DeltaATL From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (12 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 1075 times:
Today I was flying in a Cessna 172 in North Georgia. I was about to come enter an approach for a small airport. I had been listening to the ATC (which was unicom) and they warned me of a plane on downwind and a helecopter takeing off. When i got about 4nm from the airport I had both of them in sight. I was watching them very close. I advised the traffic that I was entering my upwind leg. So, I was in the traffic pattern! When I started my crosswind leg I just happend to look up. I saw a red Cessna 150 coming right at me! I said, "$hit, hold on!" then I put ,my aircraft into a dive and I banked left about 80 degrees. i just barely missed that plane. it scared me so bad. My instructer did not see it untill that was over. The plane NEVER told the ATC where he was. He was just circleing the airport. I finished my approach and landed safely. Right after I landed that same plane landed. It was an old man. He was not listeningn to the ATC and was not aware that his hometown airport was really busy. The airport is usually deserted! But anyway! That really scared me!
In case you are wondering... I am 14 and I was flying with my instructer.
Have any of you ever encountered something like that?
Big777jet From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (12 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 951 times:
About 12 or 13 years ago, I was 17 yrs old flew on Piper Cub J3. The plane owner by Delta pilot lived in Palmetto. I was control flying with my friend Delta behind me seat. I crusied about 1,500ft no more than 1,500 we had no radio at all. We must have visual. I did not see left side because of blindspot the left wing on the top. All of sudden, the Cessna 302 or 304?? Twin propellers right above about 20 feet passed us!! Unexpected. I did not action move the J3. Just straight cruise. I hope that Cessna might saw us and stay up the air below me. Oh boy!! I wasn't scared but just a little bit surprised me... Thanks God you are OK!!! Be careful next time!
HARTSFIELD From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 28 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (12 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 893 times:
MAN!!!!! Thats scary!!!!! Im glad nobody got hurt!!! I hope that never happens to me.
AirNova From Canada, joined Feb 2000, 78 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (12 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 881 times:
Hi DeltaATL,
That is very scary, thank god you saw him. This incident probably gave you some thought about life and how we must appreciate it each day. You are very lucky.
Now, for that old man, if this had happened to me, I would have had a serious talk with that old guy. He could have caused a fatal accident if you hadn't seen him. I get really mad at old people driving on the road but in the air, well, that will just make me more carefull. That old guy should have his liscence taken.
Did you talk to him when you landed?
Be very lucky that you're alive and try not to take your life for granted.
Iainhol From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (12 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 867 times:
This happens all the time it is just something you get used to. Just keep looking around. And about blaming the other guy it was just as much your fault as it was his!
Iain
PS Also you seem to go from ATC to Unicom quite a lot. Remember they are very different things. And you are not required to speak on the Unicom!
DeltaATL From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (12 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 829 times:
I didn't say anything to him. i think my instructer may have but nothing mean or threatning. I don't blame him.... lainhol, you are right, it was somewhat my fault!
Pilot2b From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (12 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 814 times:
It indeed happens more often than people think. I have been cut off turning final a few of times (by others not seeing me, I guess), numerous times I have come within a couple hundreds of feet with airplanes going the opposite way (I still ask myself why a VFR pilot flies @ odd one thousand + 500 feet going west bound during cruise flight!!!) and one time I was head to head with another plane landing @ a tower controlled airport; can you believe that!!! They had me cleared as #1 going into Bowman Field (KY) on runway 6 when they cleared another flight for runway 24 coming the opposite way. I was under the impression that this guy was way out when I finally saw him coming directly @ me and I was about 25 feet from the ground. Well, a couple of left turns and we were out of each others way, but that freaked me out quite a bit. I had a pretty good discussion with the tower folks afterwards!!!
Dnalor From Australia, joined Mar 2000, 369 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (12 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 807 times:
Glad you are ok.
Keep in mind if you can that generally when in a head on situation all aircraft should turn right, otherwise you might well still hit each other if one turns left and the other turns right
When I was a student pilot I had a near hit at cruise speed, only saw the other aircraft (which was faster than mine) for about 2 seconds I said shit, turned down hard right and the instructor was wondering what the hell I was doing (he was looking down) anyway, same deal, no radio contact etc etc etc, all I remember was the white Cessna with a yellow stripe coming at me head on with retracted gear.
J32driver From United States of America, joined May 2000, 399 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (12 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 764 times:
Another story for ya:
While instructing in an M20J, established on a DME arc on an IFR clearance I came head to head (probably 300-350 knots of closure) with a Glassair in about 4 miles visibility in haze. The "save my ass" instinct kicked in and I pulled up and right so hard I broke my seat rail! We missed each other by about 2 wingspans. ATC said he never saw the glassair. Plastic airplane and no transponder required where he was... might as well been a stealth fighter!
Theres a lesson in this though, the quickest seperation is usually gained through a vertical move associated with the turn to the proper direction. The other guy probably won't consider hard up or down.
Dnalor From Australia, joined Mar 2000, 369 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (12 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 752 times:
I learnt a hard down ward to the right turn, power off if you get time, then you can still see the sucker, and it keeps your speed up to get away as fast as possible, I would tend to think a steep climbing turn would be a slower get away
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