Near midair collision between a cessna 182 in a slow climb to a VFR cruise altitude and an small air...

Attributes
ACN	345322
Time
Date	199608
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : blu
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12250 msl bound upper : 12250
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 550 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	345322
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 50 vertical : 90
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was flying westward from truckee towards sacramento at 10500 ft and decided to climb to 12500 ft in order to get above the haze layer (probably due to the forest fires). While climbing at 300 FPM to 12500 ft and at around 12250 ft, I saw the other aircraft passing below me, to the right of the aircraft (having been alerted by a passenger). My landing light had been on since I was flying over truckee airspace which I assumed could be busy. Visibility was poor but above minimums. I attempted to contact ZOA for flight following while I was approaching truckee from the north. Having no success, I tried 126.85, contacted ZOA and was asked to stand by. While monitoring this frequency, I heard the other aircraft announce my presence to center and it was close to that time that I saw this aircraft passing under me in an opposite direction. Shortly after this, I was able to obtain flight following and mentioned the traffic to the controller. Lessons: 1) obtain flight following as early in a flight as possible and if no response on one frequency, try another one shortly thereafter. 2) it would be good if center frequencys were published on the sectional charts to simplify the task of selecting the best frequency given the local terrain. I am slightly surprised that the other aircraft which either had flight following or was on an instrument flight plan received no conflict alerts from center. Either the returns from my aircraft were too weak or the controller was too busy. I know that the controllers always do a superb job on calling traffic whenever they are able. Final lesson: file VFR in poor visibility conditions to get maximum protection from our excellent ATC system! Also, I need to think more about occasional lowering of the nose to try to spot other aircraft while climbing, however, given that the other aircraft was below me, it would probably not have helped here.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A CESSNA 182 IN A SLOW CLB TO A VFR CRUISE ALT AND AN SMA SEL CESSNA TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AT, OR NEAR AN IFR ALT IN COM WITH ATC.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING WESTWARD FROM TRUCKEE TOWARDS SACRAMENTO AT 10500 FT AND DECIDED TO CLB TO 12500 FT IN ORDER TO GET ABOVE THE HAZE LAYER (PROBABLY DUE TO THE FOREST FIRES). WHILE CLBING AT 300 FPM TO 12500 FT AND AT AROUND 12250 FT, I SAW THE OTHER ACFT PASSING BELOW ME, TO THE R OF THE ACFT (HAVING BEEN ALERTED BY A PAX). MY LNDG LIGHT HAD BEEN ON SINCE I WAS FLYING OVER TRUCKEE AIRSPACE WHICH I ASSUMED COULD BE BUSY. VISIBILITY WAS POOR BUT ABOVE MINIMUMS. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ZOA FOR FLT FOLLOWING WHILE I WAS APCHING TRUCKEE FROM THE N. HAVING NO SUCCESS, I TRIED 126.85, CONTACTED ZOA AND WAS ASKED TO STAND BY. WHILE MONITORING THIS FREQ, I HEARD THE OTHER ACFT ANNOUNCE MY PRESENCE TO CTR AND IT WAS CLOSE TO THAT TIME THAT I SAW THIS ACFT PASSING UNDER ME IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, I WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN FLT FOLLOWING AND MENTIONED THE TFC TO THE CTLR. LESSONS: 1) OBTAIN FLT FOLLOWING AS EARLY IN A FLT AS POSSIBLE AND IF NO RESPONSE ON ONE FREQ, TRY ANOTHER ONE SHORTLY THEREAFTER. 2) IT WOULD BE GOOD IF CTR FREQS WERE PUBLISHED ON THE SECTIONAL CHARTS TO SIMPLIFY THE TASK OF SELECTING THE BEST FREQ GIVEN THE LCL TERRAIN. I AM SLIGHTLY SURPRISED THAT THE OTHER ACFT WHICH EITHER HAD FLT FOLLOWING OR WAS ON AN INST FLT PLAN RECEIVED NO CONFLICT ALERTS FROM CTR. EITHER THE RETURNS FROM MY ACFT WERE TOO WEAK OR THE CTLR WAS TOO BUSY. I KNOW THAT THE CTLRS ALWAYS DO A SUPERB JOB ON CALLING TFC WHENEVER THEY ARE ABLE. FINAL LESSON: FILE VFR IN POOR VISIBILITY CONDITIONS TO GET MAX PROTECTION FROM OUR EXCELLENT ATC SYS! ALSO, I NEED TO THINK MORE ABOUT OCCASIONAL LOWERING OF THE NOSE TO TRY TO SPOT OTHER ACFT WHILE CLBING, HOWEVER, GIVEN THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS BELOW ME, IT WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE HELPED HERE.

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.

Near midair collision between a cessna 182 in a slow climb to a VFR cruise altitude and an small aircraft sel cessna traveling in the opposite direction at, or near an IFR altitude in communication with ATC.