AN NMAC BTWN A C172 AND A PA28 AT 1500 FT 6 MI NE OF CDW; NJ.

Narrative

THE NEAR COLLISION INCIDENT WAS ENCOUNTERED DURING A COMBINATION SIGHT-SEEING/TRAINING FLT WITH A FRENCH TOURIST WHO CURRENTLY HELD A VALID FRENCH PLT CERTIFICATE AND WHO WAS LEGAL FOR VFR PVT PLT OPS IN THE UNITED STATES. THE FLT WAS INTENDED TO PROCEED CALDWELL TO MANHATTAN AND BACK; TRANSITIONING THROUGH TEB AND REMAINING BELOW THE NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE WHERE POSSIBLE. THE RENTER PLT/STUDENT WANTED TO FLY HIMSELF; BUT WANTED SOMEONE TO ASSIST WITH THE RADIO COMS AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE VARIOUS AIRSPACE RULES AND PROCS. AT THE TIME OF THE NEAR COLLISION EVENT; I WAS IN THE R SEAT AND THE FRENCH PLT WAS FLYING FROM THE L. WE WERE OPERATING UNDER THE AGREEMENT THAT HE WOULD 'FLY THE PLANE' AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING ALTS; HDGS AND VISUAL SEPARATION FROM TFC -- I WOULD NAV AND TAKE CARE OF THE RADIO COMS AND KEEP HIM INFORMED OF ANY NECESSARY CHANGES IN ALT OR OUR DIRECTION OF FLT. WE WERE APPROX 6 MI NE OF CALDWELL ATTEMPTING TO STAY CLR OF BOTH THE LOC 22 APCH COURSE AND TEB CLASS D AIRSPACE. JUST BEFORE THE NEAR MISS INCIDENT; I HAD JUST CHANGED COMS FREQ TO TEB AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO PRECISELY LOCATE OUR POS USING THE VOR RECEIVER WHILE I WAITED FOR AN OPEN SPACE ON THE FREQ. I BECAME DISTR BY WHAT I THOUGHT AN ODD DISCREPANCY WITH THE VOR. AFTER FUMBLING WITH THE VOR AND THE OLD QUIRKY RADIO STACK FOR A FEW SECONDS WITHOUT LOOKING UP; I DECIDED I HAD BETTER LOOK UP AND CHK ON OUR ALT; POS; AND LOOK FOR TFC WHEN I SAW A WHITE PIPER WARRIOR HEADED STRAIGHT FOR US; SAME ALT (1500 FT MSL) AND EXTREMELY CLOSE. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A DIVING R TURN TO AVOID A HEAD-ON COLLISION. I THINK I SAW THE PIPER PULL UP JUST AS HE PASSED OVERHEAD BUT I'M NOT SURE IF HE EVER SAW US. IF HE DID I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE OF OUR SUDDEN TURNING/DIVING MANEUVER. I DON'T THINK WE MISSED THE PIPER BY MORE THAN 50 FT AT THE MOST. AFTER THE FLT; THE FRENCH PLT SAID HE SAW THE OTHER ACFT BEFORE I DID BUT FROZE AT THE CTLS AND FELT HE WAS INCAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING. I WILL NEVER TRUST ANOTHER PLT -- ESPECIALLY ONE I HAVE NEVER FLOWN WITH BEFORE -- FOR TFC SEPARATION. CALDWELL TWR DID MENTION WHEN OUR ACFT WAS ON THE HIGH DOWNWIND DEP THAT AN ACFT WAS TRACKING THE LOC BUT THE INCIDENT WAS SEVERAL MINS LATER; E OF THE LOC COURSE; AND BEYOND THE IAF. A LACK OF PRECISE POSITIONAL AWARENESS; UNFAMILIARITY AND LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES BTWN CREW; PLT DISTR WITH NAV EQUIP; VFR OPS IN UNFAMILIAR HIGHLY RESTR; HIGH DENSITY AIRSPACE (I HARDLY EVER FLY E OF CDW); RESTR FLT VISIBILITY DUE TO HAZE; A LAPSE IN VISUAL SCANNING ON THE PART OF MYSELF; THE RENTER PLT AT THE CTLS AND THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT WERE ALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE INCIDENT.