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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Attributes | |
ACN | 150266 |
Time | |
Date | 199007 |
Day | Sun |
Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : ehf airport : bfl |
State Reference | CA |
Altitude | msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4800 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Operator | general aviation : personal |
Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
Route In Use | approach : visual departure other |
Flight Plan | VFR |
Aircraft 2 | |
Operator | general aviation : personal |
Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
Flight Phase | descent other |
Flight Plan | VFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 353 flight time type : 353 |
ASRS Report | 150266 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Events | |
Anomaly | conflict : nmac conflict : ground less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
Consequence | Other |
Miss Distance | horizontal : 300 vertical : 300 |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was on a VFR flight from bakersfield, ca, to monterey, ca. I had flown northwest from bakersfield to ehf VORTAC and proceeded westbound on V248 in a cruise climb to 6500'. During the cruise climb phase of around 4500', I made a shallow bank to the left to demonstrate the effect of the controls to a passenger. When I did so, I saw another small aircraft slightly above and to my right going in the opp direction in what appeared to be a shallow descent. Until I made the shallow turn to the left, my view of the other aircraft was observed, at least partially, by an aluminum fixture, glued to the windshield, which holds the magnetic compass and thermometer. No evasive maneuver was taken by the small aircraft and I don't think he ever saw me. This event could have been avoided if I had been making shallow turns all during the climb phase. I was a little lax in this because this was the last leg of a long x-country and emotionally, I felt I was 'practically home'. The aircraft that I was flying had very good visibility which I had been taking for granted. However, it does have this one blind spot where the compass/thermometer mounts, and the other small aircraft was in it. It would be helpful if the fixture were moved or made smaller. Failing that, moving the pilots head or the airplane so one piece of airspace isn't always on the inevitable blind spot, is the only way to avoid this type of event.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NMAC
Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM BAKERSFIELD, CA, TO MONTEREY, CA. I HAD FLOWN NW FROM BAKERSFIELD TO EHF VORTAC AND PROCEEDED WBND ON V248 IN A CRUISE CLB TO 6500'. DURING THE CRUISE CLB PHASE OF AROUND 4500', I MADE A SHALLOW BANK TO THE L TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECT OF THE CTLS TO A PAX. WHEN I DID SO, I SAW ANOTHER SMA SLIGHTLY ABOVE AND TO MY R GOING IN THE OPP DIRECTION IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SHALLOW DSNT. UNTIL I MADE THE SHALLOW TURN TO THE L, MY VIEW OF THE OTHER ACFT WAS OBSERVED, AT LEAST PARTIALLY, BY AN ALUMINUM FIXTURE, GLUED TO THE WINDSHIELD, WHICH HOLDS THE MAGNETIC COMPASS AND THERMOMETER. NO EVASIVE MANEUVER WAS TAKEN BY THE SMA AND I DON'T THINK HE EVER SAW ME. THIS EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD BEEN MAKING SHALLOW TURNS ALL DURING THE CLB PHASE. I WAS A LITTLE LAX IN THIS BECAUSE THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF A LONG X-COUNTRY AND EMOTIONALLY, I FELT I WAS 'PRACTICALLY HOME'. THE ACFT THAT I WAS FLYING HAD VERY GOOD VISIBILITY WHICH I HAD BEEN TAKING FOR GRANTED. HOWEVER, IT DOES HAVE THIS ONE BLIND SPOT WHERE THE COMPASS/THERMOMETER MOUNTS, AND THE OTHER SMA WAS IN IT. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE FIXTURE WERE MOVED OR MADE SMALLER. FAILING THAT, MOVING THE PLTS HEAD OR THE AIRPLANE SO ONE PIECE OF AIRSPACE ISN'T ALWAYS ON THE INEVITABLE BLIND SPOT, IS THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID THIS TYPE OF EVENT.
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.