C152 has an near midair collision with another cessna in the atl area.

Attributes
ACN	349931
Time
Date	199610
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pdk
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	349931
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 100 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I passed over another cessna about 20-60 seconds after turning from east to north. The other cessna passed below and from right to left. Traffic is difficult to spot when below. Alternating landing lights flashing would have been helpful. The cityscape obscured. My scan may have been affected by photographing, but I did look before turning. While carrying a camera while alone was not wise, spotting the other airplane would have been a combination of full time scanning for traffic and luck. Seeing other aircraft below you is very difficult in a cityscape backgnd. Strobes or other lights would help considerably. Pilots sightseeing can relax traffic scans. Contributing to the risk is the creation of airspace zones restricting VFR sightseeing flts to narrow altitude bands. Immediately south of the atlanta skyscrapers, and over the skyscrapers, the altitude must be 3100 ft to 3500 ft MSL. That does not include being 'at an altitude should a power unit fail, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface' or related 'careless and reckless' considerations. Yet single engine sightseeing grows over atlanta as touring and biplane operators grow.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 HAS AN NMAC WITH ANOTHER CESSNA IN THE ATL AREA.

Narrative: I PASSED OVER ANOTHER CESSNA ABOUT 20-60 SECONDS AFTER TURNING FROM E TO N. THE OTHER CESSNA PASSED BELOW AND FROM R TO L. TFC IS DIFFICULT TO SPOT WHEN BELOW. ALTERNATING LNDG LIGHTS FLASHING WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL. THE CITYSCAPE OBSCURED. MY SCAN MAY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY PHOTOGRAPHING, BUT I DID LOOK BEFORE TURNING. WHILE CARRYING A CAMERA WHILE ALONE WAS NOT WISE, SPOTTING THE OTHER AIRPLANE WOULD HAVE BEEN A COMBINATION OF FULL TIME SCANNING FOR TFC AND LUCK. SEEING OTHER ACFT BELOW YOU IS VERY DIFFICULT IN A CITYSCAPE BACKGND. STROBES OR OTHER LIGHTS WOULD HELP CONSIDERABLY. PLTS SIGHTSEEING CAN RELAX TFC SCANS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE RISK IS THE CREATION OF AIRSPACE ZONES RESTRICTING VFR SIGHTSEEING FLTS TO NARROW ALT BANDS. IMMEDIATELY S OF THE ATLANTA SKYSCRAPERS, AND OVER THE SKYSCRAPERS, THE ALT MUST BE 3100 FT TO 3500 FT MSL. THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE BEING 'AT AN ALT SHOULD A PWR UNIT FAIL, AN EMER LNDG WITHOUT UNDUE HAZARD TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY ON THE SURFACE' OR RELATED 'CARELESS AND RECKLESS' CONSIDERATIONS. YET SINGLE ENG SIGHTSEEING GROWS OVER ATLANTA AS TOURING AND BIPLANE OPERATORS GROW.

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.