Narrative:

Ranger XXX and I were 1/2 way through an orientation flight around the ranger's work area. We were heading north, approximately 8 mi southwest of fpr at 1300 ft. I had tuned to the fort pierce tower a few mins earlier and was listening for calls from incoming or outgoing traffic, when I heard an aircraft call in 10 mi southwest of fpr inbound. The tower told this aircraft to report over the flying J, a visual waypoint often used by incoming aircraft. I realized that both our aircraft were in the same general vicinity, and I was being extra vigilant in looking for this traffic to no avail, as I never saw the aircraft until it was approximately 200 ft below at my 10 O'clock position. All I saw was a low wing aircraft (piper) with some blue painted areas before I pulled back sharply on the yoke to gain some immediate altitude. At this point, the aircraft went out of sight below me. I looked out the right back window after leveling off and saw the plane at my 5 O'clock position, approximately 400 ft below me, flying away. I don't know if he ever saw me. 1) I could have called fpr tower and had the other plane looking for me also. 2) more vigilance on my part is obviously required. 3) collision avoidance system installed in aircraft?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28-181 PLT RPTS AN NMAC WITH ANOTHER PIPER IN CLASS E AIRSPACE APCHING A CTAF ARPT, FPR.

Narrative: RANGER XXX AND I WERE 1/2 WAY THROUGH AN ORIENTATION FLT AROUND THE RANGER'S WORK AREA. WE WERE HEADING N, APPROX 8 MI SW OF FPR AT 1300 FT. I HAD TUNED TO THE FORT PIERCE TWR A FEW MINS EARLIER AND WAS LISTENING FOR CALLS FROM INCOMING OR OUTGOING TFC, WHEN I HEARD AN ACFT CALL IN 10 MI SW OF FPR INBOUND. THE TWR TOLD THIS ACFT TO RPT OVER THE FLYING J, A VISUAL WAYPOINT OFTEN USED BY INCOMING ACFT. I REALIZED THAT BOTH OUR ACFT WERE IN THE SAME GENERAL VICINITY, AND I WAS BEING EXTRA VIGILANT IN LOOKING FOR THIS TFC TO NO AVAIL, AS I NEVER SAW THE ACFT UNTIL IT WAS APPROX 200 FT BELOW AT MY 10 O'CLOCK POS. ALL I SAW WAS A LOW WING ACFT (PIPER) WITH SOME BLUE PAINTED AREAS BEFORE I PULLED BACK SHARPLY ON THE YOKE TO GAIN SOME IMMEDIATE ALT. AT THIS POINT, THE ACFT WENT OUT OF SIGHT BELOW ME. I LOOKED OUT THE R BACK WINDOW AFTER LEVELING OFF AND SAW THE PLANE AT MY 5 O'CLOCK POS, APPROX 400 FT BELOW ME, FLYING AWAY. I DON'T KNOW IF HE EVER SAW ME. 1) I COULD HAVE CALLED FPR TWR AND HAD THE OTHER PLANE LOOKING FOR ME ALSO. 2) MORE VIGILANCE ON MY PART IS OBVIOUSLY REQUIRED. 3) COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYS INSTALLED IN ACFT?

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.