Illegal formation flight.

Attributes
ACN	280266
Time
Date	199408
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pae airport : wa47
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Beaver DHC-2
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 180 Skywagon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	280266
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 50 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

En route to renton, wa, seaplane base, part 135 charter from canada to us 5 passenger on board. In radio contact with 4 other company aircraft, prior to closing flight plan and arrival. Scanning for traffic to my left out my side door window, I was startled to see reflection of another floatplane in my door window! I turned to the right and looked at another (private) floatplane that had pulled up along side of my right wing. He matched speed and held position for a few seconds, about 50-100 ft horizontal and same altitude. He then pulled ahead keeping same horizontal separation. I reported it to another company aircraft who recognized the 'north' number as belonging to someone he knew. The passenger did not seem alarmed, I only know for sure the copilot seat occupant saw it, others may have been asleep still since it was warm and a long trip. I'm reporting it to chief pilot, have not decided yet about calling FAA. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has not talked to the other pilot in this incident. The other aircraft was a cessna 180 on floats. Other pilots in the reporter's company knew who the other pilot was and may have reminded him of the common sense regulations regarding: formation flying.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ILLEGAL FORMATION FLT.

Narrative: ENRTE TO RENTON, WA, SEAPLANE BASE, PART 135 CHARTER FROM CANADA TO U.S. 5 PAX ON BOARD. IN RADIO CONTACT WITH 4 OTHER COMPANY ACFT, PRIOR TO CLOSING FLT PLAN AND ARR. SCANNING FOR TFC TO MY L OUT MY SIDE DOOR WINDOW, I WAS STARTLED TO SEE REFLECTION OF ANOTHER FLOATPLANE IN MY DOOR WINDOW! I TURNED TO THE R AND LOOKED AT ANOTHER (PVT) FLOATPLANE THAT HAD PULLED UP ALONG SIDE OF MY R WING. HE MATCHED SPD AND HELD POS FOR A FEW SECONDS, ABOUT 50-100 FT HORIZ AND SAME ALT. HE THEN PULLED AHEAD KEEPING SAME HORIZ SEPARATION. I RPTED IT TO ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT WHO RECOGNIZED THE 'N' NUMBER AS BELONGING TO SOMEONE HE KNEW. THE PAX DID NOT SEEM ALARMED, I ONLY KNOW FOR SURE THE COPLT SEAT OCCUPANT SAW IT, OTHERS MAY HAVE BEEN ASLEEP STILL SINCE IT WAS WARM AND A LONG TRIP. I'M RPTING IT TO CHIEF PLT, HAVE NOT DECIDED YET ABOUT CALLING FAA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS NOT TALKED TO THE OTHER PLT IN THIS INCIDENT. THE OTHER ACFT WAS A CESSNA 180 ON FLOATS. OTHER PLTS IN THE RPTR'S COMPANY KNEW WHO THE OTHER PLT WAS AND MAY HAVE REMINDED HIM OF THE COMMON SENSE REGS REGARDING: FORMATION FLYING.

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.