On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 09:45:51 -0400, "TaxSrv"
wrote:

...But always remember
that there are plenty of mid-air collisions on record where both
aircraft were in contact with ATC.

Bela P. Havasreti

I can't agree with "plenty", if you mean radar advisories, nor are
mid-airs in cruise other than a rare event. From NTSB data,
2001-2003, there were 25 mid-airs, most in the traffic pattern,
generally at nontowered fields.

Of the 12 occurring in "cruise" with a broad definition, 5 involved at
least one plane engaged in dual flight instruction; 4 involved
collision between jump planes, ag planes, fire tankers, or formation
flight. That leaves 3 -- avg 1 per year -- of the type we're
discussing. In only one case were the aircraft talking to ATC, and
occurred just after they both initiated contact and one pilot had
trouble doing so, with some unintelligible transmissions and faulty
Mode C under discussion. IOW, likely diverted attention just as in
the case of the fire tankers or pilots receiving dual. In fact, the
report hints the other pilot may have been distracted also, trying to
get a word in edgewise to a controller working two positions, several
approaches, and an unreadable guy with a bad xponder.

Another post suggested there's times you may be safer without trying
to get radar advisories, and this incident seems an example of just
such a time.

Fred F.

1 per year times how many years the NTSB has been keeping
track = plenty to me....

Bela P. Havasreti