Narrative:

I departed the yukon river immediately abeam pitka airport on a 240 degree heading after having announced my intentions to depart along with direction of flight after liftoff. After becoming airborne 15-20 seconds later, I leveled off at about 200 ft above the river as announced, so as I pass well under any possible traffic inbound from the west for the airport. At this time, I announced airborne on the CTAF and restated my intentions to pass west of the airport following the river at 300 ft MSL until north of centerline, then proceed nwbound. After my transmission, a PA31 announced inbound from the west from the village of koyukuk and stated he was 7 mi west following the river at 500 ft MSL. I told him I would watch for him, but would go east of the river as soon as I was north of centerline and would stay at 300 ft. I didn't expect to see him at all because I was already airborne and should have been well north of his course by the time he reached the pattern. After I finished my climb and cruise checklists some 30 seconds later, I resumed looking for him and navigating so as to maneuver east of the river. At this time, I spotted him approaching rapidly at my 11 O'clock position, on a collision course except for our meager altitude difference of 200 ft. I began to descend at the same time realizing that he would pass above me. At this time, I was on the CTAF to announce to him that I was north of centerline and turning to a northeasterly heading to clear his intended pattern area. It was about mid-sentence that I spotted him and stated to him that I had just gotten him in sight and was just about to pass below him with a somewhat startled tone in my voice. He acknowledged that he had just gotten me in sight as well as he passed over me. I am just a bit concerned that he may have read his mileage off either a DME from the gal VOR (4 NM northeast paga) and or off a GPS receiver set to gal. In either case, he did not make it crystal clear to me that his mileage was more like 3 NM from paga. In this case, I believed that at his rate of speed, I would have nearly 2 and 1/2 mins before he would enter the pattern at which time I would have been one or more mi nnw of paga. I would like to encourage flight instructors/company check airmen when giving instruction, BFR's, and part 135 or 121 flight checks to teach pilots to say what their mileage readout is based from. If it is a DME readout, they should state 'I'm presently showing xx DME northwest of the VOR. If it's a GPS, LORAN C, VLF omega, etc, they should say, 'I'm presently showing xx mi (direction from this point) of the (airport, VOR, NDB, etc).' based on the amount of time it took that PA31 to get less than 1 mi west of the airport, it makes perfect sense to me that he was actually 7 mi from the VOR and not the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C206 PLT HAS A NEAR MISS WITH A PA31.

Narrative: I DEPARTED THE YUKON RIVER IMMEDIATELY ABEAM PITKA ARPT ON A 240 DEG HDG AFTER HAVING ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO DEPART ALONG WITH DIRECTION OF FLT AFTER LIFTOFF. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE 15-20 SECONDS LATER, I LEVELED OFF AT ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE THE RIVER AS ANNOUNCED, SO AS I PASS WELL UNDER ANY POSSIBLE TFC INBOUND FROM THE W FOR THE ARPT. AT THIS TIME, I ANNOUNCED AIRBORNE ON THE CTAF AND RESTATED MY INTENTIONS TO PASS W OF THE ARPT FOLLOWING THE RIVER AT 300 FT MSL UNTIL N OF CTRLINE, THEN PROCEED NWBOUND. AFTER MY XMISSION, A PA31 ANNOUNCED INBOUND FROM THE W FROM THE VILLAGE OF KOYUKUK AND STATED HE WAS 7 MI W FOLLOWING THE RIVER AT 500 FT MSL. I TOLD HIM I WOULD WATCH FOR HIM, BUT WOULD GO E OF THE RIVER AS SOON AS I WAS N OF CTRLINE AND WOULD STAY AT 300 FT. I DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE HIM AT ALL BECAUSE I WAS ALREADY AIRBORNE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN WELL N OF HIS COURSE BY THE TIME HE REACHED THE PATTERN. AFTER I FINISHED MY CLB AND CRUISE CHKLISTS SOME 30 SECONDS LATER, I RESUMED LOOKING FOR HIM AND NAVING SO AS TO MANEUVER E OF THE RIVER. AT THIS TIME, I SPOTTED HIM APCHING RAPIDLY AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS, ON A COLLISION COURSE EXCEPT FOR OUR MEAGER ALT DIFFERENCE OF 200 FT. I BEGAN TO DSND AT THE SAME TIME REALIZING THAT HE WOULD PASS ABOVE ME. AT THIS TIME, I WAS ON THE CTAF TO ANNOUNCE TO HIM THAT I WAS N OF CTRLINE AND TURNING TO A NORTHEASTERLY HEADING TO CLR HIS INTENDED PATTERN AREA. IT WAS ABOUT MID-SENTENCE THAT I SPOTTED HIM AND STATED TO HIM THAT I HAD JUST GOTTEN HIM IN SIGHT AND WAS JUST ABOUT TO PASS BELOW HIM WITH A SOMEWHAT STARTLED TONE IN MY VOICE. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD JUST GOTTEN ME IN SIGHT AS WELL AS HE PASSED OVER ME. I AM JUST A BIT CONCERNED THAT HE MAY HAVE READ HIS MILEAGE OFF EITHER A DME FROM THE GAL VOR (4 NM NE PAGA) AND OR OFF A GPS RECEIVER SET TO GAL. IN EITHER CASE, HE DID NOT MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLR TO ME THAT HIS MILEAGE WAS MORE LIKE 3 NM FROM PAGA. IN THIS CASE, I BELIEVED THAT AT HIS RATE OF SPD, I WOULD HAVE NEARLY 2 AND 1/2 MINS BEFORE HE WOULD ENTER THE PATTERN AT WHICH TIME I WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OR MORE MI NNW OF PAGA. I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE FLT INSTRUCTORS/COMPANY CHK AIRMEN WHEN GIVING INSTRUCTION, BFR'S, AND PART 135 OR 121 FLT CHKS TO TEACH PLTS TO SAY WHAT THEIR MILEAGE READOUT IS BASED FROM. IF IT IS A DME READOUT, THEY SHOULD STATE 'I'M PRESENTLY SHOWING XX DME NW OF THE VOR. IF IT'S A GPS, LORAN C, VLF OMEGA, ETC, THEY SHOULD SAY, 'I'M PRESENTLY SHOWING XX MI (DIRECTION FROM THIS POINT) OF THE (ARPT, VOR, NDB, ETC).' BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK THAT PA31 TO GET LESS THAN 1 MI W OF THE ARPT, IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY 7 MI FROM THE VOR AND NOT THE ARPT.

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.