PA24 ENCOUNTERS NMAC WITH A320 WHILE ON FLT FOLLOWING JUST N OF LAS.
Synopsis
PA24 ENCOUNTERS NMAC WITH A320 WHILE ON FLT FOLLOWING JUST N OF LAS.
Narrative
WE WERE ON A RETURN FLT FROM SGU ARPT TO WHP ARPT VIA THE BARSTOW VOR FOLLOWING VICTOR 394. LAS VEGAS APCH CLRED ME INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE AND APPROVED ME TO PROCEED BARSTOW DIRECT AFTER CLBING TO 10500 FT. AS WE WERE CRUISING BARSTOW DIRECT; APCH CALLED OUT AIRBUS TFC AT ABOUT 2 O'CLOCK POS AND 5 MI AT 10000 FT. THIS WAS RIGHT INTO THE SETTING SUN FOR US AND NEITHER OF US COULD SEE ANYTHING DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN. I COMMUNICATED THAT I COULDN'T SEE THE TFC. MOMENTS LATER; APCH CALLED OUT THE AIRBUS TFC 2 O'CLOCK POS AND 1 MI AT 10000 FT. I COMMUNICATED A SECOND TIME THE TFC WAS IN THE SUN AND I COULDN'T PICK IT OUT. I REMEMBER LOOKING AT MY ALTIMETER AND MY GPS TO CONFIRM MY ALT AT 10500 FT. AT THAT MOMENT; MY PAX FOUND A VISUAL ON THE AIRBUS AND PULLED UP ON THE YOKE. I LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER THEN TO OBSERVE 10700 FT AND 10750 FT ON MY GPS AS THE AIRBUS FLEW BY RIGHT UNDERNEATH US ON A COLLISION COURSE. I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN AN AIRBUS THAT CLOSE. I WAS SO SHOCKED. I WAS SILENT. I COULD HEAR THE SOUND OF MY HEAT POUNDING OVER THE ENG. THE AIRBUS LOOKED HIGHER THAN 10000 FT. IF WE WERE ON THAT CLOSE OF A COLLISION COURSE; WHY DIDN'T LAS VEGAS APCH VECTOR ME A TURN TILL THE AIRBUS PASSED? IN ANY CASE; WE'RE ALIVE; BUT MY OPINION OF LAS VEGAS APCH IS COMPROMISED.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.