Narrative:

I had been in contact with anc approach, en route to lake hood strip. I asked for a deviation from far part 93, the special air regulation for the anchorage, al, area. Approach told me that I had several aircraft in the area to look for, one left and 2 to the right. The controller gave directions and distances, but after hearing the first 2 rapid reports, I only caught the direction of the third aircraft. I missed the distance. I did not ask for clarification, as both the controller and I were busy. I know I was. One of the aircraft to my right, a cessna on approach to elmendorf AFB, needed to be in sight in order for me to receive the requested deviation. I only had the aircraft to my left in sight, could not locate either aircraft to the right. I descended about 300 ft to comply with part 93. I reported that I only had the one to the left in sight and was looking for the 2 aircraft to the right. I did not report that I was descending, or that I intended to comply with part 93. Just as I turned further to the right, and descended, I saw an aircraft out the right side door's lower window. This aircraft (a piper cub series, or perhaps a husky) was 30-40 ft lower, and 20-30 ft behind and to my right. I passed in front of the airplane as I made the turn, flying diagonally across its flight path. Before I turned, I think this aircraft would have been slightly right, behind and below me, visible to me out the right side only by dipping the wing. We did not collide, and I kept the 2 aircraft insight, reporting my position and intentions to tower. The controller told me about the piper traffic, and I replied that I had it in sight, and that I had come pretty close to that aircraft. I did not see that aircraft take any evasive action at any time, so I do not know if that pilot saw me. I took no evasive action, as the near midair collision was over, just as I realized what had happened. There was no need for further evasive action. Lake hood tower was unable to establish radio communications with this aircraft. It was cleared to land, in the blind, after I was cleared to land. I watched the piper clear the airstrip as I taxied to parking. As I was stopped to make sure a truck yielded to me at a stop sign, I heard a very weak scratchy transmission, possibly saying 'down and clear,' as the piper cleared the runway. My engine was at idle, which helped me hear much more, and I was wearing a bose headset. The primary problem was the pilot's failure to see and avoid -- both pilots. A contributing factor is the funneling of aircraft to one area for the approach to lake hood. This is dangerous, and I am aware of the problem, but I obviously was not looking enough. Also, through part 93, arriving and departing aircraft over knik arm must all fly between 600-1200 ft, or above 2000 ft. This further serves as a funnel. If the departing cessna aircraft at my altitude had been lower, I would not have decided to deviate or descend. Still, I did not see the piper. Perhaps it did not see me. It remains a see and avoid problem. My head was swiveling the whole time I was inbound, and I was looking for traffic. If the piper had been in radio contact, perhaps the problem could have been more easily avoided. Factors: the airspace was crowded and the controller was busy. I chose not to talk on the radio when I should have asked for more information about the unseen aircraft. I could also have asked again for the deviation to part 93, or asked for clarification that I could deviate once I found it, without asking again for clearance. I prefer to fly higher, usually asking for a deviation. I could have also climbed to above 2000 ft, which would not have required a deviation. I took action to avoid a potential collision with the known aircraft (the oncoming cessna) without finding the unknown aircraft I had been told about. But, I had to move somewhere. I looked, but did not see the traffic. In my mind, I did not look hard enough, as the aircraft was there and I did not see it. I am happy to be here to report this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL INST RATED PLT FLYING A MAULE 7 NEAR ANC FAILED TO COMPLY WITH PUBLISHED PROCS RESULTING IN AN NMAC.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ANC APCH, ENRTE TO LAKE HOOD STRIP. I ASKED FOR A DEV FROM FAR PART 93, THE SPECIAL AIR REG FOR THE ANCHORAGE, AL, AREA. APCH TOLD ME THAT I HAD SEVERAL ACFT IN THE AREA TO LOOK FOR, ONE L AND 2 TO THE R. THE CTLR GAVE DIRECTIONS AND DISTANCES, BUT AFTER HEARING THE FIRST 2 RAPID RPTS, I ONLY CAUGHT THE DIRECTION OF THE THIRD ACFT. I MISSED THE DISTANCE. I DID NOT ASK FOR CLARIFICATION, AS BOTH THE CTLR AND I WERE BUSY. I KNOW I WAS. ONE OF THE ACFT TO MY R, A CESSNA ON APCH TO ELMENDORF AFB, NEEDED TO BE IN SIGHT IN ORDER FOR ME TO RECEIVE THE REQUESTED DEV. I ONLY HAD THE ACFT TO MY L IN SIGHT, COULD NOT LOCATE EITHER ACFT TO THE R. I DSNDED ABOUT 300 FT TO COMPLY WITH PART 93. I RPTED THAT I ONLY HAD THE ONE TO THE L IN SIGHT AND WAS LOOKING FOR THE 2 ACFT TO THE R. I DID NOT RPT THAT I WAS DSNDING, OR THAT I INTENDED TO COMPLY WITH PART 93. JUST AS I TURNED FURTHER TO THE R, AND DSNDED, I SAW AN ACFT OUT THE R SIDE DOOR'S LOWER WINDOW. THIS ACFT (A PIPER CUB SERIES, OR PERHAPS A HUSKY) WAS 30-40 FT LOWER, AND 20-30 FT BEHIND AND TO MY R. I PASSED IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE AS I MADE THE TURN, FLYING DIAGONALLY ACROSS ITS FLT PATH. BEFORE I TURNED, I THINK THIS ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY R, BEHIND AND BELOW ME, VISIBLE TO ME OUT THE R SIDE ONLY BY DIPPING THE WING. WE DID NOT COLLIDE, AND I KEPT THE 2 ACFT INSIGHT, RPTING MY POS AND INTENTIONS TO TWR. THE CTLR TOLD ME ABOUT THE PIPER TFC, AND I REPLIED THAT I HAD IT IN SIGHT, AND THAT I HAD COME PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT ACFT. I DID NOT SEE THAT ACFT TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION AT ANY TIME, SO I DO NOT KNOW IF THAT PLT SAW ME. I TOOK NO EVASIVE ACTION, AS THE NMAC WAS OVER, JUST AS I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THERE WAS NO NEED FOR FURTHER EVASIVE ACTION. LAKE HOOD TWR WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO COMS WITH THIS ACFT. IT WAS CLRED TO LAND, IN THE BLIND, AFTER I WAS CLRED TO LAND. I WATCHED THE PIPER CLR THE AIRSTRIP AS I TAXIED TO PARKING. AS I WAS STOPPED TO MAKE SURE A TRUCK YIELDED TO ME AT A STOP SIGN, I HEARD A VERY WEAK SCRATCHY XMISSION, POSSIBLY SAYING 'DOWN AND CLR,' AS THE PIPER CLRED THE RWY. MY ENG WAS AT IDLE, WHICH HELPED ME HEAR MUCH MORE, AND I WAS WEARING A BOSE HEADSET. THE PRIMARY PROB WAS THE PLT'S FAILURE TO SEE AND AVOID -- BOTH PLTS. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THE FUNNELING OF ACFT TO ONE AREA FOR THE APCH TO LAKE HOOD. THIS IS DANGEROUS, AND I AM AWARE OF THE PROB, BUT I OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT LOOKING ENOUGH. ALSO, THROUGH PART 93, ARRIVING AND DEPARTING ACFT OVER KNIK ARM MUST ALL FLY BTWN 600-1200 FT, OR ABOVE 2000 FT. THIS FURTHER SERVES AS A FUNNEL. IF THE DEPARTING CESSNA ACFT AT MY ALT HAD BEEN LOWER, I WOULD NOT HAVE DECIDED TO DEVIATE OR DSND. STILL, I DID NOT SEE THE PIPER. PERHAPS IT DID NOT SEE ME. IT REMAINS A SEE AND AVOID PROB. MY HEAD WAS SWIVELING THE WHOLE TIME I WAS INBOUND, AND I WAS LOOKING FOR TFC. IF THE PIPER HAD BEEN IN RADIO CONTACT, PERHAPS THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN MORE EASILY AVOIDED. FACTORS: THE AIRSPACE WAS CROWDED AND THE CTLR WAS BUSY. I CHOSE NOT TO TALK ON THE RADIO WHEN I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR MORE INFO ABOUT THE UNSEEN ACFT. I COULD ALSO HAVE ASKED AGAIN FOR THE DEV TO PART 93, OR ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION THAT I COULD DEVIATE ONCE I FOUND IT, WITHOUT ASKING AGAIN FOR CLRNC. I PREFER TO FLY HIGHER, USUALLY ASKING FOR A DEV. I COULD HAVE ALSO CLBED TO ABOVE 2000 FT, WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE REQUIRED A DEV. I TOOK ACTION TO AVOID A POTENTIAL COLLISION WITH THE KNOWN ACFT (THE ONCOMING CESSNA) WITHOUT FINDING THE UNKNOWN ACFT I HAD BEEN TOLD ABOUT. BUT, I HAD TO MOVE SOMEWHERE. I LOOKED, BUT DID NOT SEE THE TFC. IN MY MIND, I DID NOT LOOK HARD ENOUGH, AS THE ACFT WAS THERE AND I DID NOT SEE IT. I AM HAPPY TO BE HERE TO RPT THIS.

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.