Narrative:

We were at the completion of a BFR training flight. I was the CFI giving the BFR, therefore the PNF. We were in the newhall practice area, and had completed the airwork for the day, and was heading back to whiteman airport for landing, which is the home base of the aircraft. Before reaching the newhall pass, we contacted socal approach for VFR flight following and clearance to enter the class C airspace. We were issued a squawk code and proceeded towards the airport. Over the pass, we began a normal descent to the airport, approximately 3 degrees. We were issued no traffic around us (just planes departing or in the pattern at the airport) and were told to contact the tower and squawk 1200. We contacted the tower and reported our position (using an IFR certified GPS) and that we were inbound. Another aircraft, also reported inbound approximately 1/2 mi ahead of us. We scanned the area and could not locate the other aircraft. The tower requested another position report from us. We were closing rapidly. Again we scanned, and could not locate the other airplane. We concluded that either the other pilot was probably lost, or not accurate regarding distance out. The tower controller asked a 3RD time for position reports, and the other airplane stated that we were passing directly overhead 100 ft above him. Both planes landed safely. The pilot of the other plane, while taxiing, made a very rude remark about us passing him. We never saw him. The other plane was an off-white, which probably blended perfectly into the surrounding sky. I speculate that the pilot of the other plane came through the pass low, so as to avoid flying through the class C airspace. Doing this meant that he may not have been picked up on radar by approach control. I also suspect that the controller was a trainee. Granted, according to the far's he had the right of way, but with his airplane color and speed (much slower), plus his dipping under the airspace (like scud running), made for a potentially dangerous situation, especially in light that a midair collision occurred in the same area the very next day. There is nothing that can be done to stop pilots from dipping under the airspace and flying a fairly long approach in level flight before descending to land, but things need to be done to help avoid this problem. The tower should have a d-brite radar scope installed. This would provide an extra pair of eyes for them. Also the tower should have asked for, and both pilots should have provided not only distance out but altitude. This may have avoided our airplanes getting as close as we did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C210 TRAINING FLT HAS AN NMAC WITH ANOTHER GA ACFT, BOTH VFR, APCHING WHP, CA.

Narrative: WE WERE AT THE COMPLETION OF A BFR TRAINING FLT. I WAS THE CFI GIVING THE BFR, THEREFORE THE PNF. WE WERE IN THE NEWHALL PRACTICE AREA, AND HAD COMPLETED THE AIRWORK FOR THE DAY, AND WAS HEADING BACK TO WHITEMAN ARPT FOR LNDG, WHICH IS THE HOME BASE OF THE ACFT. BEFORE REACHING THE NEWHALL PASS, WE CONTACTED SOCAL APCH FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING AND CLRNC TO ENTER THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. WE WERE ISSUED A SQUAWK CODE AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE ARPT. OVER THE PASS, WE BEGAN A NORMAL DSCNT TO THE ARPT, APPROX 3 DEGS. WE WERE ISSUED NO TFC AROUND US (JUST PLANES DEPARTING OR IN THE PATTERN AT THE ARPT) AND WERE TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR AND SQUAWK 1200. WE CONTACTED THE TWR AND RPTED OUR POS (USING AN IFR CERTIFIED GPS) AND THAT WE WERE INBOUND. ANOTHER ACFT, ALSO RPTED INBOUND APPROX 1/2 MI AHEAD OF US. WE SCANNED THE AREA AND COULD NOT LOCATE THE OTHER ACFT. THE TWR REQUESTED ANOTHER POS RPT FROM US. WE WERE CLOSING RAPIDLY. AGAIN WE SCANNED, AND COULD NOT LOCATE THE OTHER AIRPLANE. WE CONCLUDED THAT EITHER THE OTHER PLT WAS PROBABLY LOST, OR NOT ACCURATE REGARDING DISTANCE OUT. THE TWR CTLR ASKED A 3RD TIME FOR POS RPTS, AND THE OTHER AIRPLANE STATED THAT WE WERE PASSING DIRECTLY OVERHEAD 100 FT ABOVE HIM. BOTH PLANES LANDED SAFELY. THE PLT OF THE OTHER PLANE, WHILE TAXIING, MADE A VERY RUDE REMARK ABOUT US PASSING HIM. WE NEVER SAW HIM. THE OTHER PLANE WAS AN OFF-WHITE, WHICH PROBABLY BLENDED PERFECTLY INTO THE SURROUNDING SKY. I SPECULATE THAT THE PLT OF THE OTHER PLANE CAME THROUGH THE PASS LOW, SO AS TO AVOID FLYING THROUGH THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. DOING THIS MEANT THAT HE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PICKED UP ON RADAR BY APCH CTL. I ALSO SUSPECT THAT THE CTLR WAS A TRAINEE. GRANTED, ACCORDING TO THE FAR'S HE HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY, BUT WITH HIS AIRPLANE COLOR AND SPD (MUCH SLOWER), PLUS HIS DIPPING UNDER THE AIRSPACE (LIKE SCUD RUNNING), MADE FOR A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT THAT A MIDAIR COLLISION OCCURRED IN THE SAME AREA THE VERY NEXT DAY. THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO STOP PLTS FROM DIPPING UNDER THE AIRSPACE AND FLYING A FAIRLY LONG APCH IN LEVEL FLT BEFORE DSNDING TO LAND, BUT THINGS NEED TO BE DONE TO HELP AVOID THIS PROB. THE TWR SHOULD HAVE A D-BRITE RADAR SCOPE INSTALLED. THIS WOULD PROVIDE AN EXTRA PAIR OF EYES FOR THEM. ALSO THE TWR SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR, AND BOTH PLTS SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED NOT ONLY DISTANCE OUT BUT ALT. THIS MAY HAVE AVOIDED OUR AIRPLANES GETTING AS CLOSE AS WE DID.

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.