Narrative:

While leveling at 8000 ft MSL wbound on V66 approximately 10 mi east of baret intersection, I suddenly saw a 1 man, pwred parasail in a descent. (Canopy forward of the pilot.) within a second or so I realized that our closure rate was going to take us dangerously close to the parasail. I immediately rolled left 45 degrees and pulled a roughly 30 degree turn to the south. He was northbound. By the time I rolled out, we had passed him down the right side and he was no longer a factor. The first officer (our chief pilot) immediately (beat me to it) informed socal approach about the near collision. Socal replied with something about notifying someone. I don't remember whom. There were numerous other parasails in the immediate vicinity, most, if not all, were lower. Some general thoughts: there is a 'hang glider activity' icon depicted on the la sectional, located 2 mi east of pillo intersection on V66. The MEA on V66 at pillo is 8000 ft MSL. The speed limit is 250 KTS. We were doing about 220 KTS. I don't think paragliders go much faster than 20 KTS. I would think that would make them relatively stationary objects littered throughout a very thin traffic area. (Kind of like kids playing on the freeway.) it is also likely that IFR/VFR pilots in that vicinity will have their 'heads in the cockpit' executing checklist, as that is an area which is about 10 mins from landing at san, myf, see or nzy. Someone needs to inform those pilots about what an MEA is and what a victor airway is, and what that means in terms of traffic. It seems that it is statistically likely that there will be a midair type accident in the vicinity of pillo intersection within the next 10 yrs. Probably will occur on a saturday or sunday afternoon. In the future I will certainly keep my eyes open, especially in that area. I should also pay more attention to the VFR sectionals, especially when flying below 10000 ft. Please do something about this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot reporter agreed that there was no regulation against this use of airspace by the subject craft and added he would take this up with the owner's association and his cpr pilot group. Reporter also stated that after this near midair collision they then noted a number of the hang gliders in the area, all lower than the one they almost hit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC AT 8000 FT MSL BTWN A CRUISING BE20 AND A PWRED HANG GLIDER NEAR PILLO INTXN, CA.

Narrative: WHILE LEVELING AT 8000 FT MSL WBOUND ON V66 APPROX 10 MI E OF BARET INTXN, I SUDDENLY SAW A 1 MAN, PWRED PARASAIL IN A DSCNT. (CANOPY FORWARD OF THE PLT.) WITHIN A SECOND OR SO I REALIZED THAT OUR CLOSURE RATE WAS GOING TO TAKE US DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE PARASAIL. I IMMEDIATELY ROLLED L 45 DEGS AND PULLED A ROUGHLY 30 DEG TURN TO THE S. HE WAS NBOUND. BY THE TIME I ROLLED OUT, WE HAD PASSED HIM DOWN THE R SIDE AND HE WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR. THE FO (OUR CHIEF PLT) IMMEDIATELY (BEAT ME TO IT) INFORMED SOCAL APCH ABOUT THE NEAR COLLISION. SOCAL REPLIED WITH SOMETHING ABOUT NOTIFYING SOMEONE. I DON'T REMEMBER WHOM. THERE WERE NUMEROUS OTHER PARASAILS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY, MOST, IF NOT ALL, WERE LOWER. SOME GENERAL THOUGHTS: THERE IS A 'HANG GLIDER ACTIVITY' ICON DEPICTED ON THE LA SECTIONAL, LOCATED 2 MI E OF PILLO INTXN ON V66. THE MEA ON V66 AT PILLO IS 8000 FT MSL. THE SPD LIMIT IS 250 KTS. WE WERE DOING ABOUT 220 KTS. I DON'T THINK PARAGLIDERS GO MUCH FASTER THAN 20 KTS. I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD MAKE THEM RELATIVELY STATIONARY OBJECTS LITTERED THROUGHOUT A VERY THIN TFC AREA. (KIND OF LIKE KIDS PLAYING ON THE FREEWAY.) IT IS ALSO LIKELY THAT IFR/VFR PLTS IN THAT VICINITY WILL HAVE THEIR 'HEADS IN THE COCKPIT' EXECUTING CHKLIST, AS THAT IS AN AREA WHICH IS ABOUT 10 MINS FROM LNDG AT SAN, MYF, SEE OR NZY. SOMEONE NEEDS TO INFORM THOSE PLTS ABOUT WHAT AN MEA IS AND WHAT A VICTOR AIRWAY IS, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF TFC. IT SEEMS THAT IT IS STATISTICALLY LIKELY THAT THERE WILL BE A MIDAIR TYPE ACCIDENT IN THE VICINITY OF PILLO INTXN WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YRS. PROBABLY WILL OCCUR ON A SATURDAY OR SUNDAY AFTERNOON. IN THE FUTURE I WILL CERTAINLY KEEP MY EYES OPEN, ESPECIALLY IN THAT AREA. I SHOULD ALSO PAY MORE ATTN TO THE VFR SECTIONALS, ESPECIALLY WHEN FLYING BELOW 10000 FT. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT RPTR AGREED THAT THERE WAS NO REG AGAINST THIS USE OF AIRSPACE BY THE SUBJECT CRAFT AND ADDED HE WOULD TAKE THIS UP WITH THE OWNER'S ASSOCIATION AND HIS CPR PLT GROUP. RPTR ALSO STATED THAT AFTER THIS NMAC THEY THEN NOTED A NUMBER OF THE HANG GLIDERS IN THE AREA, ALL LOWER THAN THE ONE THEY ALMOST HIT.

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.