PA34 AND A MOONEY HAD LESS THAN COMFORTABLE SEPARATION IN ZOA CLASS E AIRSPACE.

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WITH TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK POS IN SIGHT BY BOTH PLT AND OBSERVER CREW MEMBER IN COPLT POS; CREW MEMBER WRESTS CTL OF YOKE FROM PIC FOR CREW MEMBER'S PERCEIVED NEED FOR EVASIVE MANEUVERS. SUBSEQUENT WRESTLING FOR CTL OF ACFT TAKES US ACROSS THE FLT PATH OF SECOND ACFT; WITH RESULTING LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS (COMPLETE LOSS OF VISUAL CONTACT WITH SECOND ACFT). THIS PROB OCCURRED OUT OF BOTH PANIC BY CREW MEMBER; AND AN APPARENT MISUNDERSTANDING OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PIC AND OBSERVER CREW. MY OWN JUDGEMENTS PRECLUDED ME FROM EVEN CONSIDERING THAT AN OBSERVER CREW MEMBER (THOUGH A RATED PLT IN THIS CASE) WOULD TRY TO TAKE CTL OF THE ACFT AWAY FROM ME. THIS IS CERTAINLY THE CASE FOR A SOMEWHAT CASUAL ACQUAINTANCE WORKING IN AN OBSERVER CREW MEMBER CAPACITY. MY FEELINGS WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF THERE WERE CLOSER TIES BTWN US; PERHAPS IF I KNEW THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PERSON; OR PERHAPS IF I WERE TRAINED BY THE PERSON. BUT EVEN NOW; IT IS HARD FOR ME TO ACCEPT THAT A CREW MEMBER WOULD TRY TO TAKE OVER THE CTLS WHEN BOTH OF US ARE COMPLETELY AWARE OF A SECOND ACFT. HAD I BEEN OBLIVIOUS TO THE TFC (AS IF OPERATING UNDER THE HOOD DURING TRAINING PERHAPS); THEN THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT SIT ALTOGETHER. SO; I BELIEVE THIS PROB IS A RESULT OF DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS BY BOTH MYSELF AND THE CREW MEMBER. AS PIC; I AM DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR; AND HAVE THE FINAL AUTH FOR; THE OP OF THE ACFT. I PRESUMED THIS TO BE SUCH BASIC INFO THAT ANY PLT WOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THIS RULE AND; MORE TO THE POINT; AGREE TO ABIDE BY THIS RULE WHEN OPERATING AS A CREW MEMBER. THIS WAS A BAD ASSUMPTION. I HAVE NOW EXPLICITLY POINTED OUT THIS RESPONSIBILITY/AUTH TO THIS CREW MEMBER; AND WILL ENSURE THIS IS UNDERSTOOD FOR ALL FUTURE FLTS WITH ANY CREW MEMBER. AS THIS IS A MIL OP; THE CREW MEMBERS DO HAVE A CHOICE IN WHO THEY FLY WITH. IF THERE IS ANY CONCERN ABOUT THE PLT'S JUDGEMENT; SKILL LEVEL; OR EXPERIENCE; THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE THE FLT (AND PERHAPS THE CREW MEMBER SHOULD NOT FLY WITH A PARTICULAR PLT UNTIL ANY ISSUES ARE RESOLVED). THIS IS A TOPIC THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED IN OUR OWN PLT/OBSERVER TRAINING PROGRAM.