Watch your 12!
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Watch your 12!
Interesting experience today, which may have been a bit of a "near death", albeit that I'm not sure that I see much value in filing anything.
Day off, flown with a couple of friends to lunch, flying home. I was flying an AA5 - so fairly average GA spamcan, reasonable view forwards, none backwards. Conditions were mediocre: 5-10km viz, inversion about 4000ft, but no other significant cloud. 20ish knot easterly, which is unusual, but not particularly relevant.
Routing North across the south of England, working Farnborough Radar on a Basic service, when they alerted me to an aircraft overhauling me from behind, same altitude and track. I was doing a leisurely 100kts or so, so easy enough to overtake
I tried to look out, and had my (young and bright, but not desperately aviation savvy) right seat pax look out as well. No sign. Asked for an update from Farnborough - they basically had it closer and actually said that they thought it might be following me.
At this point, decided to (and announced) fly a rapid descent. Nothing stupid, just throttle closed, carb heat out, nose down to 120ish, maintaining heading. As I descended, my pax spotted an aircraft going over the top of us, then turning away in the general direction of an airfield about 5 miles to my right.
I levelled out, told Farnborough that I was visual (technically my pax was rather than me at this point), started to climb back up to something a bit more sensible. My pax pointed out the aircraft turning away, now quite distant, I thought probably roughly C172/182 shaped.
Chatting with pax a bit later, he reckoned we were 30-40s away from a collision.
If it was something like a C172, I was probably below his instrument panel and completely invisible. I was flying a straight line, probably so was he. According to Farnborough we were about the same altitude and track.
Not sure if there's value in filing this - I'll have a think overnight; I can probably pull an exact time and heights off my GPS. However, a real collision risk was probably there, and it was averted by a sharp air trafficer giving me useful and potentially lifesaving information beyond the service he was contracted to provide, and by my thinking in terms of the poor forward/downwards visibility of your typical spamcan, and taking moderately drastic action out of a sense of educated concern and self preservation.
I just thought I'd share.
G
Day off, flown with a couple of friends to lunch, flying home. I was flying an AA5 - so fairly average GA spamcan, reasonable view forwards, none backwards. Conditions were mediocre: 5-10km viz, inversion about 4000ft, but no other significant cloud. 20ish knot easterly, which is unusual, but not particularly relevant.
Routing North across the south of England, working Farnborough Radar on a Basic service, when they alerted me to an aircraft overhauling me from behind, same altitude and track. I was doing a leisurely 100kts or so, so easy enough to overtake
I tried to look out, and had my (young and bright, but not desperately aviation savvy) right seat pax look out as well. No sign. Asked for an update from Farnborough - they basically had it closer and actually said that they thought it might be following me.
At this point, decided to (and announced) fly a rapid descent. Nothing stupid, just throttle closed, carb heat out, nose down to 120ish, maintaining heading. As I descended, my pax spotted an aircraft going over the top of us, then turning away in the general direction of an airfield about 5 miles to my right.
I levelled out, told Farnborough that I was visual (technically my pax was rather than me at this point), started to climb back up to something a bit more sensible. My pax pointed out the aircraft turning away, now quite distant, I thought probably roughly C172/182 shaped.
Chatting with pax a bit later, he reckoned we were 30-40s away from a collision.
If it was something like a C172, I was probably below his instrument panel and completely invisible. I was flying a straight line, probably so was he. According to Farnborough we were about the same altitude and track.
Not sure if there's value in filing this - I'll have a think overnight; I can probably pull an exact time and heights off my GPS. However, a real collision risk was probably there, and it was averted by a sharp air trafficer giving me useful and potentially lifesaving information beyond the service he was contracted to provide, and by my thinking in terms of the poor forward/downwards visibility of your typical spamcan, and taking moderately drastic action out of a sense of educated concern and self preservation.
I just thought I'd share.
G
Avoid imitations
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Genghis, From past experience of filing a few myself, I reckon if you file an AIRPROX for this it would almost certainly be classed as a "B" risk at most. The same scenario could happen again anytime, unfortunately. Thankfully you had arranged an ATC service and although you were in receipt of a "Basic" the controller was obviously doing an excellent job.
Today was one of those days when Farnborough were working very hard due to the volume of traffic in the sky. Many pilots were obviously waiting for a VFR cloud base and when it eventually came lots launched around the same period. The RT chatter with Farnborough Radar was intense at times.
Today was one of those days when Farnborough were working very hard due to the volume of traffic in the sky. Many pilots were obviously waiting for a VFR cloud base and when it eventually came lots launched around the same period. The RT chatter with Farnborough Radar was intense at times.
Last edited by ShyTorque; 18th Mar 2016 at 08:30.
Dong Tam, Vietnam, day off, maintenance needed spares for our Huey's to be picked up from Can Tho. Being an exceptionally pleasant day, and always wanting to fly, volunteered for the task. Picked up spares and taxiing for departure a King Air also called, taxiing for Saigon. In the cruise for home 2,000 feet, fat dumb and happy, when the cockpit momentarily went dark. Said King Air flashed over the top with only seemingly a thickness of paint separating us. Being a King Air I had assumed he would have climbed to a much higher level. I'm guessing he would have been showing an exact 2,000 on his altimeter, and it was only instrument error that separated us.
Genghis
Have you used the playback function on FR24. Although not an airprox, I played back an encounter with an S-76 near Farnborough which was fascinating at the least.
Have you used the playback function on FR24. Although not an airprox, I played back an encounter with an S-76 near Farnborough which was fascinating at the least.
TAG Farnborough (not ATC) might have a recording of it. They record tracks within about 20nm of the airfield in order to assess noise complaints.
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I've not checked yet, but I was mode S, and the other at least C as Farnborough could see their altitude return.
However, I just got an error "global playback is temporarily disabled due to capacity issues" - I'll have a go next week.
G
However, I just got an error "global playback is temporarily disabled due to capacity issues" - I'll have a go next week.
G
Last edited by Genghis the Engineer; 19th Mar 2016 at 20:51.
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Genghis,
A near miss is a near miss. Report it.
If for nothing else to remind others that there is a blind spot at 12oclock low.
As, rightly, you have done by posting here.
A near miss is a near miss. Report it.
If for nothing else to remind others that there is a blind spot at 12oclock low.
As, rightly, you have done by posting here.
By the way, shouldn't this be entitled 'Watch your 6' not 'Watch your 12'?
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Airprox risk?
I am sorry that I can't recall the details but there was an accident a couple of years ago with a small aircraft (pilot died) near East Midlands being hit by a twin from behind. This is not a trivial or rare occurrence.
