Had a close call today...

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PiperPilot1

Filing Flight Plan
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PiperPilot1
Hello Everyone,
I had a close call today...I figured Id post it here and see if I could get some advice.
The scenario is: I'm towing banners up and down the beach at 500ft. I am a new commercial pilot and am loving my first job. All is well and its toward the end of the day, Im avoiding parasailers and the usual weekend traffic, and I hear a call on CTAF of a small jet approaching one of our VFR checkpoints at my same altitude. Im also in the same location and we are approaching head on based off his position report, but I dont see him. I make a call and start raising my wings looking for him, and start a slow turn to see If I can see him. Right as I start my turn he passes off my right side; just as Im turning to the right...and it was...really, really close. Like within 200ft?

I stopped my turn and he came back on the radio saying I turned into him. I apologized and he said "no worries I saw you the whole time" and that was that.
I do feel really bad that I didnt see him, and Im usually putting my plane in a slip from side to side so I can see in front of me (not a lot of forward visibility towing banners in a tail dragger) but this time just caught me off guard. I looked at the ADSB data later and he was going like 170kts while Im doing 45 lol...I mean, even if I did see him, I think It would have been hard to get out of his way. But Im equally to blame, as I should have had a better scan going and reacted better.

Should I file a NASA report? Should I report it as a near miss? Or just chalk it up to a really sobering learning experience? What say you more experienced aviators?
 
Doesn’t seem worthy of a nasa to me, but many will disagree. It’s pretty common to come close to other traffic on a common route like that, although wtf is a jet doing that low? I doubt it’s common for a jet to cruise around at 500 feet so you’ll probably not have that particular excitement often.
 
NASA reports are not just for get out of jail free cards, they are there to collect data which will be used to (hopefully) improve safety.

File the report.

And if you ever find yourself in a situation where you ask yourself if you should file one, just do it.

Be a part of the solution.
 
Did you learn anything from the encounter? Is there something you would do differently next time? What should the other pilot have done differently? It is a shame that he didn't call "traffic in sight" when he first saw you, that would have given you piece of mind and you might not have turned looking for him. These are some of the things to put in the report if you can. ASRS is supposed to be a learning experience to improve safety.

I would write the report. He might write one too. You never know.
 
I file ASRS reports even when I'm 100% sure there is no possible violation.
 
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Glad you both are ok. My CFI liked to say...when in doubt about filing a NASA report, file it.
 
Just another example of natural limitations of the see-and-avoid policy.
 
I think if I was flying the Jet, A) I would not want to fly smack dab into a busy VFR traffic area for no reason unless it was specifically part of the approach to landing on final of a nearby airport (which should hopefully preclude said VFR traffic being on that location or B) since I had him in sight, I would have maneuvered in such a way that the traffic would not cause a problem for me by either sidestepping or climbing.
 
Warmi said:
Just another example of natural limitations of the see-and-avoid policy.
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See and avoid, of course, is more effective the closer the two aircraft get. I wonder how many "near miss" encounters were actually resolved by see and avoid just in time . . .
 
Thank you all for the advice and replies! I think Ill just file a NASA to be on the safe side and chalk it up to a really good, albeit sobering learning experience.
Thankfully it wasn't closer and everything worked out ok.... But Ill make it even more of a focal point for me to really keep a good scan going. As far as the jet being at 500ft....I cant say that I would do that, especially in that busy of an area. I would have had to see him pretty far out for any of my maneuvering to make a huge difference in spacing, I think. Either way everything worked out and Ill just file a NASA. Thanks again!!
 
PiperPilot1 said:
I do feel really bad that I didnt see him, and Im usually putting my plane in a slip from side to side so I can see in front of me (not a lot of forward visibility towing banners in a tail dragger) but this time just caught me off guard.
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What are you flying? In a Super Cub I never had any problem with visibility in the air. And of course when it's in the air it doesn't know it's a tail dragger. Perhaps 10* of flaps would give you a better view.
 
I'm flying a Super Cub...and actually when towing I'm using 1 notch of flaps; sometimes 2 but usually 1. The visibility is not that bad, but with a banner behind me I'm usually nose high with a high AOA. I'm not really vertically challenged but I wonder if using a seat cushion might help? Maybe Ill try that and see! no pun intended.
 
PiperPilot1 said:
I'm flying a Super Cub...and actually when towing I'm using 1 notch of flaps; sometimes 2 but usually 1. The visibility is not that bad, but with a banner behind me I'm usually nose high with a high AOA. I'm not really vertically challenged but I wonder if using a seat cushion might help? Maybe Ill try that and see! no pun intended.
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Sitting in the front seat? I've never had a serious visibility issue in the PA18, even on the ground. And I am not tall. Try a cushion or adjusting the seat if it is adjustable.
 
Lindberg said:
Sitting in the front seat? I've never had a serious visibility issue in the PA18, even on the ground. And I am not tall. Try a cushion or adjusting the seat if it is adjustable.
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Ill try a cushion next flight and see if it makes a difference....Thanks!
 
MajorTurbulence said:
I think if I was flying the Jet, A) I would not want to fly smack dab into a busy VFR traffic area for no reason unless it was specifically part of the approach to landing on final of a nearby airport (which should hopefully preclude said VFR traffic being on that location or B) since I had him in sight, I would have maneuvered in such a way that the traffic would not cause a problem for me by either sidestepping or climbing.
Click to expand...

Unless of course the guy in the back paying the bills says “I want a beach tour”…
 
It would have been nice if the jet had answered up and said he saw you, hold your heading. Reduce your anxiety and not create an issue that did not exist until you turned.
 
A jet comes up behind you in your blind spot, at a much higher speed. He had visual with you the entire time. Why didn't he deviate to the right? IF I remember my PPL written test material, he has to be the one to deviate to keep separation. Kind of basic. He needed to communicate, and he didn't. Your Piper just wasn't going that fast to suddenly turn into him and change an adequate separation into a near miss. He cut it too close.

IMHO this is on the jet, not you.
 
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