Narrative:

I was circling over my property, looking at vehicle tracks on the ground. On my third circuit, I looked up and saw a single engine, low wing plane pass below and in front of me. I was turning counter clockwise, passing through approximately 030 degrees magnetic. The other plane appeared to be heading about 240 degrees. He may not have seen me, as he flew straight and level. He was already past me before I could change course. I focused too much on the ground and neglected to scan enough for other aircraft. The other plane approached from my wing-up side, and I tend to look in the direction I'm turning. The other plane was heading toward the sun but could have spotted me, as I was able to track his departure without difficulty. My profile would have been larger while turning broadside. I should have been more vigilant considering I was in an airway. I was not in contact with ATC, and was not monitoring their frequency as I normally do. Either step could have given me a warning of traffic. I do not know if the other plane was in contact with ATC. My beacon light was on, but not the landing or taxi light. The plane I was in is not equipped with strobes. I did not notice any lights on the other plane. If I had had strobes, it might have helped the other pilot to see and avoid me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CIRCLING OVER HIS PROPERTY HAS NMAC WITH SECOND SMA ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS CIRCLING OVER MY PROPERTY, LOOKING AT VEHICLE TRACKS ON THE GND. ON MY THIRD CIRCUIT, I LOOKED UP AND SAW A SINGLE ENG, LOW WING PLANE PASS BELOW AND IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS TURNING COUNTER CLOCKWISE, PASSING THROUGH APPROX 030 DEGS MAGNETIC. THE OTHER PLANE APPEARED TO BE HEADING ABOUT 240 DEGS. HE MAY NOT HAVE SEEN ME, AS HE FLEW STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. HE WAS ALREADY PAST ME BEFORE I COULD CHANGE COURSE. I FOCUSED TOO MUCH ON THE GND AND NEGLECTED TO SCAN ENOUGH FOR OTHER ACFT. THE OTHER PLANE APCHED FROM MY WING-UP SIDE, AND I TEND TO LOOK IN THE DIRECTION I'M TURNING. THE OTHER PLANE WAS HEADING TOWARD THE SUN BUT COULD HAVE SPOTTED ME, AS I WAS ABLE TO TRACK HIS DEP WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. MY PROFILE WOULD HAVE BEEN LARGER WHILE TURNING BROADSIDE. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE VIGILANT CONSIDERING I WAS IN AN AIRWAY. I WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH ATC, AND WAS NOT MONITORING THEIR FREQ AS I NORMALLY DO. EITHER STEP COULD HAVE GIVEN ME A WARNING OF TFC. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE OTHER PLANE WAS IN CONTACT WITH ATC. MY BEACON LIGHT WAS ON, BUT NOT THE LNDG OR TAXI LIGHT. THE PLANE I WAS IN IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH STROBES. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY LIGHTS ON THE OTHER PLANE. IF I HAD HAD STROBES, IT MIGHT HAVE HELPED THE OTHER PLT TO SEE AND AVOID ME.

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.