Narrative:

We were conducting a local training simulated IFR flight in VFR conditions without any TA's or being on any clearance. During holding over csn VORTAC, we came in very close proximity to a C172SP. An estimated vertical distance of 100-200 ft and 50 ft of horizontal distance kept us from colliding in midair. I was often making radio calls on the CTAF of warrenton airport (W66), but heard no other xmissions from other aft. The csn VORTAC is the holding fix and FAF for non precision approachs into 2 airports, cjr and W66, which may have created this gap of communication between our 2 aircraft because W66's CTAF frequency is different. Luckily, the lowest holding altitudes for those 2 airports differ by 200 ft (2900 ft versus 2700 ft). I consider myself, my trainees, and my teaching style as extremely safety-conscious. I fear no emergency in aviation more than I fear a midair collision. The airspace around hef is congested and something must be done about it. See and avoid is still the best solution, but at some point it becomes too much to handle and at the same time maintain a reasonably safe and low stress training flight if that's even a priority for the FAA. During every flight, we see other aircraft in close proximity and maneuver to avoid them. Those aircraft range from low and high wing trainers, to light and heavy twins, commercial turboprops and jets, flying biplanes, acrobatic craft, training, military, and traffic/photo helicopters, gliders and many others. MOA's and restr areas complicate matters more. In addition, hef class D is underlying dulles (iad) class B airspace, with dca and adw being nearby. If we ask for a practice instrument approach into hef, we have to ask iad approach. They are busy a lot of times and deny our requests. All CFI's think that we shouldn't bother with iad approach at all, therefore, denying the opportunity of training our trainees as close to reality as possible. This is fine. We understand they are busy. However, some other resource must be found to relieve some of their workload and increase our level of midair safety. What I can propose are the following: 1) establish an approach controller position at hef which will be able to provide basic TA services and traffic flow control into and out of that and other local small airports. This will relieve iad approach controller and pave the way for a safer airspace around that area. This also will provide for better IFR training. 2) establish some common frequency or procedure for all of the flight schools to use and stay alert of each other's aircraft position and intentions much like a CTAF. The local FSDO can probably work on that. 3) establish practice areas that will be used by all schools to avoid those wandering training flts. If those flts can stay within specific unofficially charted boundaries, then, the chances of a midair collision decrease dramatically.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 FLC HAS NMAC DURING TRAINING FLT.

Narrative: WE WERE CONDUCTING A LCL TRAINING SIMULATED IFR FLT IN VFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT ANY TA'S OR BEING ON ANY CLRNC. DURING HOLDING OVER CSN VORTAC, WE CAME IN VERY CLOSE PROX TO A C172SP. AN ESTIMATED VERT DISTANCE OF 100-200 FT AND 50 FT OF HORIZ DISTANCE KEPT US FROM COLLIDING IN MIDAIR. I WAS OFTEN MAKING RADIO CALLS ON THE CTAF OF WARRENTON ARPT (W66), BUT HEARD NO OTHER XMISSIONS FROM OTHER AFT. THE CSN VORTAC IS THE HOLDING FIX AND FAF FOR NON PRECISION APCHS INTO 2 ARPTS, CJR AND W66, WHICH MAY HAVE CREATED THIS GAP OF COM BTWN OUR 2 ACFT BECAUSE W66'S CTAF FREQ IS DIFFERENT. LUCKILY, THE LOWEST HOLDING ALTS FOR THOSE 2 ARPTS DIFFER BY 200 FT (2900 FT VERSUS 2700 FT). I CONSIDER MYSELF, MY TRAINEES, AND MY TEACHING STYLE AS EXTREMELY SAFETY-CONSCIOUS. I FEAR NO EMER IN AVIATION MORE THAN I FEAR A MIDAIR COLLISION. THE AIRSPACE AROUND HEF IS CONGESTED AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT IT. SEE AND AVOID IS STILL THE BEST SOLUTION, BUT AT SOME POINT IT BECOMES TOO MUCH TO HANDLE AND AT THE SAME TIME MAINTAIN A REASONABLY SAFE AND LOW STRESS TRAINING FLT IF THAT'S EVEN A PRIORITY FOR THE FAA. DURING EVERY FLT, WE SEE OTHER ACFT IN CLOSE PROX AND MANEUVER TO AVOID THEM. THOSE ACFT RANGE FROM LOW AND HIGH WING TRAINERS, TO LIGHT AND HVY TWINS, COMMERCIAL TURBOPROPS AND JETS, FLYING BIPLANES, ACROBATIC CRAFT, TRAINING, MIL, AND TFC/PHOTO HELIS, GLIDERS AND MANY OTHERS. MOA'S AND RESTR AREAS COMPLICATE MATTERS MORE. IN ADDITION, HEF CLASS D IS UNDERLYING DULLES (IAD) CLASS B AIRSPACE, WITH DCA AND ADW BEING NEARBY. IF WE ASK FOR A PRACTICE INST APCH INTO HEF, WE HAVE TO ASK IAD APCH. THEY ARE BUSY A LOT OF TIMES AND DENY OUR REQUESTS. ALL CFI'S THINK THAT WE SHOULDN'T BOTHER WITH IAD APCH AT ALL, THEREFORE, DENYING THE OPPORTUNITY OF TRAINING OUR TRAINEES AS CLOSE TO REALITY AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS FINE. WE UNDERSTAND THEY ARE BUSY. HOWEVER, SOME OTHER RESOURCE MUST BE FOUND TO RELIEVE SOME OF THEIR WORKLOAD AND INCREASE OUR LEVEL OF MIDAIR SAFETY. WHAT I CAN PROPOSE ARE THE FOLLOWING: 1) ESTABLISH AN APCH CTLR POS AT HEF WHICH WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE BASIC TA SVCS AND TFC FLOW CTL INTO AND OUT OF THAT AND OTHER LCL SMALL ARPTS. THIS WILL RELIEVE IAD APCH CTLR AND PAVE THE WAY FOR A SAFER AIRSPACE AROUND THAT AREA. THIS ALSO WILL PROVIDE FOR BETTER IFR TRAINING. 2) ESTABLISH SOME COMMON FREQ OR PROC FOR ALL OF THE FLT SCHOOLS TO USE AND STAY ALERT OF EACH OTHER'S ACFT POS AND INTENTIONS MUCH LIKE A CTAF. THE LCL FSDO CAN PROBABLY WORK ON THAT. 3) ESTABLISH PRACTICE AREAS THAT WILL BE USED BY ALL SCHOOLS TO AVOID THOSE WANDERING TRAINING FLTS. IF THOSE FLTS CAN STAY WITHIN SPECIFIC UNOFFICIALLY CHARTED BOUNDARIES, THEN, THE CHANCES OF A MIDAIR COLLISION DECREASE DRAMATICALLY.

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.