Pilots' Role in Collision Avoidance
Pilots' role in collision avoidance — see-and-avoid, scanning technique, and the causes of midair collisions.
About this document
AC 90-48, Pilots' Role in Collision Avoidance, is the FAA's reference on the see-and-avoid responsibility every pilot carries. It covers effective visual-scanning technique, the physiological limits of human vision, blind spots, the situations and airspace where midair-collision risk is highest, and how traffic-alert systems and ADS-B assist but do not replace visual scanning.
Its collision-avoidance principles appear on knowledge tests across every certificate level.
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Take a free practice test →AC-90-48 is an official FAA publication in the public domain. We host a copy so you can read it in-browser; always confirm you are reading the current edition on faa.gov. The description above is an original summary and is a study aid, not a substitute for the document or the regulations.