Narrative:

I fly for an organization that operates single pilot, except during training. On this occasion, I was acting as safety pilot during a simulated instrument flight in a twin turbine helicopter. It was an exceptionally pretty day -- clear with unlimited visibility. We were transitioning from the en route phase to an approach segment for landing at our home field. We had briefed the approach and were tracking to the IAF with the autoplt coupled to the LORAN, on the published transition. I was surprised that virtually nobody was flying on such a nice day. I was monitoring center so we wouldn't get in anyone's way who was getting IFR handling inbound. I also monitored our CTAF. Just as I was thinking that I had waited too long to communication our position and intentions (4 mi plus or minus west) I was startled by a corporate fixed wing turboprop (saab) as it passed approximately 200 ft directly overhead, and descended in for landing at the airport. His first call on CTAF was turning base to final: mine came moments later, after recovering from our near miss. They almost always file IFR and their arrival is usually easy to anticipate by monitoring center. Even then they usually call 15-20 mi out on CTAF. I usually call 8- 10 mi out, as I had at the airport where we had just completed another simulated instrument approach, a few mins before. As it turned out, the crew of the other aircraft canceled IFR earlier than normal because it was such a pretty day, so we didn't hear them on center. They were engrossed with prelndg tasks and admiring the beautiful day, just as we were. The sun was low in the sky behind us both. We couldn't have seen him earlier without making south turns and looking directly into the sun behind us. We most certainly could have made calls on the CTAF 10 or 15 mi out. We hope they do too. I'll also call center, not just monitor them -- it's possible they could have forewarned us of the other inbound traffic, even if they did cancel IFR. The area of the conflict is not within radar coverage at the MEA due to mountainous terrain. When simulating instrument flight, we need to do more than simulate communications. If you're going to fly in the system, you have to talk in the system otherwise, avoid frequently used paths to the airport, lest you get run over by someone just as anxious to get to the barn. Those beautiful, scenic, incredibly terrific flying days can be a significant distraction -- significant enough that you may never see one quite like it -- ever.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A GOV HELI PRACTICING AN IFR APCH AND A CPR SMT APCH VFR AFTER CANCELING IFR.

Narrative: I FLY FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT OPERATES SINGLE PLT, EXCEPT DURING TRAINING. ON THIS OCCASION, I WAS ACTING AS SAFETY PLT DURING A SIMULATED INSTR FLT IN A TWIN TURBINE HELI. IT WAS AN EXCEPTIONALLY PRETTY DAY -- CLR WITH UNLIMITED VISIBILITY. WE WERE TRANSITIONING FROM THE ENRTE PHASE TO AN APCH SEGMENT FOR LNDG AT OUR HOME FIELD. WE HAD BRIEFED THE APCH AND WERE TRACKING TO THE IAF WITH THE AUTOPLT COUPLED TO THE LORAN, ON THE PUBLISHED TRANSITION. I WAS SURPRISED THAT VIRTUALLY NOBODY WAS FLYING ON SUCH A NICE DAY. I WAS MONITORING CTR SO WE WOULDN'T GET IN ANYONE'S WAY WHO WAS GETTING IFR HANDLING INBOUND. I ALSO MONITORED OUR CTAF. JUST AS I WAS THINKING THAT I HAD WAITED TOO LONG TO COM OUR POS AND INTENTIONS (4 MI PLUS OR MINUS W) I WAS STARTLED BY A CORPORATE FIXED WING TURBOPROP (SAAB) AS IT PASSED APPROX 200 FT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD, AND DSNDED IN FOR LNDG AT THE ARPT. HIS FIRST CALL ON CTAF WAS TURNING BASE TO FINAL: MINE CAME MOMENTS LATER, AFTER RECOVERING FROM OUR NEAR MISS. THEY ALMOST ALWAYS FILE IFR AND THEIR ARR IS USUALLY EASY TO ANTICIPATE BY MONITORING CTR. EVEN THEN THEY USUALLY CALL 15-20 MI OUT ON CTAF. I USUALLY CALL 8- 10 MI OUT, AS I HAD AT THE ARPT WHERE WE HAD JUST COMPLETED ANOTHER SIMULATED INSTR APCH, A FEW MINS BEFORE. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE CREW OF THE OTHER ACFT CANCELED IFR EARLIER THAN NORMAL BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A PRETTY DAY, SO WE DIDN'T HEAR THEM ON CTR. THEY WERE ENGROSSED WITH PRELNDG TASKS AND ADMIRING THE BEAUTIFUL DAY, JUST AS WE WERE. THE SUN WAS LOW IN THE SKY BEHIND US BOTH. WE COULDN'T HAVE SEEN HIM EARLIER WITHOUT MAKING S TURNS AND LOOKING DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN BEHIND US. WE MOST CERTAINLY COULD HAVE MADE CALLS ON THE CTAF 10 OR 15 MI OUT. WE HOPE THEY DO TOO. I'LL ALSO CALL CTR, NOT JUST MONITOR THEM -- IT'S POSSIBLE THEY COULD HAVE FOREWARNED US OF THE OTHER INBOUND TFC, EVEN IF THEY DID CANCEL IFR. THE AREA OF THE CONFLICT IS NOT WITHIN RADAR COVERAGE AT THE MEA DUE TO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. WHEN SIMULATING INSTR FLT, WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN SIMULATE COMS. IF YOU'RE GOING TO FLY IN THE SYS, YOU HAVE TO TALK IN THE SYS OTHERWISE, AVOID FREQUENTLY USED PATHS TO THE ARPT, LEST YOU GET RUN OVER BY SOMEONE JUST AS ANXIOUS TO GET TO THE BARN. THOSE BEAUTIFUL, SCENIC, INCREDIBLY TERRIFIC FLYING DAYS CAN BE A SIGNIFICANT DISTR -- SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT YOU MAY NEVER SEE ONE QUITE LIKE IT -- EVER.

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.