Student’s Narrative: I was getting weather for my home airport, which we were approaching.
I had my head down writing the altimeter on my iPad and, all of a sudden, my instructor snatched the yoke and made a hard left to avoid this aircraft that was coming at us from out sorta left.
If he didn’t do this, I think we definitely would’ve got into an accident.
CFI’s Narrative: My student and I were on flight following from ZZZ1 to ZZZ at 3,500 msl. We were looking at charts in the plane when I looked out the windshield and saw a small high-wing plane (red and white) filling my view. I immediately shoved the control forward and banked hard to the left.
After the incident I relayed what happened to us to ATC. They said they did not have a radar contact near us other than one a few thousand feet below us.
We have ADS-B-In and did not see any returns of anyone at our altitude anywhere near us.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2144965
This link will take you to the ASRS search page. Select Report Number at the top of the page, then enter the number in the search field. This will take you to another page, where you will select “View only the 1 most recent reports.”
See and Avoid is the mantra in VMC.
Occasionally, I spot an aircraft that doesn’t display on the avionics and doesn’t have to if the owner so chooses and doesn’t want to fly in Class A, B, or C. Particularly keep you head on a swivel as the CFI. It is not too rare that planes sneak up on you.
The other high wing aircraft should also have been clearing knowingly flying around without ADS-B. He elected to fly without that useful tool. Didn’t want to spend the money. A wrecked plane is a heck of a lot more money than some simple ADS-B Out add ons.
Don’t just blame the author of the ASRS. The other pilot may not know how close he came to an accident that he easily could have avoid also.
Th opening statement from the student is telling.. I was writing down the altimeter on my iPad!. Can’t you listen and set the altimeter while looking outside. Quit looking at the stupid iPad and look out the window. IF you were briefing, the safety pilot, Instructor, should have been watching and not have been surprised. So much visibly wrong with this report. Our new folks sure rely on their iPads a lot. I flew with a young CFII, MEII, class date with a regional already a while back in a Pilatus and as we passed 15,000 feet, I asked if they were ever going to actually look out the window?
As the old song goes: “Keep your eyes on your driving, keep your hands on the wheel.” Why didn’t ATC see the red and white plane approaching? Radar problem? I’d like to hear Juan Brown’s analysis of this one.
Regards/J
I assume from this that ATC, flight following, an iPad, ADS-B, and no one looking outside is the new teachable substitute for see and avoid?
Seems to me that CFIs are becoming a problem 😕
I still use a paper chart and scan outside 90% of the time as always. Are iPads and flight following a better way or a serious distraction?