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I had descended from 10000' to level flight down the valley southbound to dro. We were all aware of the glider port at valair. All 4 of us were looking for traffic around the airport (2 of the passenger were also pilots). I cleared the area by banking first right and then left so I could see beneath the wings for traffic. After I banked left, I saw a high wing aircraft towing a glider wbound underneath my left wing about 50' and latitude about 75' in a shallow climb. I had no time to react before he passed beneath and behind me. Contributing factors: 1) low wing aircraft above a high wing aircraft. 2) colors of the tow craft and glider were earth tones--tan or cream color base with dark accents against the mountain background contrasted by dark green evergreens and the tans and yellows of patchy aspens. They blended into the mountain sides. The colors would have been a problem at any altitude against the mountains. 3) the pilots of the tow craft and glider were facing the sun which made it difficult to see me. My colors: bright red, gray on white. 4) speed of my aircraft--150 mph vs slower, climbing aircraft. I don't know what could have been done to prevent a recurrence. We both had just as much right to be there at that time and place. I had discussed the airport's presence with my passenger (3 of us experienced pilots and we were specifically looking for the airport and traffic at that time--we just didn't see each other).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN SMA AND SMA TOWING SPN.

Narrative: I HAD DSNDED FROM 10000' TO LEVEL FLT DOWN THE VALLEY SBND TO DRO. WE WERE ALL AWARE OF THE GLIDER PORT AT VALAIR. ALL 4 OF US WERE LOOKING FOR TFC AROUND THE ARPT (2 OF THE PAX WERE ALSO PLTS). I CLRED THE AREA BY BANKING FIRST RIGHT AND THEN LEFT SO I COULD SEE BENEATH THE WINGS FOR TFC. AFTER I BANKED LEFT, I SAW A HIGH WING ACFT TOWING A GLIDER WBOUND UNDERNEATH MY LEFT WING ABOUT 50' AND LAT ABOUT 75' IN A SHALLOW CLB. I HAD NO TIME TO REACT BEFORE HE PASSED BENEATH AND BEHIND ME. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) LOW WING ACFT ABOVE A HIGH WING ACFT. 2) COLORS OF THE TOW CRAFT AND GLIDER WERE EARTH TONES--TAN OR CREAM COLOR BASE WITH DARK ACCENTS AGAINST THE MOUNTAIN BACKGROUND CONTRASTED BY DARK GREEN EVERGREENS AND THE TANS AND YELLOWS OF PATCHY ASPENS. THEY BLENDED INTO THE MOUNTAIN SIDES. THE COLORS WOULD HAVE BEEN A PROB AT ANY ALT AGAINST THE MOUNTAINS. 3) THE PLTS OF THE TOW CRAFT AND GLIDER WERE FACING THE SUN WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE ME. MY COLORS: BRIGHT RED, GRAY ON WHITE. 4) SPD OF MY ACFT--150 MPH VS SLOWER, CLBING ACFT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE. WE BOTH HAD JUST AS MUCH RIGHT TO BE THERE AT THAT TIME AND PLACE. I HAD DISCUSSED THE ARPT'S PRESENCE WITH MY PAX (3 OF US EXPERIENCED PLTS AND WE WERE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR THE ARPT AND TFC AT THAT TIME--WE JUST DIDN'T SEE EACH OTHER).

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