SMA RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO MISS AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACFT. BOTH VFR.

Date: 1991-09 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

SMA RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO MISS AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACFT. BOTH VFR.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING FROM MUSKEGON; MI; TO MARSHALL; MI. I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT AND WAS RECEIVING VFR FLT FOLLOWING FROM KALAMAZOO APCH; FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AT 3500 FT MSL ON APPROX A 140 DEG HDG. I WAS ABOUT 20 NM NE OF KALAMAZOO WHEN THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO DSND TO 3000 FT FOR TFC; WHICH I COMPLIED WITH. ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINS LATER; I WAS ABOUT 20 NM NE OF KALAMAZOO WHEN I CAUGHT SIGHT OF AN ACFT FLYING DIRECTLY TOWARDS ME AT MY 3 O'CLOCK POS. I WOULD ESTIMATE WHEN I FIRST SAW THE ACFT IT WAS LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MI AWAY; AND LOOKED AS IF IT WAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN I WAS; AND MAY HAVE BEEN CLBING. TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT; I THEREFORE QUICKLY INITIATED A DSCNT; WHILE CONTINUING TO KEEP THE OTHER PLANE IN SIGHT. IT PASSED OVERHEAD A FEW SECONDS LATER; I WOULD GUESS NO MORE THAN 100 OR 200 FT ABOVE ME. AS IT PASSED; I LOOKED TO MY L TO SEE IT RECEDING FROM ME; AND NOTICED THE DISTINCTIVE SHAPE OF AN SMA Y. AFTER REGAINING MY COMPOSURE AND REESTABLISHING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT AT 3000 FT; I REMARKED TO THE CTLR THAT WE HAD JUST HAD 'A FAIRLY CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH AN SMA UP HERE.' THE CTLR REPLIED 'YES; HE'S AT 3500 FT;' BUT I SAID 'HE LOOKED A BIT CLOSER THAN THAT TO ME.' AT THAT; ANOTHER PLT; EVIDENTLY THE ONE FLYING THE SMA IN QUESTION; CAME ON THE FREQ AND SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD TO DSND TO 3000 FT. THE CTLR DISAGREED SAYING THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 3500 FT. I (AND MY PASSENGER) WAS A LITTLE DISCONCERTED THAT THE CTLR MORE OR LESS SHRUGGED OFF THE INCIDENT AS NO BIG DEAL; AND EVEN THOUGH FLT FOLLOWING IS ON A TIME- PERMITTING BASIS; I THINK I AND THE SMA PLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO OUR PATHS XING; EVEN THOUGH WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A 500 FT VERT SEPARATION. TFC AT THE TIME WAS NOT PARTICULARLY HVY.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.