A PA31 aerial survey pilot without his mode C turned on has an near midair collision with an unknown...

Attributes
ACN	510494
Time
Date	200105
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : slc.airport
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl single value : 14500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc.artcc
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	510494
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry conflict : nmac non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was taking over a company aircraft from another pilot. I had not flown this particular aircraft for 8 months. I am an experienced aerial survey pilot, but I was distraction by my rustiness with the aircraft and the use of a new aerial survey navigation system. While I tried to be attentive, the one checklist item I missed was to put the transponder to 'altitude.' it was during the return to our base airport that I discovered the omission and I did turn it on at that time. I had been flying over the slc class B airspace for some 3 hours. No class B airspace was violated, but I was in the veil area. From the start I decided not to talk to ATC because we could completely avoid class B airspace and were close enough to the airport to avoid corridors and I didn't need the added distraction ATC adds to these missions. The near midair collision was a combination of no squawk and no talk. Had I contacted ATC, the squawk problem would have been solved. Although talking with ATC very evidently causes problems for us in that ATC seems to consider us an annoyance and is often uncooperative in allowing us to utilize our airspace, if ATC were more cooperative with aerial survey missions I would not be so reticent to use them when, technically, I didn't have to. Whenever I fly in controller's airspace (class B, C, or D), I am in contact with the controllers. This near midair collision would have been prevented by a flawless checklist completion and/or talking with ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA31 AERIAL SURVEY PLT WITHOUT HIS MODE C TURNED ON HAS AN NMAC WITH AN UNKNOWN TYPE ACFT WHO CLBED THROUGH HIS ALT AT 14500 FT ABOVE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT SLC, UT.

Narrative: I WAS TAKING OVER A COMPANY ACFT FROM ANOTHER PLT. I HAD NOT FLOWN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT FOR 8 MONTHS. I AM AN EXPERIENCED AERIAL SURVEY PLT, BUT I WAS DISTR BY MY RUSTINESS WITH THE ACFT AND THE USE OF A NEW AERIAL SURVEY NAV SYS. WHILE I TRIED TO BE ATTENTIVE, THE ONE CHKLIST ITEM I MISSED WAS TO PUT THE XPONDER TO 'ALT.' IT WAS DURING THE RETURN TO OUR BASE ARPT THAT I DISCOVERED THE OMISSION AND I DID TURN IT ON AT THAT TIME. I HAD BEEN FLYING OVER THE SLC CLASS B AIRSPACE FOR SOME 3 HRS. NO CLASS B AIRSPACE WAS VIOLATED, BUT I WAS IN THE VEIL AREA. FROM THE START I DECIDED NOT TO TALK TO ATC BECAUSE WE COULD COMPLETELY AVOID CLASS B AIRSPACE AND WERE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE ARPT TO AVOID CORRIDORS AND I DIDN'T NEED THE ADDED DISTR ATC ADDS TO THESE MISSIONS. THE NMAC WAS A COMBINATION OF NO SQUAWK AND NO TALK. HAD I CONTACTED ATC, THE SQUAWK PROB WOULD HAVE BEEN SOLVED. ALTHOUGH TALKING WITH ATC VERY EVIDENTLY CAUSES PROBS FOR US IN THAT ATC SEEMS TO CONSIDER US AN ANNOYANCE AND IS OFTEN UNCOOPERATIVE IN ALLOWING US TO UTILIZE OUR AIRSPACE, IF ATC WERE MORE COOPERATIVE WITH AERIAL SURVEY MISSIONS I WOULD NOT BE SO RETICENT TO USE THEM WHEN, TECHNICALLY, I DIDN'T HAVE TO. WHENEVER I FLY IN CTLR'S AIRSPACE (CLASS B, C, OR D), I AM IN CONTACT WITH THE CTLRS. THIS NMAC WOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY A FLAWLESS CHKLIST COMPLETION AND/OR TALKING WITH ATC.

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.

A PA31 aerial survey pilot without his mode C turned on has an near midair collision with an unknown type aircraft who climbed through his altitude at 14500 ft above class B airspace at slc, ut.