Narrative:

My passenger and I were circling different points on lake minnetonka, checking out the ice house counts. We proceeded from the east part of the lake to the west side. About 1/2 way across, my passenger yelled and advised me of an airplane at my 10 O'clock, at a distance of 100 yds. The plane was an small aircraft Y (green) and it was traveling form left to right and a little lower than us. I knew we would hit if I didn't do something. I took evasive action by adding power and doing a high pitch climbing shallow bank left turn. I knew we were close because I heard the engine pass beneath us. It was strange. The small aircraft Y must not have seen me because there was no reaction of avoidance (that I could see). Before this incident I was feeling confident in flying in the conditions that fem ATIS was reporting--2000' overcast, 7 mi in haze. I felt our flight would be ok, considering the lake was only 10 mi from the airport. When we were over the lake, I felt the conditions were good enough--I would say 5 mi in haze and ceilings about the same. I did have my scan going and I was paying more attention considering the conditions. I realize now that because of the conditions, no matter how good a scanner a person is, you can't win the avoidance game, especially with converging aircraft coming at each other.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX 2 GA-SMA BELOW MSP TCA.

Narrative: MY PAX AND I WERE CIRCLING DIFFERENT POINTS ON LAKE MINNETONKA, CHKING OUT THE ICE HOUSE COUNTS. WE PROCEEDED FROM THE E PART OF THE LAKE TO THE W SIDE. ABOUT 1/2 WAY ACROSS, MY PAX YELLED AND ADVISED ME OF AN AIRPLANE AT MY 10 O'CLOCK, AT A DISTANCE OF 100 YDS. THE PLANE WAS AN SMA Y (GREEN) AND IT WAS TRAVELING FORM LEFT TO RIGHT AND A LITTLE LOWER THAN US. I KNEW WE WOULD HIT IF I DIDN'T DO SOMETHING. I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION BY ADDING PWR AND DOING A HIGH PITCH CLBING SHALLOW BANK LEFT TURN. I KNEW WE WERE CLOSE BECAUSE I HEARD THE ENG PASS BENEATH US. IT WAS STRANGE. THE SMA Y MUST NOT HAVE SEEN ME BECAUSE THERE WAS NO REACTION OF AVOIDANCE (THAT I COULD SEE). BEFORE THIS INCIDENT I WAS FEELING CONFIDENT IN FLYING IN THE CONDITIONS THAT FEM ATIS WAS RPTING--2000' OVCST, 7 MI IN HAZE. I FELT OUR FLT WOULD BE OK, CONSIDERING THE LAKE WAS ONLY 10 MI FROM THE ARPT. WHEN WE WERE OVER THE LAKE, I FELT THE CONDITIONS WERE GOOD ENOUGH--I WOULD SAY 5 MI IN HAZE AND CEILINGS ABOUT THE SAME. I DID HAVE MY SCAN GOING AND I WAS PAYING MORE ATTN CONSIDERING THE CONDITIONS. I REALIZE NOW THAT BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS, NO MATTER HOW GOOD A SCANNER A PERSON IS, YOU CAN'T WIN THE AVOIDANCE GAME, ESPECIALLY WITH CONVERGING ACFT COMING AT 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.