Instructor with spi has near midair collision with second aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	194940
Time
Date	199111
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vny
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	194940
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 400 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was teaching a student recoveries from unusual flight attitudes when during a steep pullup I realized the aircraft whose landing light I had seen a min before was much closer than I had thought. I rolled away from the other aircraft, and as I did so saw the other aircraft start into a left turn to avoid me. More careful observation on my part would have avoided the situation, but I also feel the 'lights on' policy of the FAA may have contributed to it. An airplane with navigation lights and beacon is easy to see at night, and because of the separation between the lights it's also easy to tell how far away it is and the rate of closure. When the landing light is on as well, it so dominates the other lights as to make them indistinguishable until it may be too late. It's just about impossible to judge distance from a single light source.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI HAS NMAC WITH SECOND ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS TEACHING A STUDENT RECOVERIES FROM UNUSUAL FLT ATTITUDES WHEN DURING A STEEP PULLUP I REALIZED THE ACFT WHOSE LNDG LIGHT I HAD SEEN A MIN BEFORE WAS MUCH CLOSER THAN I HAD THOUGHT. I ROLLED AWAY FROM THE OTHER ACFT, AND AS I DID SO SAW THE OTHER ACFT START INTO A L TURN TO AVOID ME. MORE CAREFUL OBSERVATION ON MY PART WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE SITUATION, BUT I ALSO FEEL THE 'LIGHTS ON' POLICY OF THE FAA MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO IT. AN AIRPLANE WITH NAV LIGHTS AND BEACON IS EASY TO SEE AT NIGHT, AND BECAUSE OF THE SEPARATION BTWN THE LIGHTS IT'S ALSO EASY TO TELL HOW FAR AWAY IT IS AND THE RATE OF CLOSURE. WHEN THE LNDG LIGHT IS ON AS WELL, IT SO DOMINATES THE OTHER LIGHTS AS TO MAKE THEM INDISTINGUISHABLE UNTIL IT MAY BE TOO LATE. IT'S JUST ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE TO JUDGE DISTANCE FROM A SINGLE LIGHT SOURCE.

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.