Narrative:

On aug/fri/02, I was the PIC of a PA32R-300. The flight was being conducted under VFR per far 135. Company flight following procedures were in effect. On this day, the WX across the interior of alaska was MVFR to VFR, at the altitudes that I was flying. This particular flight was smooth and uneventful until approximately 11 NM from the galena airport, on about the 065 degree radial of the gal VOR. As I went past ruby, ak, at about 1000 ft AGL, I decided to climb to get over the cochrine hills. I climbed to approximately 3000 ft AGL. At this time, I was above a broken layer of clouds and below an overcast layer that looked to be between 3700 ft and 4000 ft AGL. I stayed at 3000 ft for about 5-8 mins. I then began a descent in the vicinity of muller mt (11 NM northeast of the galena airport). I was in MVFR conditions. I descended through a hole that was about 3-5 mi in radius. I also had 3-4 mi of visibility at the time. I did make radio calls from 25 mi outside of galena on both the ruby and galen CTAF. As I was descending through 2800 ft, I made a radio call stating that I was 11 mi northeast of galena descending through 2800 ft. Immediately after, I heard a PA31 state that they were 13 mi out from galena on the VOR approach. I again stated that I was 11 mi out and descending through 2700 ft over muller mt. At the same time, I realized the PA31 was much faster than me and was in the same vicinity as I was, and would soon be overtaking me. Upon realizing this, I made a left turn to the south for collision avoidance with the PA31. Once I began my turn to the south, almost immediately, the PA31 passed from my 9 O'clock position past my 6 O'clock position and continued through my 3 O'clock position to galena. After the PA31 passed me, the pilot stated that it was IFR out here. I defended my position stating that I was in VFR conditions. Based on the WX that day, I would not argue the fact that the pilot of the PA31 could have been in IFR conditions just prior to this incident. However, considering we were able to see and avoid each other and the fact that galena was reporting VFR at the time, with a few at 2500 ft and overcast at 3600 ft and 10 mi of visibility. It is my belief that the pilot of the PA31 broke out of IFR conditions just prior to passing me, and now was in the same MVFR conditions that I was in. After the PA31 passed me, I continued to galena. I was able to see the airport from at least 8 mi away at 1200 ft AGL. Upon arrival in galena, I went and explained my flight conditions at the time of the incident to the pilot of the PA31, mainly because he had mentioned over the radio that it was IFR and I had defended my position of being VFR at the time of occurrence. The 2 of us were a bit shaken up. Each of us explained that we were sorry to one another, shook hands, and continued our flts. I believe that this occurrence was not avoidable due to the fact that the PA31 was descending IFR and broke out into MVFR conditions in my immediate vicinity. I also feel, that if more radio communications by the pilot of the PA31 had been experienced, this occurrence may have been avoided. Furthermore, had I not changed my course to the south, the outcome of this occurrence could have been much more devastating.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT BTWN AN OVERTAKEN VFR PA32 LANCE AND AN OVERTAKING IFR PA31 CHIEFTAIN ON THE APCH COURSE RADIAL FOR RWY 7 AT GAL, AK.

Narrative: ON AUG/FRI/02, I WAS THE PIC OF A PA32R-300. THE FLT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER VFR PER FAR 135. COMPANY FLT FOLLOWING PROCS WERE IN EFFECT. ON THIS DAY, THE WX ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF ALASKA WAS MVFR TO VFR, AT THE ALTS THAT I WAS FLYING. THIS PARTICULAR FLT WAS SMOOTH AND UNEVENTFUL UNTIL APPROX 11 NM FROM THE GALENA ARPT, ON ABOUT THE 065 DEG RADIAL OF THE GAL VOR. AS I WENT PAST RUBY, AK, AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL, I DECIDED TO CLB TO GET OVER THE COCHRINE HILLS. I CLBED TO APPROX 3000 FT AGL. AT THIS TIME, I WAS ABOVE A BROKEN LAYER OF CLOUDS AND BELOW AN OVCST LAYER THAT LOOKED TO BE BTWN 3700 FT AND 4000 FT AGL. I STAYED AT 3000 FT FOR ABOUT 5-8 MINS. I THEN BEGAN A DSCNT IN THE VICINITY OF MULLER MT (11 NM NE OF THE GALENA ARPT). I WAS IN MVFR CONDITIONS. I DSNDED THROUGH A HOLE THAT WAS ABOUT 3-5 MI IN RADIUS. I ALSO HAD 3-4 MI OF VISIBILITY AT THE TIME. I DID MAKE RADIO CALLS FROM 25 MI OUTSIDE OF GALENA ON BOTH THE RUBY AND GALEN CTAF. AS I WAS DSNDING THROUGH 2800 FT, I MADE A RADIO CALL STATING THAT I WAS 11 MI NE OF GALENA DSNDING THROUGH 2800 FT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER, I HEARD A PA31 STATE THAT THEY WERE 13 MI OUT FROM GALENA ON THE VOR APCH. I AGAIN STATED THAT I WAS 11 MI OUT AND DSNDING THROUGH 2700 FT OVER MULLER MT. AT THE SAME TIME, I REALIZED THE PA31 WAS MUCH FASTER THAN ME AND WAS IN THE SAME VICINITY AS I WAS, AND WOULD SOON BE OVERTAKING ME. UPON REALIZING THIS, I MADE A L TURN TO THE S FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE WITH THE PA31. ONCE I BEGAN MY TURN TO THE S, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE PA31 PASSED FROM MY 9 O'CLOCK POS PAST MY 6 O'CLOCK POS AND CONTINUED THROUGH MY 3 O'CLOCK POS TO GALENA. AFTER THE PA31 PASSED ME, THE PLT STATED THAT IT WAS IFR OUT HERE. I DEFENDED MY POS STATING THAT I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS. BASED ON THE WX THAT DAY, I WOULD NOT ARGUE THE FACT THAT THE PLT OF THE PA31 COULD HAVE BEEN IN IFR CONDITIONS JUST PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. HOWEVER, CONSIDERING WE WERE ABLE TO SEE AND AVOID EACH OTHER AND THE FACT THAT GALENA WAS RPTING VFR AT THE TIME, WITH A FEW AT 2500 FT AND OVCST AT 3600 FT AND 10 MI OF VISIBILITY. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE PLT OF THE PA31 BROKE OUT OF IFR CONDITIONS JUST PRIOR TO PASSING ME, AND NOW WAS IN THE SAME MVFR CONDITIONS THAT I WAS IN. AFTER THE PA31 PASSED ME, I CONTINUED TO GALENA. I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE ARPT FROM AT LEAST 8 MI AWAY AT 1200 FT AGL. UPON ARR IN GALENA, I WENT AND EXPLAINED MY FLT CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT TO THE PLT OF THE PA31, MAINLY BECAUSE HE HAD MENTIONED OVER THE RADIO THAT IT WAS IFR AND I HAD DEFENDED MY POS OF BEING VFR AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE. THE 2 OF US WERE A BIT SHAKEN UP. EACH OF US EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE SORRY TO ONE ANOTHER, SHOOK HANDS, AND CONTINUED OUR FLTS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS OCCURRENCE WAS NOT AVOIDABLE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE PA31 WAS DSNDING IFR AND BROKE OUT INTO MVFR CONDITIONS IN MY IMMEDIATE VICINITY. I ALSO FEEL, THAT IF MORE RADIO COMS BY THE PLT OF THE PA31 HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED, THIS OCCURRENCE MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. FURTHERMORE, HAD I NOT CHANGED MY COURSE TO THE S, THE OUTCOME OF THIS OCCURRENCE COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DEVASTATING.

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.