Narrative:

While on a VFR flight plan from hnl to ilio pt to opana to hilo, an near midair collision incident occurred. Aircraft #1 was cruising eastbound according to the pacific chart supplement recommended VFR cruising altitude of 2500 ft near laupahoehoe. Aircraft #2 was descending out of 3000 ft at laupahoehoe heading wbound. I (aircraft#1) was monitoring both communication #1 and communication #2 frequencys. On communication #1 was 127.05 (hilo CTAF), on communication #2, 123.6 (hnl radio). While reporting my position to hnl radio on communication #2, I heard someone saying they were descending out of 3000 ft for another altitude. I set communication #2 to 119.7 (hilo approach frequency) preparing to call for approach clearance. When I looked up after setting my radio, I saw aircraft #2 approximately 500 ft directly in front, and heading straight for me at the same altitude. The aircraft made no movement to alter its course. I knew then, that this person did not see me and I had to get out of the way quickly. I had maybe 2 seconds to react. I simultaneously pulled up and to the right to avoid a head on collision. After both aircraft passed each other, I heard the pilot say that she was turning around to get the tail number of the aircraft that just passed her. She didn't see anything until 1 of her passenger told her, and only then did she see a glimpse of the landing gear of aircraft #1 passing over her. Being an air tour's pilot, (aircraft #2) she should have been more vigilant using the see and avoid practices for the safety of her passenger. In order to prevent a reoccurrence of this incident and reduce traffic conflicts, I suggest staying at the recommended altitudes 1 mi along the coastline, and to climb or descend 3-4 mi off the coastline. This way, climbing and descending traffic will not converge with aircraft cruising at recommended altitudes. Think of it as a freeway on-ramp and off-ramp. Supplemental information from acn 560482: no position reports were made by pilot in C-172 and he monitored improper frequency. He used old CTAF 122.9 instead of 127.05. I (flying a C206) saw the C-172 and waited to see if any action was going to be taken. He did not respond on 127.05 or 122.9. Later, both of us were able to debrief and agreed to submit reports to ASRS. Conclusion: I (C206 pilot) had more flight time and ratings over the C-172 pilot and should be more diligent in see and avoid procedures. C172 pilot should do a more thorough pre-flight and learn proper radio communications so other aircraft are aware of position and altitude. Although see and avoid is the responsibility of both pilots under VFR in VMC, it is also necessary for all pilots flying in a general area to be speaking on the same CTAF in order for everyone to look for traffic as reporting points are called out. Recently the CTAF on the big island had been changed. Although the C172 pilot had the new CTAF written down on his flight plan, he failed to understand which areas of the big island used the new frequency and he had subsequently reverted back to the old CTAF. The C172 pilot also admitsted to seeing me in advance and waited for me to take some kind of action. Suggestions: use better see and avoid techniques. Know your frequencies and position to report. Know altitudes used for east and west and use extra caution while descending through potentially occupied altitudes of opposite direction traffic. Be familiar with your flying environment. Contact FBO's in new unfamiliar areas and get all the information you can prior to launching. Your flight starts on the ground with a thorough preflight. Contact FSS and find out how many students and private pilots are launching cross country flts in your area so that you can be on the look out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A CRUISING C172 AT 2500 FT AND DSNDING C206 TOUR FLT AT OKALA INTXN, 23 NM ON THE ITO VOR 310 DEG RADIAL, ITO, HI.

Narrative: WHILE ON A VFR FLT PLAN FROM HNL TO ILIO PT TO OPANA TO HILO, AN NMAC INCIDENT OCCURRED. ACFT #1 WAS CRUISING EBOUND ACCORDING TO THE PACIFIC CHART SUPPLEMENT RECOMMENDED VFR CRUISING ALT OF 2500 FT NEAR LAUPAHOEHOE. ACFT #2 WAS DSNDING OUT OF 3000 FT AT LAUPAHOEHOE HEADING WBOUND. I (ACFT#1) WAS MONITORING BOTH COM #1 AND COM #2 FREQS. ON COM #1 WAS 127.05 (HILO CTAF), ON COM #2, 123.6 (HNL RADIO). WHILE RPTING MY POS TO HNL RADIO ON COM #2, I HEARD SOMEONE SAYING THEY WERE DSNDING OUT OF 3000 FT FOR ANOTHER ALT. I SET COM #2 TO 119.7 (HILO APCH FREQ) PREPARING TO CALL FOR APCH CLRNC. WHEN I LOOKED UP AFTER SETTING MY RADIO, I SAW ACFT #2 APPROX 500 FT DIRECTLY IN FRONT, AND HEADING STRAIGHT FOR ME AT THE SAME ALT. THE ACFT MADE NO MOVEMENT TO ALTER ITS COURSE. I KNEW THEN, THAT THIS PERSON DID NOT SEE ME AND I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE WAY QUICKLY. I HAD MAYBE 2 SECONDS TO REACT. I SIMULTANEOUSLY PULLED UP AND TO THE R TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISION. AFTER BOTH ACFT PASSED EACH OTHER, I HEARD THE PLT SAY THAT SHE WAS TURNING AROUND TO GET THE TAIL NUMBER OF THE ACFT THAT JUST PASSED HER. SHE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING UNTIL 1 OF HER PAX TOLD HER, AND ONLY THEN DID SHE SEE A GLIMPSE OF THE LNDG GEAR OF ACFT #1 PASSING OVER HER. BEING AN AIR TOUR'S PLT, (ACFT #2) SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE VIGILANT USING THE SEE AND AVOID PRACTICES FOR THE SAFETY OF HER PAX. IN ORDER TO PREVENT A REOCCURRENCE OF THIS INCIDENT AND REDUCE TFC CONFLICTS, I SUGGEST STAYING AT THE RECOMMENDED ALTS 1 MI ALONG THE COASTLINE, AND TO CLB OR DSND 3-4 MI OFF THE COASTLINE. THIS WAY, CLBING AND DSNDING TFC WILL NOT CONVERGE WITH ACFT CRUISING AT RECOMMENDED ALTS. THINK OF IT AS A FREEWAY ON-RAMP AND OFF-RAMP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 560482: NO POSITION RPTS WERE MADE BY PILOT IN C-172 AND HE MONITORED IMPROPER FREQUENCY. HE USED OLD CTAF 122.9 INSTEAD OF 127.05. I (FLYING A C206) SAW THE C-172 AND WAITED TO SEE IF ANY ACTION WAS GOING TO BE TAKEN. HE DID NOT RESPOND ON 127.05 OR 122.9. LATER, BOTH OF US WERE ABLE TO DEBRIEF AND AGREED TO SUBMIT REPORTS TO ASRS. CONCLUSION: I (C206 PLT) HAD MORE FLT TIME AND RATINGS OVER THE C-172 PILOT AND SHOULD BE MORE DILIGENT IN SEE AND AVOID PROCS. C172 PLT SHOULD DO A MORE THOROUGH PRE-FLT AND LEARN PROPER RADIO COMS SO OTHER ACFT ARE AWARE OF POSITION AND ALTITUDE. ALTHOUGH SEE AND AVOID IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BOTH PLTS UNDER VFR IN VMC, IT IS ALSO NECESSARY FOR ALL PLTS FLYING IN A GENERAL AREA TO BE SPEAKING ON THE SAME CTAF IN ORDER FOR EVERYONE TO LOOK FOR TFC AS RPTING POINTS ARE CALLED OUT. RECENTLY THE CTAF ON THE BIG ISLAND HAD BEEN CHANGED. ALTHOUGH THE C172 PLT HAD THE NEW CTAF WRITTEN DOWN ON HIS FLT PLAN, HE FAILED TO UNDERSTAND WHICH AREAS OF THE BIG ISLAND USED THE NEW FREQUENCY AND HE HAD SUBSEQUENTLY REVERTED BACK TO THE OLD CTAF. THE C172 PILOT ALSO ADMITSTED TO SEEING ME IN ADVANCE AND WAITED FOR ME TO TAKE SOME KIND OF ACTION. SUGGESTIONS: USE BETTER SEE AND AVOID TECHNIQUES. KNOW YOUR FREQUENCIES AND POSITION TO RPT. KNOW ALTS USED FOR E AND W AND USE EXTRA CAUTION WHILE DESCENDING THROUGH POTENTIALLY OCCUPIED ALTS OF OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC. BE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR FLYING ENVIRONMENT. CONTACT FBO'S IN NEW UNFAMILIAR AREAS AND GET ALL THE INFO YOU CAN PRIOR TO LAUNCHING. YOUR FLT STARTS ON THE GND WITH A THOROUGH PREFLT. CONTACT FSS AND FIND OUT HOW MANY STUDENTS AND PRIVATE PLTS ARE LAUNCHING CROSS COUNTRY FLTS IN YOUR AREA SO THAT YOU CAN BE ON THE LOOK OUT.

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.