Near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	313285
Time
Date	199508
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : prc
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Experimental
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	controller military : 20 controller non radar : 25 controller radar : 25 flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	313285
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This reporter was leader of a flight of 3 single seat experimental aircraft departing home base (prc) en route to a local practice area for formation air work and proficiency training. This type of mission is frequently flown by these particular pilots/aircraft. Missions are pre-briefed and flown in accordance with verbal flight leader's briefing as well as existing written SOP. After leaving prc tower frequency the division was switched to air to air communication (122.75). This was accomplished at approximately 5 NM from prc outbound. The flight leader (me) then commenced a climb with the division in free cruise formation. The wingmen (1 on each side of lead) stayed fairly close to the lead, however. Very shortly after this radio switch, I looked to the 10 O'clock level and saw a blue on white high wing cessna type aircraft closing fast which almost immediately passed beneath the formation from 10 O'clock to 4 O'clock. Vertical clearance was estimated 100 ft or less. I don't know if the cessna pilot(south) ever saw the formation or not. The airspace at and around prc is a busy, non-radar, see and be seen environment requiring extremely disciplined lookout doctrine and this reporter was very impressed with how quickly a near miss situation can develop! I believe future flts of this type should assume free cruise formation with loose interval as soon as practical after takeoff with all pilots briefed to be extremely vigilant for traffic conflicts. In this particular instance, only 1 of the 2 wingmen saw the traffic 'bogey' at all, and that only at the last moment prior to the pass.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: THIS RPTR WAS LEADER OF A FLT OF 3 SINGLE SEAT EXPERIMENTAL ACFT DEPARTING HOME BASE (PRC) ENRTE TO A LCL PRACTICE AREA FOR FORMATION AIR WORK AND PROFICIENCY TRAINING. THIS TYPE OF MISSION IS FREQUENTLY FLOWN BY THESE PARTICULAR PLTS/ACFT. MISSIONS ARE PRE-BRIEFED AND FLOWN IN ACCORDANCE WITH VERBAL FLT LEADER'S BRIEFING AS WELL AS EXISTING WRITTEN SOP. AFTER LEAVING PRC TWR FREQ THE DIVISION WAS SWITCHED TO AIR TO AIR COM (122.75). THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT APPROX 5 NM FROM PRC OUTBOUND. THE FLT LEADER (ME) THEN COMMENCED A CLB WITH THE DIVISION IN FREE CRUISE FORMATION. THE WINGMEN (1 ON EACH SIDE OF LEAD) STAYED FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE LEAD, HOWEVER. VERY SHORTLY AFTER THIS RADIO SWITCH, I LOOKED TO THE 10 O'CLOCK LEVEL AND SAW A BLUE ON WHITE HIGH WING CESSNA TYPE ACFT CLOSING FAST WHICH ALMOST IMMEDIATELY PASSED BENEATH THE FORMATION FROM 10 O'CLOCK TO 4 O'CLOCK. VERT CLRNC WAS ESTIMATED 100 FT OR LESS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE CESSNA PLT(S) EVER SAW THE FORMATION OR NOT. THE AIRSPACE AT AND AROUND PRC IS A BUSY, NON-RADAR, SEE AND BE SEEN ENVIRONMENT REQUIRING EXTREMELY DISCIPLINED LOOKOUT DOCTRINE AND THIS RPTR WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW QUICKLY A NEAR MISS SIT CAN DEVELOP! I BELIEVE FUTURE FLTS OF THIS TYPE SHOULD ASSUME FREE CRUISE FORMATION WITH LOOSE INTERVAL AS SOON AS PRACTICAL AFTER TKOF WITH ALL PLTS BRIEFED TO BE EXTREMELY VIGILANT FOR TFC CONFLICTS. IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, ONLY 1 OF THE 2 WINGMEN SAW THE TFC 'BOGEY' AT ALL, AND THAT ONLY AT THE LAST MOMENT PRIOR TO THE PASS.

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.