Narrative:

This incident had the classic ingredients of midair collisions as I have read of them: good VFR WX, a low wing aircraft (aztec) descending, and a high wing aircraft (twin otter) climbing. I was in an extended descent approximately 20 mi from my airport of intended landing, and had been monitoring center frequency for traffic. I had just switched over to approach frequency to continue monitoring as I descended into their airspace. I was entering a charted parachute jump area (with which I was familiar because it is in my local area), and had heard a parachute jump aircraft in a descent on center frequency a few mins before. Therefore, although I was scanning for traffic in this area, I was not expecting the jump aircraft to be a factor for me. As it turned out, my assumption was faulty, for when I switched to approach frequency, I heard the controller pointing out a target to the jump aircraft as it checked on in a climb -- and the altitude and location of the target fit my airplane. Sure enough, as I looked down, I spotted the twin otter climbing almost directly below me. I immediately stopped my descent and began a turn to clear the aircraft. I estimate that we were within 200 ft vertically of each other, and my aircraft was slightly ahead of and pulling away slowly from the aircraft. This was far too close for comfort! I cannot say with certainty what would have happened if I had not been monitoring the approach frequency, but the near miss may have been even closer. Lessons learned: on the rare occasions under VMC when I do not file IFR for safety, I almost always attempt to receive VFR advisories from ATC facilities. In this case I did not. I'm sure that this situation would not have developed if I had been. Although the other aircraft was receiving advisories, I believe he had checked on with approach control so recently that there was little time for the controller to appraise him of me as traffic before a potential near midair collision situation developed. The fact that controllers sometimes are 'too busy' to issue advisories is no reason not to make the request. I will never again fail to. The jump aircraft, painted a dark color, was hard to spot from above. Nevertheless, the procedure of making shallow turns while in a descent (as recommended in the aim) might have helped me to spot this traffic sooner, although I suspect that the geometry of our closing was very bad in this respect. Lastly, since I was not receiving advisories, it would have been wise of me simply to circumnav the parachute jump area. Familiarity with the local area and proximity to my home plate destination perhaps bred some complacency -- potentially fatal ingredients. This incident made a very strong impression on me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DSNDING PIPER AZTEC CPR PLT HAS AN NMAC WITH A CLBING DHC6 SKYDIVING ACFT 16 MI W OF IGN, NY.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT HAD THE CLASSIC INGREDIENTS OF MIDAIR COLLISIONS AS I HAVE READ OF THEM: GOOD VFR WX, A LOW WING ACFT (AZTEC) DSNDING, AND A HIGH WING ACFT (TWIN OTTER) CLBING. I WAS IN AN EXTENDED DSCNT APPROX 20 MI FROM MY ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG, AND HAD BEEN MONITORING CTR FREQ FOR TFC. I HAD JUST SWITCHED OVER TO APCH FREQ TO CONTINUE MONITORING AS I DSNDED INTO THEIR AIRSPACE. I WAS ENTERING A CHARTED PARACHUTE JUMP AREA (WITH WHICH I WAS FAMILIAR BECAUSE IT IS IN MY LCL AREA), AND HAD HEARD A PARACHUTE JUMP ACFT IN A DSCNT ON CTR FREQ A FEW MINS BEFORE. THEREFORE, ALTHOUGH I WAS SCANNING FOR TFC IN THIS AREA, I WAS NOT EXPECTING THE JUMP ACFT TO BE A FACTOR FOR ME. AS IT TURNED OUT, MY ASSUMPTION WAS FAULTY, FOR WHEN I SWITCHED TO APCH FREQ, I HEARD THE CTLR POINTING OUT A TARGET TO THE JUMP ACFT AS IT CHKED ON IN A CLB -- AND THE ALT AND LOCATION OF THE TARGET FIT MY AIRPLANE. SURE ENOUGH, AS I LOOKED DOWN, I SPOTTED THE TWIN OTTER CLBING ALMOST DIRECTLY BELOW ME. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED MY DSCNT AND BEGAN A TURN TO CLR THE ACFT. I ESTIMATE THAT WE WERE WITHIN 200 FT VERTLY OF EACH OTHER, AND MY ACFT WAS SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF AND PULLING AWAY SLOWLY FROM THE ACFT. THIS WAS FAR TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT! I CANNOT SAY WITH CERTAINTY WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD NOT BEEN MONITORING THE APCH FREQ, BUT THE NEAR MISS MAY HAVE BEEN EVEN CLOSER. LESSONS LEARNED: ON THE RARE OCCASIONS UNDER VMC WHEN I DO NOT FILE IFR FOR SAFETY, I ALMOST ALWAYS ATTEMPT TO RECEIVE VFR ADVISORIES FROM ATC FACILITIES. IN THIS CASE I DID NOT. I'M SURE THAT THIS SIT WOULD NOT HAVE DEVELOPED IF I HAD BEEN. ALTHOUGH THE OTHER ACFT WAS RECEIVING ADVISORIES, I BELIEVE HE HAD CHKED ON WITH APCH CTL SO RECENTLY THAT THERE WAS LITTLE TIME FOR THE CTLR TO APPRAISE HIM OF ME AS TFC BEFORE A POTENTIAL NMAC SIT DEVELOPED. THE FACT THAT CTLRS SOMETIMES ARE 'TOO BUSY' TO ISSUE ADVISORIES IS NO REASON NOT TO MAKE THE REQUEST. I WILL NEVER AGAIN FAIL TO. THE JUMP ACFT, PAINTED A DARK COLOR, WAS HARD TO SPOT FROM ABOVE. NEVERTHELESS, THE PROC OF MAKING SHALLOW TURNS WHILE IN A DSCNT (AS RECOMMENDED IN THE AIM) MIGHT HAVE HELPED ME TO SPOT THIS TFC SOONER, ALTHOUGH I SUSPECT THAT THE GEOMETRY OF OUR CLOSING WAS VERY BAD IN THIS RESPECT. LASTLY, SINCE I WAS NOT RECEIVING ADVISORIES, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WISE OF ME SIMPLY TO CIRCUMNAV THE PARACHUTE JUMP AREA. FAMILIARITY WITH THE LCL AREA AND PROX TO MY HOME PLATE DEST PERHAPS BRED SOME COMPLACENCY -- POTENTIALLY FATAL INGREDIENTS. THIS INCIDENT MADE A VERY STRONG IMPRESSION ON ME.

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.