Mid-Air Collisions

[Big Pistons Forever]

Don't forget the "mid ground" collisions. I was almost hit by a light aircraft the other day. The guy was moving down the ramp head down reading his checklist instead of looking where he was going..... his wing missed my turning prop by 2 feet One fact that never seems to get covered in human factors is fine depth perception dimishes rapidly past about 15 feet. Since the eye to right wing tip distance in a C 172 is about 18 feet your ability to judge that last foot or so of wing tip clearance is probably not as good as you think it is. There is no excuse for ramp strikes, if in doubt, get out (after shutting down !).

[iflyforpie]

Which brings me to a process I've used for years when taxiing aircraft... the shadow taxi!

It only works on sunny days with high wing aircraft or low-wings where you sit far enough ahead of the wing or sun is at a low enough inclination. But if you keep the shadows from touching each other (solar light rays are parallel), there is no possible way you are going to do any damage.

You are so right BPF about the depth perception. As a newbie I was beyond paranoid doing things like taxiing between hangars, aircraft, or next to fuel pumps without seeing how much room there was standing outside of the aircraft.

[mike123]

I would like to make an important point here: to avoid a mid-air collision:

DON'T TURN

Banking the aircraft increases your cross-sectional area and in fact increases the probability of a collision. Also, banking is a poor way to reposition aircraft: first you have to roll - ever so slowly - into the bank, and then the horizontal component of the lift vector starts to move you.

Don't do that. Here's a secret: to have a mid-air collision, aircraft must be at the same altitude. If aircraft are at different altitudes, they cannot hit each other. Trust me on this.

So, we want to either climb, or descend.

What if the other aircraft also climbs or descends?

[Hedley]

What if the other aircraft also climbs or descends?

That's when you earn the big bucks. Generally people can be counted on to do the wrong thing under pressure, so likely the other guy will turn and/or climb.

Me, I'm gonna put as much wings-level negative G on the airframe as it can stand, so I can live to fly another day (shrug).

shadow taxi

excellent point!

[Jonathan]

Talking about mid-air collisions, I had a scary experience yesterday on my way back after a short trip.

I was released by terminal ATC, switched to the ATF about 10nm to the south and transmitted my position and intentions. Looks like there was another aircraft 7-8nm to the south and the pilot advised me he is staying below me. Fine. When we're passed each other, a few minutes later, I checked there are two other aircraft in the circuit so while I figure out how I'm going to fit in there, I turned the head to my left only to see another small aircraft at certainly less then 1/4 of a mile that I never saw before when I was scanning outside.

My first thoughts were that the aircraft was getting away so I just turned a bit to the right to keep myself out of his way, but after a few seconds I realised that he was coming right in my direction so immediately I pushed the yoke to start a dive and I lost a good 500ft in a short moment. While doing that, I transmitted that I had an aircraft right beside me and that I was descending, and that pilot also said that he had me in sight and that I was now clear of him. His radio was very hard to read so maybe he tried to tell me he was southbound when I first checked in on the ATF but I never understood it. And obviously we saw each other at the last minute because the other pilot never took evasive actions to avoid me.

Needless to say that my passenger got scared. And after I landed I also realised even more how much it is important to always keep looking outside.

[Hedley]

I realised that he was coming right in my direction so immediately I pushed the yoke to start a dive and I lost a good 500ft in a short moment

Good work!

[chinglish]

If you have a transponder turn it on! So everyone with TCAS or radar coverage can see you.

[Old Dog Flying]

If you have a transponder turn it on! So everyone with TCAS or radar coverage can see you.

Wake up...how many light aircraft out there are equipt with TCAS and what radar coverage in an un-controlled airport..No won't we have so many assholes with pilots licences. I guess if you've got enough money you can buy just about anything!

[Hedley]

I would wager that almost every aircraft involved in a recent mid-air collision had a functioning (and turned on) transponder.

Didn't help them much, did it?

[iflyforpie]

LOOK OUTSIDE!!

[AEROBAT]

Good post Hedley!

However remember that birds like to dive when seeing aircraft.

[slam525i]

I'd like to add, "Never assume the other pilot isn't an idiot."

I was approaching an uncontrolled airport, called 5nm, called joining downwind, called on final for a low-and-over to inspect the field. When I was on short final, double checking the wind sock to make sure I was in the right direction, I saw a brightly painted tail dragger taxiing out from the ramp. Called again to announce that I was on short final for runway xx. He/she/it kept taxiing right onto the active; I thought it was going into position and going to backtrack the active as I flew over, which isn't a smart idea. A second later, as I'm parallel the numbers (offset to the right for the inspection), the !@#(-head takes off, with a tail wind, no radio, obviously not having looked at all. I was all of maybe 50 feet offset from the centerline.

I've never actually had to do a real evasive maneuver before, but I'm glad I've practiced go-arounds 100 times. But I've also never had to execute a (slight) banking turn while shoving the throttle and carb heat in while raising flaps and making damned sure I don't stall and spin in on the climbing turn. We passed each other at about 150 AGL and a closing speed of well over 100 knots with maybe 300 feet between us. Thank god he didn't decide to do a left turn out right after lift-off. I don't think he ever saw me.

Just like when driving, never assume the other guy isn't an idiot. Always assume he's out to kill you.

[Hedley]

Never assume that everyone has a functioning comm.

The other guy's radio might be turned off. Or, the volume turned down. Or, tuned to the wrong frequency. Or, if he had an audio panel, selected the wrong comm to listen to.

After startup, check the comm freq and pull the volume knob to defeat the automatic squelch, and ensure that you hear the hiss which means that you have the volume and audio panel set up correctly (at least for rx).

The other guy might not even HAVE a comm radio! It is not a legal requirement at an uncontrolled airport to have a comm radio.

So please everyone, don't depend on the comm radio to save you.

Just like when driving, never assume the other guy isn't an idiot. Always assume he's out to kill you

Excellent advice, whether you are riding a motorcycle in traffic, or flying an airplane around an uncontrolled airport. Don't expect the other guy to hear you or see you, and plan accordingly.

[fish4life]

If you have a transponder turn it on! So everyone with TCAS or radar coverage can see you.

Wake up...how many light aircraft out there are equipt with TCAS and what radar coverage in an un-controlled airport..No won't we have so many assholes with pilots licences. I guess if you've got enough money you can buy just about anything!

Old dog flying you are one of those people that may cause mid airs... I'm with chinglish he just said "IF" you have a transponder to turn it on. Not everyone that you may be a conflict with is going to be a C152 many aircraft that are much much faster operate into uncontrolled airports and a lot of the time are fast enough that by the time you see a conflict it might be too late. I have had TCAS personally save me a few times along with save a few friends. TCAS actually makes you realize how many more aircraft are out there and how many close calls you might have when their is no TCAS equipped, all because some people aren't making good proper radio calls... if you have no radio the best thing you can do is fly 500' above the trees to stay out of the way of aircraft that do have proper comm set-ups that way you won't be a conflict.

[Old Dog Flying]

If you have a transponder turn it on! So everyone with TCAS or radar coverage can see you.

Wake up...how many light aircraft out there are equipt with TCAS and what radar coverage in an un-controlled airport..No won't we have so many assholes with pilots licences. I guess if you've got enough money you can buy just about anything!

Old dog flying you are one of those people that may cause mid airs... I'm with chinglish he just said "IF" you have a transponder to turn it on. Not everyone that you may be a conflict with is going to be a C152 many aircraft that are much much faster operate into uncontrolled airports and a lot of the time are fast enough that by the time you see a conflict it might be too late. I have had TCAS personally save me a few times along with save a few friends. TCAS actually makes you realize how many more aircraft are out there and how many close calls you might have when their is no TCAS equipped, all because some people aren't making good proper radio calls... if you have no radio the best thing you can do is fly 500' above the trees to stay out of the way of aircraft that do have proper comm set-ups that way you won't be a conflict.

You can stuff your comments. I have a well equipped aircraft, many thousands of hours flying in the most conjested areas of North America and I learned very early in life to keep my eyeballs clicking and my head on a swivel. And I don't rely on someone else to cover my ass!


As Hedley mentioned, many accidents are in aircraft equipped with transponders but they don't help much when there is a non-observant idiot trying to kill you. I've had 2 guys with PCAS in their aircraft take runs at me after getting a warning but they had servere cases of Cranial Vascular Rectalitis.

[Big Pistons Forever]

A couple of addition points IMO worth considering.

1) A lot of guys are flying with yoke mounted portable GPS's. If you are in the ATF do not be look at your GPS, look out the windows

2) When in the circuit there is a natural tendancy to always look towards the runway. You should force yourself to get into the habit of looking in the opposite direction, particularly at the corners of the circuit and like I mentioned earlier this especially important on the base to final turn as a common scenario for a circuit mid air is an aircraft flying a straight in hits another aircraft flying a full circuit. Since downward vis, on low wing aircraft and upward vis on high wing aircraft, is restricted you will only be able to fully visually clear the path to final before you turn to line up with the runway.

3) Use your strobes and landing lights in the ATF ! White airplanes on hazy overcast days are almost impossible to see but the landing light will be obvious. Even on bright sunny days, landing lights make you more conspicuous

[mr.jinks]

and be sure to fill your radio calls with redundancies and never forget to say "any conflicts please advise, Charlie Foxtrot Alpha Bravo Charlie 126 decimal 7"

[Big Pistons Forever]

and be sure to fill your radio calls with redundancies and never forget to say "any conflicts please advise, Charlie Foxtrot Alpha Bravo Charlie 126 decimal 7"

WOW what a helpfull post

[mr.jinks]

sorry dude... just venting i guess, I've had a close call before and it could have been easily avoided if some asshole wasn't telling his life story on the radio.

[172PIC]

A couple weeks ago while taking a friend to fly over their place I called on a local ATF that I was overhead a town at 2500 feet, heading south etc. I wasn't going to or over the airport but just thought I'd keep area traffic advised, even though it's a low traffic area. Right after a Musketeer calls 2500 feet 5 miles west of the airport - pretty much the same general location. Both of us looked for each other but neither saw each other, not a good feeling. It was sunset and hazy which didn't help, had all the lights on. We kept making calls of our position and were tracking away from each other but I still would have felt better seeing them.

3) Use your strobes and landing lights in the ATF ! White airplanes on hazy overcast days are almost impossible to see but the landing light will be obvious. Even on bright sunny days, landing lights make you more conspicuous

+1, Landing lights make such a big difference for seeing other aircraft, esp in the circuit. People will complain about you burning the bulbs out but I'd much rather be that much more visible to other traffic. I have mine on whenever in a busy circuit or in lower visibility in the circuit and general area of the airport. Strobes help too but nowhere near as much as a landing light.

[AuxBatOn]

A couple weeks ago while taking a friend to fly over their place I called on a local ATF that I was overhead a town at 2500 feet, heading south etc. I wasn't going to or over the airport but just thought I'd keep area traffic advised, even though it's a low traffic area. Right after a Musketeer calls 2500 feet 5 miles west of the airport - pretty much the same general location. Both of us looked for each other but neither saw each other, not a good feeling. It was sunset and hazy which didn't help, had all the lights on. We kept making calls of our position and were tracking away from each other but I still would have felt better seeing them.

That's when it's time to have a deconfliction plan. Tell the guy you are climbing or descending, creating an altitude stack. You can't hit if you're at different altitudes.

[Hedley]

I've had a close call before and it could have been easily avoided if some asshole wasn't telling his life story on the radio

I heartily agree with you about useless, long-winded, redundant radio calls clogging up the frequency - I hate the "please conflicting please advice charlie foxtrot alpha bravo charlie on one two two point eight at podunk" at least as much as you.

But.

If you are relying on the comm radio for collision avoidance - as many newly-trained VFR pilots are these days - sooner or later you're going to be in a world of hurt.

The comm radio is completely unreliable. Just when you need it most, it will fail.

Please remember, low-time VFR pilots, that your primary method of collision avoidance is your eyeballs - not your comm radio!

LOOK OUTSIDE

I cannot emphasize this enough. It is a flight test item, but apparently it is not being taught well enough. Especially in the vicinity of an uncontrolled airport, DONT get your head down, doing a 100 page FTU pre-landing checklist. If you are saddled with something that stupid, do it BEFORE you get on downwind, so by the time you are in the circuit, you are free to look around.

Does anyone here ride a motorcycle? When I ride a motorcycle in traffic, I don't put my head down, trying to find the gearshift lever - it's pretty much where I found it last time. I spend all my time looking around for other vehicles, that are going to try to kill me.

Flying an airplane is exactly the same as riding a motorcycle in traffic. You must spend a lot of time looking around and watching other traffic, and trying to figure out what they're going to do.

Does anyone here play poker? Do you spend much time thinking about your own hand? Of course not - you spend all your time thinking about what the other guy is doing.

Same thing in an airplane.

I don't know how to explain this any differently, or make it any clearer. Keep your head up, regardless of whether you're playing hockey or flying an airplane. It is insane to do otherwise.

[Shiny Side Up]

A couple weeks ago while taking a friend to fly over their place I called on a local ATF that I was overhead a town at 2500 feet, heading south etc. I wasn't going to or over the airport but just thought I'd keep area traffic advised, even though it's a low traffic area. Right after a Musketeer calls 2500 feet 5 miles west of the airport

One thing to remember is that people are notoriously inaccurate when they make position reports. Few people have good skill of guaging distances by sight, and just as few are aware of the scale of the world they're flying over. Couple this with the fact that most position reports made are well into the past, by the time the person finishes delivering it, particularly if their radio call is of a lengthy nature. I don't know how many times that if you plotted out a pilot's position from his position reports that you'd find that their Cessna is travelling somewhere above Mach 3.

Out of curiosity, if he was five miles to the west of the airport, and you were over the town, assuming that the town isn't also five miles west of the airport, how much distance did you guage there was between you?

[172PIC]

The town was 4-5 miles west / west southwest of the airport basically. We both could see a cropduster working 2 miles or so north of the airport so we were in the same general area. I get the impression he was a bit north of me, putting him directly behind me which would explain not seeing him initially though I did look behind and kept looking for him. That also placed him into the setting sun in haze (5-7 miles visibility). Next time I'll chop the throttle and go down 500 until we're well clear (flying a high wing and such).

It is true the X amount of miles report is generally an estimate, I usually include a landmark if I can.

Another thing I find a problem is IFR traffic just calling out the fixes on the approach at uncontrolled fields - I'm willing to bet most VFR pilots have no idea where XANDU is, whenever it's an issue I ask for a position in miles, at the home field I've memorized the locations of the incoming fixes but when I'm somewhere else TEFLN means nothing to me. (Random fix names no idea where they are lol). Is there a general guideline to how far the fixes are for a GPS approach?

[trampbike]

Does anyone here play poker? Do you spend much time thinking about your own hand? Of course not - you spend all your time thinking about what the other guy is doing.

Makes me laugh when I see poker players taking a peek at their hole cards everytime a card hits the board and whenever ther have some sort of decision to make. Put these guys in an airplane, and they would look at the flap or mixture control everytime they would have to use them...


I'd like to add that a controlled airport too, you have to be very careful. Some people seem very worried in an uncontrolled aerodrome, but very relaxed when in a controlled airpace. It's in a controlled airport that I've had my closest call with another aircraft. It happened on my second solo. A guy who took off after me turned way too early to join downwind and did not seem to understand what the tower was telling him. When I joined downwind, I saw him a bit below me and climbing and turning in my direction. I climbed right away, and then saw him under my left wing, turning in the good direction to resume his circuit. I'm not even sure he realised what just happened...