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A forestry fire patrol pilot had an near midair collision with a C172 while looking down for a fire.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 479394 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200007 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | MS |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 665 |
| ASRS Report | 479394 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 75 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
On jul/xa/00 at XA30, while flying forestry fire patrol for the state of ms, an near midair collision occurred with another C172 near osx (kosciusko, ms). I was on a heading of 270 degrees toward a fire I had spotted. I noticed to my right and above 2 military T45's heading south on ir-44. As they turned at kosciusko to continue on ir-44 I made a 90 degree left turn to see where they were going. After I determined they were traveling away from my position, I made a right 90 degree turn back toward west and the fire. I observed at this time a C172 making a climbing right turn away from me. My altitude at the time of the incident was 2500 ft MSL, which is the altitude I had been flying for the fire patrol. I had been monitoring the CTAF at osx, but I can't be sure that the selector switch on the avionics control panel was on, as I had been talking to the forestry dispatchers on a separate VHF-FM radio. To correct this, I should have verified the selector switch was on, and I should have made calls on CTAF to announce my location. I should spend more time on a scan for other aircraft and not spend all my time looking down. The ms forestry commission planes are in the process of being repainted in a high visibility paint scheme, similar to the cap aircraft. This should help with aircraft avoidance. We have wingtip strobes on all our aircraft, but larger or more strobes may be necessary.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A FORESTRY FIRE PATROL PLT HAD AN NMAC WITH A C172 WHILE LOOKING DOWN FOR A FIRE.
Narrative: ON JUL/XA/00 AT XA30, WHILE FLYING FORESTRY FIRE PATROL FOR THE STATE OF MS, AN NMAC OCCURRED WITH ANOTHER C172 NEAR OSX (KOSCIUSKO, MS). I WAS ON A HDG OF 270 DEGS TOWARD A FIRE I HAD SPOTTED. I NOTICED TO MY R AND ABOVE 2 MIL T45'S HDG S ON IR-44. AS THEY TURNED AT KOSCIUSKO TO CONTINUE ON IR-44 I MADE A 90 DEG L TURN TO SEE WHERE THEY WERE GOING. AFTER I DETERMINED THEY WERE TRAVELING AWAY FROM MY POS, I MADE A R 90 DEG TURN BACK TOWARD W AND THE FIRE. I OBSERVED AT THIS TIME A C172 MAKING A CLBING R TURN AWAY FROM ME. MY ALT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS 2500 FT MSL, WHICH IS THE ALT I HAD BEEN FLYING FOR THE FIRE PATROL. I HAD BEEN MONITORING THE CTAF AT OSX, BUT I CAN'T BE SURE THAT THE SELECTOR SWITCH ON THE AVIONICS CTL PANEL WAS ON, AS I HAD BEEN TALKING TO THE FORESTRY DISPATCHERS ON A SEPARATE VHF-FM RADIO. TO CORRECT THIS, I SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED THE SELECTOR SWITCH WAS ON, AND I SHOULD HAVE MADE CALLS ON CTAF TO ANNOUNCE MY LOCATION. I SHOULD SPEND MORE TIME ON A SCAN FOR OTHER ACFT AND NOT SPEND ALL MY TIME LOOKING DOWN. THE MS FORESTRY COMMISSION PLANES ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAINTED IN A HIGH VISIBILITY PAINT SCHEME, SIMILAR TO THE CAP ACFT. THIS SHOULD HELP WITH ACFT AVOIDANCE. WE HAVE WINGTIP STROBES ON ALL OUR ACFT, BUT LARGER OR MORE STROBES MAY BE NECESSARY.
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.