Narrative:

We stopped for fuel at lacrosse, wi, and got a WX briefing for a flight from lacrosse to hartington, northeast, via vors at mankato, redwood falls, brookings (sd), sioux falls, yankton. Route was to go around a front with low ceilings and visibility and thunderstorms. After leaving lacrosse, I inadvertently flew south of intended route, which was the 270 degree radial from lse. Corrected heading to retrack 270 degree radial and was on radial when a very large airport came into view about 40 mi after leaving lacrosse. Visibility was about 5 mi and ceiling was about 3500 ft AGL. I was at 2700 ft MSL, I was very surprised. The intended route was 5 mi north of airport and 1 mi outside of class D airspace. About 30 seconds after seeing the airport and wondering what its identify was, I saw a cessna at my 8 O'clock position (approximately 200 ft lower and approximately 400 ft away) making an evasive move to their right. I did not react because I was past their direction of flight. I was using 2 VOR receivers and 2 navigation-communication radios. Both were checked on mar/xx/95, by an FBO and radio #2 was adjusted 5 degrees, radio #1 was okay. I was using radio #1 as the primary guide on aug/xx/96, radio #2 seemed to be a little off. At the time of the incident, I was 5 mi south of intended course and about 42 NM from the lacrosse VOR. I was about 65 NM from the mankato VOR and so was relying on the lacrosse VOR. I had not set the mankato VOR on the radio. One contributing factor to the incident was the low accuracy of the navigation-communication radio which showed I was on the 270 degree radial. I was using a current sectional map for pilotage, but the reduced visibility reduced its usefulness. I knew I should be near the large city of rochester, mn, and a major highway, but could not see them, so my confidence in the VOR and navigation-communication radio was not high. I was tracking in a slightly north heading to try to locate the major highway because I did not cross it previously. I had been flying about 25 mins when the incident occurred. Earlier in the day I had departed oshkosh, wi, and flew to lacrosse by pilotage and VOR radial without problems. The remainder of the flight from rochester, mn, to vors at mankato, redwood falls, sioux falls, and yankton were on course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT HAD AN NMAC WITH ANOTHER SMA NEAR RST. THE RPTR WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH BOTH HIS VOR AND PILOTAGE NAV. ERROR ADMITTED. EVASIVE ACTION (ACFT Y).

Narrative: WE STOPPED FOR FUEL AT LACROSSE, WI, AND GOT A WX BRIEFING FOR A FLT FROM LACROSSE TO HARTINGTON, NE, VIA VORS AT MANKATO, REDWOOD FALLS, BROOKINGS (SD), SIOUX FALLS, YANKTON. RTE WAS TO GO AROUND A FRONT WITH LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY AND TSTMS. AFTER LEAVING LACROSSE, I INADVERTENTLY FLEW S OF INTENDED RTE, WHICH WAS THE 270 DEG RADIAL FROM LSE. CORRECTED HEADING TO RETRACK 270 DEG RADIAL AND WAS ON RADIAL WHEN A VERY LARGE ARPT CAME INTO VIEW ABOUT 40 MI AFTER LEAVING LACROSSE. VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 5 MI AND CEILING WAS ABOUT 3500 FT AGL. I WAS AT 2700 FT MSL, I WAS VERY SURPRISED. THE INTENDED RTE WAS 5 MI N OF ARPT AND 1 MI OUTSIDE OF CLASS D AIRSPACE. ABOUT 30 SECONDS AFTER SEEING THE ARPT AND WONDERING WHAT ITS IDENT WAS, I SAW A CESSNA AT MY 8 O'CLOCK POS (APPROX 200 FT LOWER AND APPROX 400 FT AWAY) MAKING AN EVASIVE MOVE TO THEIR R. I DID NOT REACT BECAUSE I WAS PAST THEIR DIRECTION OF FLT. I WAS USING 2 VOR RECEIVERS AND 2 NAV-COM RADIOS. BOTH WERE CHKED ON MAR/XX/95, BY AN FBO AND RADIO #2 WAS ADJUSTED 5 DEGS, RADIO #1 WAS OKAY. I WAS USING RADIO #1 AS THE PRIMARY GUIDE ON AUG/XX/96, RADIO #2 SEEMED TO BE A LITTLE OFF. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, I WAS 5 MI S OF INTENDED COURSE AND ABOUT 42 NM FROM THE LACROSSE VOR. I WAS ABOUT 65 NM FROM THE MANKATO VOR AND SO WAS RELYING ON THE LACROSSE VOR. I HAD NOT SET THE MANKATO VOR ON THE RADIO. ONE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE INCIDENT WAS THE LOW ACCURACY OF THE NAV-COM RADIO WHICH SHOWED I WAS ON THE 270 DEG RADIAL. I WAS USING A CURRENT SECTIONAL MAP FOR PILOTAGE, BUT THE REDUCED VISIBILITY REDUCED ITS USEFULNESS. I KNEW I SHOULD BE NEAR THE LARGE CITY OF ROCHESTER, MN, AND A MAJOR HWY, BUT COULD NOT SEE THEM, SO MY CONFIDENCE IN THE VOR AND NAV-COM RADIO WAS NOT HIGH. I WAS TRACKING IN A SLIGHTLY N HEADING TO TRY TO LOCATE THE MAJOR HWY BECAUSE I DID NOT CROSS IT PREVIOUSLY. I HAD BEEN FLYING ABOUT 25 MINS WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. EARLIER IN THE DAY I HAD DEPARTED OSHKOSH, WI, AND FLEW TO LACROSSE BY PILOTAGE AND VOR RADIAL WITHOUT PROBS. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT FROM ROCHESTER, MN, TO VORS AT MANKATO, REDWOOD FALLS, SIOUX FALLS, AND YANKTON WERE ON COURSE.

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.