Narrative:

Was en route to (romeo) D98 inbound toward the psi VOR on radial 290 at 3500 ft MSL. Decided not to track all the way to the psi VOR and deviate to the north instead to give the ptk airport a wide berth. At 10 DME I executed a left turn and began a 10 DME arc. I intended to hold the arc for a few mins to make sure I would be well north of ptk and then fly eastbound to intercept the radial 079 into D98. Once established on the arc, I realized that I was no longer aware of my exact position in relation to the flint arsa. At this point, I abandoned the arc by turning right to 100 degrees magnetic. As the turn was nearing completion, a commuter airliner passed directly overhead about 300 to 500 ft above my position. The aircraft had been behind me and to the right in a blind area caused by the wing and fuselage. The flight then continued to D98 uneventfully. Other contributing factors: reluctance to communication with flint approach. Overconfidence in my ability to navigation visually. Failure to plan the exact route of flight in advance (the decision to fly the arc was made at DME 15 from psi).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND ACFT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED AN ARSA WHILE ENRTE TO ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: WAS ENRTE TO (ROMEO) D98 INBOUND TOWARD THE PSI VOR ON RADIAL 290 AT 3500 FT MSL. DECIDED NOT TO TRACK ALL THE WAY TO THE PSI VOR AND DEVIATE TO THE N INSTEAD TO GIVE THE PTK ARPT A WIDE BERTH. AT 10 DME I EXECUTED A L TURN AND BEGAN A 10 DME ARC. I INTENDED TO HOLD THE ARC FOR A FEW MINS TO MAKE SURE I WOULD BE WELL N OF PTK AND THEN FLY EBOUND TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL 079 INTO D98. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON THE ARC, I REALIZED THAT I WAS NO LONGER AWARE OF MY EXACT POS IN RELATION TO THE FLINT ARSA. AT THIS POINT, I ABANDONED THE ARC BY TURNING R TO 100 DEGS MAGNETIC. AS THE TURN WAS NEARING COMPLETION, A COMMUTER AIRLINER PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD ABOUT 300 TO 500 FT ABOVE MY POS. THE ACFT HAD BEEN BEHIND ME AND TO THE R IN A BLIND AREA CAUSED BY THE WING AND FUSELAGE. THE FLT THEN CONTINUED TO D98 UNEVENTFULLY. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: RELUCTANCE TO COM WITH FLINT APCH. OVERCONFIDENCE IN MY ABILITY TO NAV VISUALLY. FAILURE TO PLAN THE EXACT RTE OF FLT IN ADVANCE (THE DECISION TO FLY THE ARC WAS MADE AT DME 15 FROM PSI).

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.