NMAC BTWN A C172 CLBING THROUGH 2900 FT MSL AND A HIGH WING SINGLE ENG ACFT LEVEL; OR DSNDING; XING THROUGH THE CESSNA'S FLT PATH. THE CESSNA TOOK A DIVE TO ASSURE AVOIDING THE OTHER ACFT.

Narrative

ACFT; A C172; DEPARTED RWY 23 FROM 5B2 (AN UNCTLED FIELD) ENRTE TO DDH UNDER VMC. ACFT #1 WAS SQUAWKING 1200. A VFR FLT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. ACFT #1 FLEW A HDG OF 185 DEGS MAGNETIC AFTER REACHING 1250 FT MSL. AT A DISTANCE OF APPROX 3.75 NM; ACFT #1 TURNED TO A HDG OF 112 DEGS MAGNETIC TO BRING THE ACFT ON COURSE TO DDH. ACFT #1 PROCEEDED ON THIS HDG AND CONTINUED CLBING TO 3500 FT MSL. ALL MANEUVERS WERE ANNOUNCED ON 122.8 (CTAF) BY THE PLT OF ACFT #1. AT AN ALT OF 2900 FT MSL AT A DISTANCE OF 15 NM ON THE ALB 021 DEG RADIAL (SW END OF SARATOGA LAKE); ACFT #1 OBSERVED ACFT #2 AT THE 9:30 O'CLOCK POS APPROX 100 FT HIGHER IN ALT AT A HORIZ DISTANCE OF APPROX 300 FT. ACFT #2 WAS ON AN APPROX HDG OF 200-205 DEGS MAGNETIC. NO POS/INTENTION CALL WAS HEARD FROM ACFT #2. ACFT #1 IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A RAPID DSCNT TO 2200 FT MSL. NO EVASION MANEUVER WAS PERFORMED BY ACFT #2. ACFT #1 WAS UNABLE TO READ THE TAIL NUMBER OF ACFT #2. (NOTE: ACFT #2 WAS A SINGLE ENG HIGH WING AIRPLANE OF UNKNOWN MAKE AND MODEL. IT WAS ALSO NOT KNOWN IF ACFT #2 WAS IN CRUISE FLT OR WAS IN A DSCNT FROM A HIGHER ALT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT). PRIMARY FACTORS: 1) THE PLT OF ACFT #2 FAILED TO MAINTAIN A VISUAL SCAN AND DID NOT SEE ACFT #1. 2) THE PLT OF ACFT #2 FAILED TO YIELD RIGHT-OF-WAY TO ACFT #1. 3) THE PLT OF ACFT #2 DID NOT USE THE CTAF TO ANNOUNCE HIS/HER INTENTIONS WHILE OPERATING IN THE VICINITY OF 5B2. SECONDARY FACTORS: 1) SARATOGA COUNTY ARPT WAS EXPERIENCING A HIGH VOLUME OF TFC DUE TO SEASONAL ACTIVITY AT THE TRACK. SEVERAL OTHER ARPTS IN THE AREA THAT USE A FREQ OF 122.8 WERE ALSO ACTIVE. THE RADIO FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED AND 'SELF ANNOUNCING' POS AND INTENTIONS WAS DIFFICULT. (NOTE: DUE TO THE VOLUME OF 'SEASONALLY INDUCED' RADIO TFC ON 122.8 AND IN ORDER TO MAINT 'SITUATIONAL AWARENESS' OF THE CTAF; THE PLT OF ACFT #1 WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH AND DID NOT MONITOR THE ALBANY APCH FREQ. 2) ACFT #2 MAY HAVE BEEN IN COM WITH ALBANY APCH SINCE SARATOGA LAKE IS A VISUAL CHKPOINT FOR ALB. IF THIS WAS THE CAUSE; ATC FAILED TO NOTIFY ACFT #2 OF A TFC CONFLICT WITH ACFT #1.