Narrative:

On the evening of nov/xa/00, I was on a training flight with an instrument student practicing holding procedures. We began the flight out of oak at approximately XA30 and proceeded nwbound at an altitude of 3500 ft once reaching san pablo bay. After a hold at rebas intersection, we flew nebound to croit intersection where we did another hold. I instructed my student to fly directly to concord VOR. We were in class east airspace and not in contact with ATC. We continued to maintain 3500 ft. I told my student to hold east of the VOR on the 090 degree radial. We entered the hold and made one circuit. Starting our second circuit while heading eastbound from the VOR, I saw an aircraft heading towards us at the same altitude and at our 11 O'clock position. The pilot was flashing his landing light at us from approximately 1/4 - 1/2 mi away. I took the controls and made a descending right turn to avoid the aircraft. Next, I had my student continue eastbound as I watched the traffic to see where the other aircraft was going. My student returned to 3500 ft. At approximately 5-6 mi from the VOR, I had him fly directly to the VOR for another hold. I could see the other aircraft was continuing in the same direction and appeared to be leaving the area. I gave my student instructions to hold west of the VOR on the 270 degree radial. We crossed over the VOR and began our procedure turn for the hold. We returned to the VOR and, after crossing, started a turn to the right for the holding pattern. At approximately XB30, while making most of our 180 degree turn, I saw we were facing head-on with another aircraft at close proximity. I immediately pushed the controls forward to dive down 500 ft while the other aircraft passed over us. We left the area and returned to oakland. The pilot of the other aircraft contacted me on the morning of nov/xb/00 and said he had gotten my tail number from the controling agency (travis approach). He was in contact with travis approach at the time of the above incident and said travis put a tag on my aircraft to identify it. He also said that he was a pilot examiner and was on a check ride with an instrument helicopter student. He was also doing holds at the VOR. He wanted to know what I was doing at the time of the incident. After I explained what my student and I were doing, he told me that it was him that we avoided several mins before east of the VOR and suggested that I make contact with travis approach (class east airspace) in the future to avoid such incidents. I feel that this incident arose because both aircraft were doing holds over the same VOR and both pilots were unaware of what the other was doing. The best corrective action for future training flts is to contact the controling agency and let them know what we will be doing and request advisories.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CFI RPTED THAT A DESIGNATED EXAMINER CALLED HIM THE DAY AFTER THEY HAD EACH FLOWN HOLDS OVER THE CCR VOR WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE CLIENTS.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF NOV/XA/00, I WAS ON A TRAINING FLT WITH AN INST STUDENT PRACTICING HOLDING PROCS. WE BEGAN THE FLT OUT OF OAK AT APPROX XA30 AND PROCEEDED NWBOUND AT AN ALT OF 3500 FT ONCE REACHING SAN PABLO BAY. AFTER A HOLD AT REBAS INTXN, WE FLEW NEBOUND TO CROIT INTXN WHERE WE DID ANOTHER HOLD. I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO FLY DIRECTLY TO CONCORD VOR. WE WERE IN CLASS E AIRSPACE AND NOT IN CONTACT WITH ATC. WE CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN 3500 FT. I TOLD MY STUDENT TO HOLD E OF THE VOR ON THE 090 DEG RADIAL. WE ENTERED THE HOLD AND MADE ONE CIRCUIT. STARTING OUR SECOND CIRCUIT WHILE HDG EBOUND FROM THE VOR, I SAW AN ACFT HDG TOWARDS US AT THE SAME ALT AND AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS. THE PLT WAS FLASHING HIS LNDG LIGHT AT US FROM APPROX 1/4 - 1/2 MI AWAY. I TOOK THE CTLS AND MADE A DSNDING R TURN TO AVOID THE ACFT. NEXT, I HAD MY STUDENT CONTINUE EBOUND AS I WATCHED THE TFC TO SEE WHERE THE OTHER ACFT WAS GOING. MY STUDENT RETURNED TO 3500 FT. AT APPROX 5-6 MI FROM THE VOR, I HAD HIM FLY DIRECTLY TO THE VOR FOR ANOTHER HOLD. I COULD SEE THE OTHER ACFT WAS CONTINUING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND APPEARED TO BE LEAVING THE AREA. I GAVE MY STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD W OF THE VOR ON THE 270 DEG RADIAL. WE CROSSED OVER THE VOR AND BEGAN OUR PROC TURN FOR THE HOLD. WE RETURNED TO THE VOR AND, AFTER XING, STARTED A TURN TO THE R FOR THE HOLDING PATTERN. AT APPROX XB30, WHILE MAKING MOST OF OUR 180 DEG TURN, I SAW WE WERE FACING HEAD-ON WITH ANOTHER ACFT AT CLOSE PROX. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE CTLS FORWARD TO DIVE DOWN 500 FT WHILE THE OTHER ACFT PASSED OVER US. WE LEFT THE AREA AND RETURNED TO OAKLAND. THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT CONTACTED ME ON THE MORNING OF NOV/XB/00 AND SAID HE HAD GOTTEN MY TAIL NUMBER FROM THE CTLING AGENCY (TRAVIS APCH). HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH TRAVIS APCH AT THE TIME OF THE ABOVE INCIDENT AND SAID TRAVIS PUT A TAG ON MY ACFT TO IDENT IT. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE WAS A PLT EXAMINER AND WAS ON A CHK RIDE WITH AN INST HELI STUDENT. HE WAS ALSO DOING HOLDS AT THE VOR. HE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. AFTER I EXPLAINED WHAT MY STUDENT AND I WERE DOING, HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS HIM THAT WE AVOIDED SEVERAL MINS BEFORE E OF THE VOR AND SUGGESTED THAT I MAKE CONTACT WITH TRAVIS APCH (CLASS E AIRSPACE) IN THE FUTURE TO AVOID SUCH INCIDENTS. I FEEL THAT THIS INCIDENT AROSE BECAUSE BOTH ACFT WERE DOING HOLDS OVER THE SAME VOR AND BOTH PLTS WERE UNAWARE OF WHAT THE OTHER WAS DOING. THE BEST CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR FUTURE TRAINING FLTS IS TO CONTACT THE CTLING AGENCY AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE WILL BE DOING AND REQUEST ADVISORIES.

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.