Narrative:

I was descending from IFR cruising altitude after having switched from ZAB to prescott tower, cleared for a visual approach into prc. My aircraft was no longer on an airway, as I was heading in the approximately direction of the active runway, 3L/right. As I descended, I looked out the right front and right passenger window, where I saw an aircraft not moving in the sky. Knowing that a still aircraft is analogous to collision course, I immediately pulled sharply up on my aircraft, trading my descent airspeed for as much altitude as possible. I reduced my climb angle as the stall warning sounded, and my airspeed remained approximately vx (68 mph). My evasive maneuver included a turn to the left, which in hindsight should have been in the other direction, however the mindset of having a collision controled my actions for the most part. As the separation of our aircraft resumed a safe distance, I looked at the aircraft and noted that he probably had not seen me at all, he was on the same heading and altitude as he was when I maneuvered my aircraft away from him. My passenger, a rated private pilot, did not notice anything until I loudly exclaimed 'traffic' and some other words due to my surprise (while I maneuvered). I don't think the pilot of the other aircraft was scanning for traffic, and though I had my eyes outside of the window, I wasn't actively seeking to find any traffic myself. It just happened that as I glanced over in the direction of my right wing that I saw that aircraft. However, I felt that my training was adequate for the situation, as even while we were IFR, and next, VFR, I had my head outside. Because the incident happened right after we switched from ZAB and were not in direct radio contact with prc tower, I would think that it may have been a good idea to go back to center and let them know what happened. However, once I was in radio contact with prc I inquired about the other aircraft. As far as improvements, I think pilots should be more encouraged to at least monitor if not be in radio contact with the controling agency to help with traffic sits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR C172 EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH MOONEY DURING DSCNT INTO PRC DURING FREQ CHANGE FROM ZAB.

Narrative: I WAS DSNDING FROM IFR CRUISING ALT AFTER HAVING SWITCHED FROM ZAB TO PRESCOTT TWR, CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH INTO PRC. MY ACFT WAS NO LONGER ON AN AIRWAY, AS I WAS HEADING IN THE APPROX DIRECTION OF THE ACTIVE RWY, 3L/R. AS I DSNDED, I LOOKED OUT THE R FRONT AND R PAX WINDOW, WHERE I SAW AN ACFT NOT MOVING IN THE SKY. KNOWING THAT A STILL ACFT IS ANALOGOUS TO COLLISION COURSE, I IMMEDIATELY PULLED SHARPLY UP ON MY ACFT, TRADING MY DSCNT AIRSPD FOR AS MUCH ALT AS POSSIBLE. I REDUCED MY CLB ANGLE AS THE STALL WARNING SOUNDED, AND MY AIRSPD REMAINED APPROX VX (68 MPH). MY EVASIVE MANEUVER INCLUDED A TURN TO THE L, WHICH IN HINDSIGHT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, HOWEVER THE MINDSET OF HAVING A COLLISION CTLED MY ACTIONS FOR THE MOST PART. AS THE SEPARATION OF OUR ACFT RESUMED A SAFE DISTANCE, I LOOKED AT THE ACFT AND NOTED THAT HE PROBABLY HAD NOT SEEN ME AT ALL, HE WAS ON THE SAME HEADING AND ALT AS HE WAS WHEN I MANEUVERED MY ACFT AWAY FROM HIM. MY PAX, A RATED PVT PLT, DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNTIL I LOUDLY EXCLAIMED 'TFC' AND SOME OTHER WORDS DUE TO MY SURPRISE (WHILE I MANEUVERED). I DON'T THINK THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT WAS SCANNING FOR TFC, AND THOUGH I HAD MY EYES OUTSIDE OF THE WINDOW, I WASN'T ACTIVELY SEEKING TO FIND ANY TFC MYSELF. IT JUST HAPPENED THAT AS I GLANCED OVER IN THE DIRECTION OF MY R WING THAT I SAW THAT ACFT. HOWEVER, I FELT THAT MY TRAINING WAS ADEQUATE FOR THE SIT, AS EVEN WHILE WE WERE IFR, AND NEXT, VFR, I HAD MY HEAD OUTSIDE. BECAUSE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER WE SWITCHED FROM ZAB AND WERE NOT IN DIRECT RADIO CONTACT WITH PRC TWR, I WOULD THINK THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA TO GO BACK TO CTR AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. HOWEVER, ONCE I WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH PRC I INQUIRED ABOUT THE OTHER ACFT. AS FAR AS IMPROVEMENTS, I THINK PLTS SHOULD BE MORE ENCOURAGED TO AT LEAST MONITOR IF NOT BE IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE CTLING AGENCY TO HELP WITH TFC SITS.

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.