What could I have done?

Rex Bueller

Rex Bueller

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Feb 15, 2013
Messages
17
Location
Houston TX
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Display name:
Lo&Slo
The other day I was flying at 1300’ and 105 MPH. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement on the right side between 1 and 2 o’clock at approximately my altitude. When I turned my head I saw a single engine airplane now going under me from the right leading edge of the wing at the wing root and coming out at the trailing edge of my left wing root at what I would estimate to be 200’ below me. I did not see him until he was about to pass under me and I don’t know if he had a visual on me. Once back on the ground I was trying to understand why I didn’t notice him and if I did see him at say 2 miles out, what could or should I have done to avoid a close encounter? We were meeting at a 45 degree angle and a closing speed of better than 200 MPH. I understand if we were meeting at a right angle and he was to my right it would be my responsibility to pass behind him but at the 45 degree angle, if I tried to turn to go behind him it would put us at a head on for a moment. I realize that at two miles out I should be able to notice if he was stationary or moving and if moving we would not collide. I’m just trying to see what options are available in this situation.
 
Change your course occasionally to 'move' things in the windows. What often happens is that 'continuous bearing-diminishing range' has the bearing intersecting the window frame hiding the target until the last moment. Wandering back and forth a bit prevents this.
 
If the target is moving relative to you, you should not collide but that is assuming he will maintain course as is. It doesn't address whether you have enough separation so one would still want to alter course or consider it.

91.113 says:
(d) Converging. When aircraft of the same category are converging at approximately the same altitude (except head-on, or nearly so), the aircraft to the other's right has the right-of-way.

The onus was on you to avoid him, although both are required to maneuver to prevent an accident.

Here is a pretty good discussion of how to detect another object.

http://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/libview_normal.aspx?id=6851

When I'm near another aircraft and I'm not sure he sees me, I like to maintain eyeballs on him. Any maneuver I make I like to not lose sight of him for any longer than a few seconds. I want to know if he is maintaining or changing course.

A dramatic movement on your part may present enough motion to him that he picks you up, for example, lifting or dropping a wing significantly for a few seconds.

In your case, if you saw him at 2 miles with the speeds you note, you are about 40 seconds aways have maybe 10 seconds to conclude what he seems to be doing and react. Now you're down to 1 1/2 miles. If I were a low wing, I think I'd pull power, turn into and through him and descend at a good rate, keeping him in sight. Likewise with a high wing I'd climb at full power.

All the time one is doing this, one has to be cautious to not avoid one problem and cause another, so one needs to have a good sense of other traffic and airspace.

I don't know how pilots react instinctively - maybe some one can cite some information, but birds tend to fold their wings and dive. If pilots instinctively climb or turn, this is something to keep in mind when you are thinking of what he may do if he sees you in a situation where reaction needs to be immediate and instincts click in. I'm thinking of a case where both are at the same altitude and have only an instant to act.
 
Last edited:
Henning said:
Change your course occasionally to 'move' things in the windows. What often happens is that 'continuous bearing-diminishing range' has the bearing intersecting the window frame hiding the target until the last moment. Wandering back and forth a bit prevents this.
Click to expand...

That's what I tell Center when they ask where exactly it is that I'm going. :)
 
close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades.
 
bigred177 said:
That's what I tell Center when they ask where exactly it is that I'm going. :)
Click to expand...
:lol:

But yes, once you notice a pending collision* I think the best thing to do is climb (or descend, as appropriate) because your aircraft will change its vector velocity much more rapidly than if you try to turn. To turn you have to establish a bank and then pull. Establishing the bank takes time, especially because most aircraft have more effective elevators than ailerons (i.e. higher pitch rates than roll rates.)


* By this I mean just a few seconds from impact - OTOH if you notice traffic a mile away then lateral manoeuvres may be more practical, safe and legal.
 
and first dates. :D

The only thing to you could have done differently is hit him - and since you missed - and thats the preferred outcome. Good job. OR do what Henning says. And climb a little bit. Its safer. 2500-5500 is Indian Country - you know - Cherokees, Skyhawks, Apaches, etc. get to 7500 and above and there is ALOT less traffic since it takes the 90-180hp crowd a long time to climb that high with bodies in them -
 
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