Small aircraft pilot has near midair collision with another small aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	181373
Time
Date	199106
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : apc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
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
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 640 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	181373
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 40
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was roughly on a north heading toward apc and was in a slow descent from 2500 to 1500' MSL. As I passed through 1600', my passenger in right front seat asked about an aircraft close aboard. I couldn't see anything, so I pulled up slightly and stopped my descent. Just then a high wing retractable small aircraft passed right underneath me, approximately 40' sep. The small aircraft was on a nnw heading, approximately 310-330 degrees, and appeared to be going a little faster than I was--I was doing 135 KIAS and he pulled ahead of me. I don't think the small aircraft ever saw me and I don't think there was a passenger in his right front seat. The geometry involved made it difficult for either aircraft to spot each other, at least within the last 2 or 3 mi. Since I was above him, my right wing likely blocked sight of him, at least part of the time, and his high wing probably blocked his view of me similarly. Difference in fwd airspeed was less than 5 KTS, but we had a 30-40 degree crossing convergence. While I was scanning for traffic, I had not briefed my non-pilot passenger to do so. It was a very hazy day and it was hard to pick up traffic more than 1-2 mi distant. I was not in contact with oak approach. In this area, the base of the TCA is 4500 and 6000'.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS NMAC WITH ANOTHER SMA.

Narrative: I WAS ROUGHLY ON A N HDG TOWARD APC AND WAS IN A SLOW DSNT FROM 2500 TO 1500' MSL. AS I PASSED THROUGH 1600', MY PAX IN RIGHT FRONT SEAT ASKED ABOUT AN ACFT CLOSE ABOARD. I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING, SO I PULLED UP SLIGHTLY AND STOPPED MY DSNT. JUST THEN A HIGH WING RETRACTABLE SMA PASSED RIGHT UNDERNEATH ME, APPROX 40' SEP. THE SMA WAS ON A NNW HDG, APPROX 310-330 DEGS, AND APPEARED TO BE GOING A LITTLE FASTER THAN I WAS--I WAS DOING 135 KIAS AND HE PULLED AHEAD OF ME. I DON'T THINK THE SMA EVER SAW ME AND I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A PAX IN HIS RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE GEOMETRY INVOLVED MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR EITHER ACFT TO SPOT EACH OTHER, AT LEAST WITHIN THE LAST 2 OR 3 MI. SINCE I WAS ABOVE HIM, MY RIGHT WING LIKELY BLOCKED SIGHT OF HIM, AT LEAST PART OF THE TIME, AND HIS HIGH WING PROBABLY BLOCKED HIS VIEW OF ME SIMILARLY. DIFFERENCE IN FWD AIRSPD WAS LESS THAN 5 KTS, BUT WE HAD A 30-40 DEG XING CONVERGENCE. WHILE I WAS SCANNING FOR TFC, I HAD NOT BRIEFED MY NON-PLT PAX TO DO SO. IT WAS A VERY HAZY DAY AND IT WAS HARD TO PICK UP TFC MORE THAN 1-2 MI DISTANT. I WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH OAK APCH. IN THIS AREA, THE BASE OF THE TCA IS 4500 AND 6000'.

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.