This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
I was flying with my safety pilot in a Cessna 172 at 7,500 feet over ZZZ.
Our plan was to fly east of the airport at 7,500 and avoid traffic. As we were flying over the airport, we were advised that someone was going missed at ZZZ.
After reviewing both the VOR and GPS missed approaches it appears the published approach has the aircraft going to the right (west) of the airport to intercept points on the approach path.
From what I can tell, reviewing my flight log, it appears they would have had to turn right and maintained 7,500, but they should have maintained 7,300 according to both published missed approach procedures.
We flew at 7,500 and were clear of the traffic.
I then was told by my safety pilot to turn left heading 270 quickly and began to do so until I noticed the other Cessna 172 was in that direction. I snapped that he was turning me into traffic.
Just then ATC told us to immediately climb to 8,000 feet to avoid the traffic and while going 100 kts indicated I pulled back pretty hard and climbed to 7,800 while reducing speed to 70 kts indicated then began a left turn towards 090 to avoid the traffic, which was off our 270.
ATC then advised we can continue own navigation.
The aircraft got very close to us, and I’m not sure just how close but I feel that multiple factors had led to this near miss.
The safety pilot could have had better eyes on the traffic below and realized this C172S was climbing towards us; the published missed approaches call for a right-hand turn, not a left-hand turn, so turning the wrong way put us directly into each other’s path; and ATC, who was in contact with us and the pilot on missed, could have coordinated that better.
Even if we were simply a VFR pilot on flight following, we depend on ATC to advise of traffic and we will take all orders from ATC. Luckily, ATC told us to climb immediately.
The other pilot was at 7,500 feet headed directly for us and I believe the extra 300 feet saved us from a mid-air collision.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2184116
When you click on the link it will take you to the ASRS Online Database. Click on Report Number and put the ACN in the search box, then click Search. On that page, click on “view only the 1 most recent report.”
This one is a clinic on what NOT to do when practicing instrument procedures, under VFR, in VMC…with a “safety pilot”.
From the 131-hour private pilot’s narrative:
“The aircraft got very close to us, and I’m not sure just how close but I feel that multiple factors had led to this near miss.”
It sounds like the PIC never removed whatever “view limiting device” he was wearing…and instead relied on, and then later blamed, his safety pilot and ATC, for this possible NMAC.
As soon as events involving the other aircraft got…busy…the view limiting device needed to come off so there were two sets of eyes helping to “see and avoid”.
AMEN! IFR practice terminates in favor of Safety in cases like this. I don’t think a DPE would have failed someone for this. All you would have to do is say, now that I have my view limiting device back on, how about giving me vectors so we can try this again?