Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 130; Flight Crew Total 454; Flight Crew Type 380
Communication Breakdown
Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
I was demonstrating how to perform the Turns-around-a-point maneuver to both of my Students. We had completed our pre-maneuver flow and made a radio call announcing our intention to perform Ground Reference Maneuvers within the vicinity of [two] practice area checkpoints. I then proceeded to descend from 1;700 AGL to 1;000 AGL and began demonstrating Turns-around-a-point. As half the maneuver was completed; my backseat student called out a Cessna to our 7-8 o'clock approaching us from below. I aborted the maneuver and proceeded to climb; the conflicting traffic was then at our 9 o'clock; and at an approximate altitude of 500-600 AGL; passing right below us.I heard no other radio calls indicative of someone operating within the same area; or heading towards the area I was operating. A company aircraft made a radio call immediately after the event; stating a position and direction that seemed coincident with where the conflicting traffic would be after the event had occurred. I was unable to verify if they were the encountered traffic; as they had not stated their altitude. No one else had mentioned the occurrence over the practice area frequency. I believe that a lapse in communication contributed to this event.
C172 flight instructor reported an NMAC while conducting ground reference maneuvers.