NASA · Aviation Safety Reporting System
General aviation pilot reported causing an NMAC when they turned to avoid other aircraft.
What is ASRS?
The Aviation Safety Reporting System is NASA's voluntary, confidential, non- punitive incident-reporting system, established 1976. Pilots, controllers, dispatchers, and maintenance technicians file reports describing safety- relevant events. NASA de-identifies every report before adding it to the public database. Reports are not investigated by NASA, the FAA, or the NTSB — they represent the reporter's perspective.
Pilot narrative
Verbatim from the de-identified NASA record. First-person account by the
reporter. NASA strips identifying details (names, company, specific time);
anonymization placeholders are ZZZ,
X, Y.
I was enroute to ZZZ from ZZZ1. While on a heading of about 160 at approximately 2600 feet, I observed a flight of three aircraft on a heading of approximately 255, on my EFIS screen via ADS-B. I believed they were approximately 3 miles away, when they were actually closer to one mile away. I switched my radios over from the ZZZ1 CTAF to the ZZZ CTAF. I knew there was an event taking place at ZZZ, and I suspected these aircraft were the flight participants, based on their track and proximity to ZZZ. While visually scanning the sky for the other aircraft, I anticipated they would take their normal route, which I was previously familiar with. I could see that our paths were converging, so I altered course to a heading of approximately 190 and began descending. I chose this course due to my anticipation of the aircraft making a southbound turn to follow their normal route. As I continued my visual scan, I finally was able to locate one of the aircraft which was approximately 50 feet above, and 200 feet horizontally away from me, and it was making a southbound turn. I could see that the other aircraft was a Cessna, likely a 172. I got on the radio and told the pilot of the other aircraft that the close call was likely my fault, and apologized to him. I ultimately turned back toward ZZZ and landed without further incident. I do not know who the other pilot was. I debriefed the incident in my head for a few days, and I identified some things I could've done to prevent this incident. I misinterpreted the distance on my ADS-B rings. I believed it was ranged out to a further distance, when in reality, it was zoomed in closer than I thought. Basically the aircraft appeared to be twice as far away in my mind, than they actually were. I should have been more cognizant of my equipment. My visual scan was inadequate. I should've been more focused on scanning outside the plane, and less on the ADS-B screen. I should've altered course much sooner, and to a greater degree. I could've switched frequencies sooner, and communicated on the radio earlier. I waited too long to switch from the ZZZ1 CTAF to the ZZZ CTAF, especially since the two airports are so close. I should have announced my position and intentions on the ZZZ CTAF at the recommended 10 mile distance, not the 8 miles at which I actually had planned on.
NASA classification — Anomalies
- Conflict
- Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural
NASA classification — Assessments
- Contributing Factors / Situations
- Human Factors
- Primary Problem
- Human Factors
ASRS reports are voluntarily submitted, de-identified by NASA, and represent the reporter's perspective. The presence of reports on a topic cannot be used to infer prevalence in the National Airspace System. The authoritative source is the NASA ASRS Database Online at asrs.arc.nasa.gov ↗.