If a near midair collision occurs and you believe you came within 500 feet, what must you do?

• A. Contact ATC and request a check of traffic advisories
• B. File a post-flight incident report with OCC
• C. Log the event in the flight log and continue
• D. Notify the nearest ATC facility by radio or phone

Answer: (D)

The priority is to alert air traffic control right away. If you believe you came within 500 feet of another aircraft, you must notify the nearest ATC facility by radio or phone so controllers can quickly assess the situation, identify the other traffic, and take or coordinate any needed actions to prevent a loss of separation. Immediate communication helps ensure safety for everyone in the airspace and supports proper incident tracking.

Other steps like filing an internal post-flight report or simply logging the event after landing do not address the real-time safety need, and asking ATC to recheck advisories isn’t the appropriate first action since ATC already manages traffic advisories. Reporting to ATC now, then following company procedures for internal safety reporting afterward, aligns with standard operating practice.