A C206 PLT HAS A NEAR MISS WITH A PA31.

Narrative

I DEPARTED THE YUKON RIVER IMMEDIATELY ABEAM PITKA ARPT ON A 240 DEG HDG AFTER HAVING ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO DEPART ALONG WITH DIRECTION OF FLT AFTER LIFTOFF. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE 15-20 SECONDS LATER; I LEVELED OFF AT ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE THE RIVER AS ANNOUNCED; SO AS I PASS WELL UNDER ANY POSSIBLE TFC INBOUND FROM THE W FOR THE ARPT. AT THIS TIME; I ANNOUNCED AIRBORNE ON THE CTAF AND RESTATED MY INTENTIONS TO PASS W OF THE ARPT FOLLOWING THE RIVER AT 300 FT MSL UNTIL N OF CTRLINE; THEN PROCEED NWBOUND. AFTER MY XMISSION; A PA31 ANNOUNCED INBOUND FROM THE W FROM THE VILLAGE OF KOYUKUK AND STATED HE WAS 7 MI W FOLLOWING THE RIVER AT 500 FT MSL. I TOLD HIM I WOULD WATCH FOR HIM; BUT WOULD GO E OF THE RIVER AS SOON AS I WAS N OF CTRLINE AND WOULD STAY AT 300 FT. I DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE HIM AT ALL BECAUSE I WAS ALREADY AIRBORNE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN WELL N OF HIS COURSE BY THE TIME HE REACHED THE PATTERN. AFTER I FINISHED MY CLB AND CRUISE CHKLISTS SOME 30 SECONDS LATER; I RESUMED LOOKING FOR HIM AND NAVING SO AS TO MANEUVER E OF THE RIVER. AT THIS TIME; I SPOTTED HIM APCHING RAPIDLY AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS; ON A COLLISION COURSE EXCEPT FOR OUR MEAGER ALT DIFFERENCE OF 200 FT. I BEGAN TO DSND AT THE SAME TIME REALIZING THAT HE WOULD PASS ABOVE ME. AT THIS TIME; I WAS ON THE CTAF TO ANNOUNCE TO HIM THAT I WAS N OF CTRLINE AND TURNING TO A NORTHEASTERLY HEADING TO CLR HIS INTENDED PATTERN AREA. IT WAS ABOUT MID-SENTENCE THAT I SPOTTED HIM AND STATED TO HIM THAT I HAD JUST GOTTEN HIM IN SIGHT AND WAS JUST ABOUT TO PASS BELOW HIM WITH A SOMEWHAT STARTLED TONE IN MY VOICE. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD JUST GOTTEN ME IN SIGHT AS WELL AS HE PASSED OVER ME. I AM JUST A BIT CONCERNED THAT HE MAY HAVE READ HIS MILEAGE OFF EITHER A DME FROM THE GAL VOR (4 NM NE PAGA) AND OR OFF A GPS RECEIVER SET TO GAL. IN EITHER CASE; HE DID NOT MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLR TO ME THAT HIS MILEAGE WAS MORE LIKE 3 NM FROM PAGA. IN THIS CASE; I BELIEVED THAT AT HIS RATE OF SPD; I WOULD HAVE NEARLY 2 AND 1/2 MINS BEFORE HE WOULD ENTER THE PATTERN AT WHICH TIME I WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OR MORE MI NNW OF PAGA. I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE FLT INSTRUCTORS/COMPANY CHK AIRMEN WHEN GIVING INSTRUCTION; BFR'S; AND PART 135 OR 121 FLT CHKS TO TEACH PLTS TO SAY WHAT THEIR MILEAGE READOUT IS BASED FROM. IF IT IS A DME READOUT; THEY SHOULD STATE 'I'M PRESENTLY SHOWING XX DME NW OF THE VOR. IF IT'S A GPS; LORAN C; VLF OMEGA; ETC; THEY SHOULD SAY; 'I'M PRESENTLY SHOWING XX MI (DIRECTION FROM THIS POINT) OF THE (ARPT; VOR; NDB; ETC).' BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK THAT PA31 TO GET LESS THAN 1 MI W OF THE ARPT; IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY 7 MI FROM THE VOR AND NOT THE ARPT.