PLT OF GA SMA RPTED THAT HE OBSERVED AN SMA OPERATING TOO CLOSE TO A CLOUD DECK.

Date: 1991-12

Synopsis

PLT OF GA SMA RPTED THAT HE OBSERVED AN SMA OPERATING TOO CLOSE TO A CLOUD DECK.

Narrative

12/91 I WAS CALLED AT HOME BY THE PLT OF SMA Y WHO STATED THAT AT ABOUT XXXX THAT DAY HE HAD CLBED OUT OF IFR FROM L39 AND UPON BREAKING OUT OF THE CLOUDS (IE TOPPING THE UNDERCAST) W OF JLI VORTAC HE OBSERVED MY ACFT AT HIS 1 O'CLOCK POS ABOUT 2500 FT AWAY AT LESS THAN 500 FT ABOVE THE UNDERCAST. HE STATED HE RPTED TO SNA APCH CTL A NEAR MISS AND A VIOLATION BY ME OF THE BASIC VFR OPERATING CRITERIA WITH RESPECT TO CLOUD CLRNC. I NEVER SAW HIS ACFT BUT WAS OPERATING ON TOP OF AN UNDERCAST W OF JLI VORTAC AT ABOUT THAT TIME. I WAS OBSERVING BASIC VFR WX OPERATING CRITERIA IAW FAR 91.155 AND MAINTAINING NO LESS THAT 500 FT ABOVE/1000 FT BELOW/2000 FT HORIZLY FROM ANY CLOUDS. VISIBILITY CONDITIONS WERE MORE THAN 10 STATUTE MILES. THE WX ABOVE THE UNDERCAST WAS CLR WITH ONLY SOME HIGH THIN STRATUS OBSERVED. THE PLT OF THE SMA Y STATED THAT SNA APCH CTL DID NOT RPT ANY TFC IN HIS AREA AND I APPEARED AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO HIM. I WAS OPERATING MY TRANSPONDER ON CODE 1200 FOR VFR FLT AND THE TRANSPONDER WAS OPERATING CORRECTLY AND IT CONTINUES TO DO SO. IT IS HAS ALSO BEEN CHKED WITHIN THE REQUIRED FAR MAINT INTERVAL. WITH THE DENSITY OF ACFT OPERATING IN SOUTHERN CA EXTREME CARE AND VIGILANCE MUST BE MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES BY ALL PARTIES. IF OUR 2 ACFT DID COME WITHIN THE PROX DESCRIBED BY THE SMA Y PLT THIS EVENT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BE A VERY SERIOUS AND FATAL ACCIDENT.

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