M20P PLT HAD LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION WITH AN RJ. THE PLT WAS ATTEMPTING TO FLY FORMATION WITH ANOTHER MOONEY AND MISTOOK THE RJ FOR THE MOONEY.
Synopsis
M20P PLT HAD LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION WITH AN RJ. THE PLT WAS ATTEMPTING TO FLY FORMATION WITH ANOTHER MOONEY AND MISTOOK THE RJ FOR THE MOONEY.
Narrative
I WAS ENRTE FROM I67 TO LUK AND HAD JUST LEVELED OFF BTWN 2800-2900 FT. I WAS AWARE THAT THE CVG; CLASS B FLOOR WAS 3000 FT. I THOUGHT THAT I SPOTTED MY FRIEND IN ANOTHER MOONEY AT MY 10-11 O'CLOCK POS AT MY SAME ALT. HE HAD TAKEN OFF FROM I67 RIGHT BEFORE ME AND WAS ENRTE TO LUK. WE HAD BEEN IN COM ON A CTAF; AND HE WAS ALSO LEVEL AT 2800 FT. HOWEVER; AS I GOT CLOSER TO THIS AIRPLANE; I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS NOT A MOONEY; BUT A COMMUTER REGIONAL JET. THERE WAS NO RELATIVE MOTION BTWN THE JET AND MYSELF. THE REGIONAL JET STARTED MAKING A R TURN TOWARDS ME AND APPEARED TO BE ON A COLLISION COURSE. I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION BY A CLBING R TURN TO 3200 FT. THE RJ APPEARED TO PASS BELOW ME BY 400-500 FT. I KNEW THAT I VIOLATED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE FOR APPROX 30-45 SECONDS; BUT I FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO AVOID A POTENTIAL CONFLICT. AFTER THE RJ PASSED BELOW ME; I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE CLASS B AND DSNDED TO 2500 FT. IF I DID NOT CLB; THE PROX OF THE JET WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH CLOSER AND A POTENTIAL COLLISION MAY HAVE OCCURRED IN MY JUDGEMENT. I ONLY HAD SEVERAL SECONDS TO REACT WHEN THE JET TURNED TOWARDS ME. I WAS VFR AT THE TIME AND NOT IN CONTACT WITH ATC. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE; I WILL CONTACT CINCINNATI APCH EVEN IF VFR; IN AN AREA OF BUSY TFC. ALSO; CRUISING AT 2800 FT MAY HAVE BEEN TOO CLOSE TO THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS B (3000 FT) AND DIDN'T GIVE ME MUCH ROOM TO MANEUVER. 2500 FT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER ALT WITH A 500 FT CUSHION INSTEAD OF 200 FT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.