Narrative:

The visibility was 10 mi and winds were out of the northwest at 10-15 KTS. I was following the white sulphur springs VOR (108.4 ssu) from south of bluefield and north of peters mountain to ingalls airport near hot springs, va, at an altitude of 3500 ft MSL. My approximately course was 50 degrees. I also kept track of my position by identing local terrain features and I also had a LORAN unit set for ingalls airport. The white sulphur springs VOR is southwest of greenbrier valley airport which is class D with a class east airspace surrounding the outer perimeter. Near the ssu VOR I tuned in the greenbrier valley, ct, frequency to monitor traffic, but I changed my mind after a few seconds, switched to ingalls unicom because I thought it made more sense to listen to ingalls since I was clear of greenbrier valley airport. I made a point of passing south of the ssu VOR so that I would remain clear of the greenbrier control zones. Another advantage of deviating slightly south of the ssu VOR was being able to fly over valleys and keep good emergency landing sites within easy gliding distance. Somewhere around XX35 pm (local) I was southeast of the greenbrier airport on an approximately heading of 65 degrees when a white and blue cessna appeared to my left hand side in front of me and above me. The cessna was at least a couple of hundred ft above me and appeared to be on a swesterly heading because it crossed approximately 90 degrees to me from left to right. I pushed the yoke forward upon seeing the cessna and lost a couple of hundred ft even though it was quite apparent that there was no immediate danger of collision. The right wing of the cessna dipped in my direction as I performed this action, which indicated to me that the pilot of the cessna also had me in sight. I had the cessna in view for several seconds. I assumed that we both had seen one another and taken appropriate actions to avoid a collision. After scanning the horizon I started climbing again to my original altitude of 3500 ft MSL. About a min or 2 later, the same blue and white cessna flew within a hundred ft of my right side parallel to my flight path at a considerably higher speed. I knew something must have been wrong so I immediately tuned back into greenbrier valley tower on 118.9. The cessna broke to the right several hundred yards in front of me and I heard the last part of a transmission saying 'I think it was abcd.' I asked the tower if there was a problem. The same voice which reported my tail number to the tower snapped at me over the radio that I had come within 75 ft of hitting his aircraft. I was then informed by a very calm voice of the tower that I had nearly collided with another aircraft. Greenbrier valley tower then asked for my tail number and my destination. I provided all of this information, apologized for any troubles I may have caused. I also asked if there were any further actions I should take with regards to the matter. The tower responded that no further actions on my part were necessary. However, the fact remains that the white and blue cessna was to my left and converging on me at approximately a 90 degree angle from left to right. According to the FARS, I had the right of way. Common sense and a desire for longevity dictates that we should both take appropriate actions to avoid a collision. After further review of the situation, I realize it would have been prudent to contact greenbrier valley tower prior to my arrival in the area and inform them of my position and course even though I was outside of their airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC IN PROX OF CLASS E AIRSPACE. TFC NOT SIGHTED UNTIL LAST MOMENT. EVASIVE ACTION DSCNT.

Narrative: THE VISIBILITY WAS 10 MI AND WINDS WERE OUT OF THE NW AT 10-15 KTS. I WAS FOLLOWING THE WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS VOR (108.4 SSU) FROM S OF BLUEFIELD AND N OF PETERS MOUNTAIN TO INGALLS ARPT NEAR HOT SPRINGS, VA, AT AN ALT OF 3500 FT MSL. MY APPROX COURSE WAS 50 DEGS. I ALSO KEPT TRACK OF MY POS BY IDENTING LCL TERRAIN FEATURES AND I ALSO HAD A LORAN UNIT SET FOR INGALLS ARPT. THE WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS VOR IS SW OF GREENBRIER VALLEY ARPT WHICH IS CLASS D WITH A CLASS E AIRSPACE SURROUNDING THE OUTER PERIMETER. NEAR THE SSU VOR I TUNED IN THE GREENBRIER VALLEY, CT, FREQ TO MONITOR TFC, BUT I CHANGED MY MIND AFTER A FEW SECONDS, SWITCHED TO INGALLS UNICOM BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT MADE MORE SENSE TO LISTEN TO INGALLS SINCE I WAS CLR OF GREENBRIER VALLEY ARPT. I MADE A POINT OF PASSING S OF THE SSU VOR SO THAT I WOULD REMAIN CLR OF THE GREENBRIER CTL ZONES. ANOTHER ADVANTAGE OF DEVIATING SLIGHTLY S OF THE SSU VOR WAS BEING ABLE TO FLY OVER VALLEYS AND KEEP GOOD EMER LNDG SITES WITHIN EASY GLIDING DISTANCE. SOMEWHERE AROUND XX35 PM (LCL) I WAS SE OF THE GREENBRIER ARPT ON AN APPROX HEADING OF 65 DEGS WHEN A WHITE AND BLUE CESSNA APPEARED TO MY L HAND SIDE IN FRONT OF ME AND ABOVE ME. THE CESSNA WAS AT LEAST A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT ABOVE ME AND APPEARED TO BE ON A SWESTERLY HEADING BECAUSE IT CROSSED APPROX 90 DEGS TO ME FROM L TO R. I PUSHED THE YOKE FORWARD UPON SEEING THE CESSNA AND LOST A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS QUITE APPARENT THAT THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE DANGER OF COLLISION. THE R WING OF THE CESSNA DIPPED IN MY DIRECTION AS I PERFORMED THIS ACTION, WHICH INDICATED TO ME THAT THE PLT OF THE CESSNA ALSO HAD ME IN SIGHT. I HAD THE CESSNA IN VIEW FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. I ASSUMED THAT WE BOTH HAD SEEN ONE ANOTHER AND TAKEN APPROPRIATE ACTIONS TO AVOID A COLLISION. AFTER SCANNING THE HORIZON I STARTED CLBING AGAIN TO MY ORIGINAL ALT OF 3500 FT MSL. ABOUT A MIN OR 2 LATER, THE SAME BLUE AND WHITE CESSNA FLEW WITHIN A HUNDRED FT OF MY R SIDE PARALLEL TO MY FLT PATH AT A CONSIDERABLY HIGHER SPD. I KNEW SOMETHING MUST HAVE BEEN WRONG SO I IMMEDIATELY TUNED BACK INTO GREENBRIER VALLEY TWR ON 118.9. THE CESSNA BROKE TO THE R SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS IN FRONT OF ME AND I HEARD THE LAST PART OF A XMISSION SAYING 'I THINK IT WAS ABCD.' I ASKED THE TWR IF THERE WAS A PROB. THE SAME VOICE WHICH RPTED MY TAIL NUMBER TO THE TWR SNAPPED AT ME OVER THE RADIO THAT I HAD COME WITHIN 75 FT OF HITTING HIS ACFT. I WAS THEN INFORMED BY A VERY CALM VOICE OF THE TWR THAT I HAD NEARLY COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER ACFT. GREENBRIER VALLEY TWR THEN ASKED FOR MY TAIL NUMBER AND MY DEST. I PROVIDED ALL OF THIS INFO, APOLOGIZED FOR ANY TROUBLES I MAY HAVE CAUSED. I ALSO ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY FURTHER ACTIONS I SHOULD TAKE WITH REGARDS TO THE MATTER. THE TWR RESPONDED THAT NO FURTHER ACTIONS ON MY PART WERE NECESSARY. HOWEVER, THE FACT REMAINS THAT THE WHITE AND BLUE CESSNA WAS TO MY L AND CONVERGING ON ME AT APPROX A 90 DEG ANGLE FROM L TO R. ACCORDING TO THE FARS, I HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY. COMMON SENSE AND A DESIRE FOR LONGEVITY DICTATES THAT WE SHOULD BOTH TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS TO AVOID A COLLISION. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW OF THE SIT, I REALIZE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT TO CONTACT GREENBRIER VALLEY TWR PRIOR TO MY ARR IN THE AREA AND INFORM THEM OF MY POS AND COURSE EVEN THOUGH I WAS OUTSIDE OF THEIR AIRSPACE.

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.