Near Death Experience (Mid-Air) This Morning

[MyNameIsNobody]

Anyone flying Northwest today at 8:30AM? At about 4600feet? You have a very nice new Ovation paint on your bird. Bottom looks good too...

So I am returning from D25 in Northern Wisconsin this morning. We got an early start (took off about 725AM) and on a 210 magnetic course by Wautoma I spot another Mooney about my altitude (I am at 4500) and quartering at my left wing...He/she is close! Under 500 feet vertical separation and converging. Other pilot saw me first and began to bank right. They crossed right behind me. My wife saw it out my side window and could not see it out her window as we converged that fast. I would estimate his course at 350 degrees.

You have a pretty bird. Hope to NOT see it that close on that angle again. Good reactions. Are your underwear clean?

Take care...

[Tankinbarber]

Man that is a scary experience. I always take flight following when available for that exact reason. Keeping to VFR altitudes (west positive + 500, east negative +500) is important.

[gsengle]

Love my skywatch, adding adsb traffic to it via L3 lynx shortly and always get advisories and I've still had closeish calls...

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[Ftlausa]

Active traffic systems are great, but not perfect.  I had a close encounter with another Mooney a couple months ago near KFXE. The Garmin 800 started giving alerts, but for some reason not until he was on top of us.  We could not locate him visually. Turns out that was because he was right behind us and overtaking.  He missed us by what seemed like less than 100 feet.  I don't think he every saw us.  Not sure what he was looking at, but definitely not looking out the window.     

[Hank]

Yep. I passed an opposit direction Mooney a while back myself. I was northbound at 8500 out of AVL, he was southbound, I'm guessing at 8000 into AVL. He passed close enough I lost him against the cowling with my head pressed against the window. Nice white paint job, with a red fin. About thirty seconds after he went by, AVL called him out as traffic . . .

[N33GG]

When I fly with other pilots, most of them comment that I look out more than anyone they have ever flown with.  There is a good reason... I have had way too many near death experiences, and have probably run out of luck.  It can happen even when you are trying your best due to optical, visibility, and vision limitations.

 

Especially with all the electronic gadgets to look at and rely on in the cockpit, I see more and more pilots not looking out enough.  Be careful out there!

 

[gsengle]

Nothing wrong with keeping your head out of the cockpit, but let me tell you, in the busy NE around NYC/Boston/Philly, for every airplane I spot looking out the window, there are 4-5 I never saw or never would have picked out without the active traffic system.  I hope it gets even better when it also adds ADS-B traffic.  See and avoid is risk in such busy airspace - and I had no idea until I moved up to the Mooney with the system....

 

When I fly with other pilots, most of them comment that I look out more than anyone they have ever flown with.  There is a good reason... I have had way too many near death experiences, and have probably run out of luck.  It can happen even when you are trying your best due to optical, visibility, and vision limitations.

 

Especially with all the electronic gadgets to look at and rely on in the cockpit, I see more and more pilots not looking out enough.  Be careful out there!

 

[bonal]

A couple months ago departing home climbing through 5000 I picked up traffic my altitude coming in from my 2 o'clock tried to contact on CTAF but no luck I initiated a right turn to avoid he passed right in front 1 to 2 hundred feet.  I am 100% certain we would have hit if I did not see him.  It was a lite sport looks like a Cessna 162 but is not. I have to get to about 6000ft before I can pick up Oakland center due to the mountains in that direction.  Nor Cal and Center do a great job of traffic avoidance

[gsengle]

I believe center/approach advisories are 'workload permitting' which is not to be confused with traffic separation...

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[bonal]

I believe center/approach advisories are 'workload permitting' which is not to be confused with traffic separation...

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Which is why I look out my window ALOT however I have never been denied FF and as stated they are very good at providing advisories that include climbs descents and heading  changes. I understand "workload permitting" but that sounds like separation to me...any..way just responding to Nobody's event not looking to debate.  Happy Sky's Y'all

[gsengle]

My point is even if they take you on for advisories (and in the east I've been told go fish) you're still the controllers lowest priority and they still aren't responsible for vfr separation except maybe in class B

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[bonal]

I guess I've just been fortunate to receive such good service from our western controllers

[gsengle]

Ours are great too but often very busy

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[N33GG]

I believe center/approach advisories are 'workload permitting' which is not to be confused with traffic separation...

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100% Correct!  Many people on flight following do not fully understand the above statement or appreciate how important it is to continue to look outside!

[bonal]

And yes I understand this "which is why I look out my windows a lot"

[cujet]

I've had a close call that was no farther than a few feet.  

 

Flying from F45 to PBI, a grand total of 11 miles. Extending my Eastbound downwind at F45, I climb to 1200 and call PBI. PBI gives me a squawk, tells me radar contact. About a minute or two later, PBI barks at me with 7CJ suggest immediate climb, with an urgency I've never heard before. I do so right away. 

 

Within seconds, a Southbound Navajo goes just under me at a very high rate of speed. He's Not talking to anybody and blasts right into PBI's class C airspace and out again, off into the sunset. That was the closest call possible without catastrophe. I honestly thought we might hit. 

 

Never did find out who it was. All I can say is that they were flying like idiots in uncontrolled and controlled airspace. And, Navajo's are pretty darn fast down low. 

[MyNameIsNobody]

Wow, glad that worked out...scarey

[Marauder]

I've had a close call that was no farther than a few feet.

Flying from F45 to PBI, a grand total of 11 miles. Extending my Eastbound downwind at F45, I climb to 1200 and call PBI. PBI gives me a squawk, tells me radar contact. About a minute or two later, PBI barks at me with 7CJ suggest immediate climb, with an urgency I've never heard before. I do so right away.

Within seconds, a Southbound Navajo goes just under me at a very high rate of speed. He's Not talking to anybody and blasts right into PBI's class C airspace and out again, off into the sunset. That was the closest call possible without catastrophe. I honestly thought we might hit.

Never did find out who it was. All I can say is that they were flying like idiots in uncontrolled and controlled airspace. And, Navajo's are pretty darn fast down low.

I had a similar experience. Flying an ILS into KGVQ (formerly known as 3G8), in the soup, break out at about 900 feet, get an immediate climb and turn. Just as I am entering the soup I catch a twin scud running. No doubt we would have tested the "big sky" theory.

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[Guest]

Love my skywatch, adding adsb traffic to it via L3 lynx shortly and always get advisories and I've still had closeish calls...

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I saw the Lynx at Oshkosh, can you give an idea of the installed price?

Clarence

[gsengle]

See other current thread in avionics

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[PMcClure]

I have had two close calls. One on my check ride for PPL. The other soon after on take off. That time a Caravan was coming down opposite active runway at an uncontrolled field. I came up under him and don't think he ever saw me. As I banked hard right, I could see the pilots face and that he was talking to the co pilot. I could also see the latches on the doors. 

[MyNameIsNobody]

I am feeling a lot better. Keep the white knucklers coming...

[garytex]

Yes, I think that the time to be especially careful is when the controllers are busy. Or perhaps I should say abnormally busy. I was flying over Kerrville about a year ago and on flight following, vfr. Controller was having to carry two frequencies that day, including approaches to both Austin and San Antonio. I heard him calling traffic to a king air and some other airplane and I thought to myself "those are in my area". So I started looking around a little bit extra. I looked out the left window and caught movement out of the top of my eye and see the Kingair which has flown smooth perfectly over me from right to left on a perpendicular intersecting course about 200 feet above me buzzing off to the left. I never saw it coming I just saw him leaving. And by the way, up close a king air looks big and hauls ass. I called the controller told him that I just gotten a haircut from the king air, and he got real bent out of shape and offensive on the radio. It was a strange experience and then interaction for me. In 25 years I had never heard a controller be anything other than courteous and professional.

Point to this story is to watch your peas and cues when the guys are overwhelmed, they can have their attention focused on one perceived threat and miss another one.

[ArtVandelay]

Point to this story is to watch your peas and cues when the guys are overwhelmed, they can have their attention focused on one perceived threat and miss another one.

Today's radar systems are supposed to have auto collision detection assuming you both have working mode C transponders.

[Piloto]

Busy controllers can actually induce to a collision as shown here

 

 

Even after alerted by TCAS on both planes six pairs of eyes could not see each other plane. 

 

A real sad tragedy that could have been avoided.

 

José