Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25; Flight Crew Total 500; Flight Crew Type 500
Other / Unknown; Situational Awareness
Conflict NMAC
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
While on a scenic flight from ILM I piloted a Cessna 172 with 2 passengers (3 souls on board) on a route following the coast from the north end of Wrightsville beach. I was using flight following and in communication with Wilmington Departure. While approaching the coastline from ILM I noticed what appeared to be a large light green bird near ground level. I lost sight of it and I asked the passengers if they could see it and they could not. I continued to the north end of Wrightsville beach at about 2;000 AGL. I turned right following the coast and reduced altitude to about 1;200 AGL. At approximately 7.0 NM on a radial of 138 from ILM I notice a lime green aircraft low between me and the beach. I was approximately one half NM from the beach over the Atlantic Ocean following the coast on a parallel course with the beach and the other aircraft. I was able to keep the aircraft in sight and maintained visual separation until I reached the south end of Wrightsville Beach. I contacted Wilmington Control and asked if they had any other aircraft in the area. Control advised me that they were not receiving any transponder signal from any other aircraft nor were they in radio communication with anyone else along the beach. The other aircraft was performing aerobatic maneuvers such as rolls and loops. The other aircraft was much faster than the Cessna that I was flying. As I observed the other aircraft I attempted to turn and bank in a way to make my wings more visible to the other aircraft. Although the other aircraft was turning back and forth and at times flying in the opposite direction the other crafts general direction was the same as mine. At times I lost sight of the other aircraft and once decided to climb hoping to be above the other pilots operating area only to regain sight as the aircraft was turning left and climbing directly at me at a distance of less than 500 FT. Again I maneuvered in an attempt to make myself visible. I did not get any indication that the other craft saw me. I lost sight of him as he flew past my right side even as I turned right trying to keep the aircraft in sight. I turned back to the left and could not see the other aircraft. I decided that I may be more visible if I were lower over the water so I dropped down to approximately 500 FT.  By this time my passengers were beginning to get airsick from the maneuvers. In just a few min we spotted the aircraft directly in front of us at a distance of 1 to 2 miles and higher. At this time we were approaching Carolina Beach. As we were approaching Carolina Beach I increased my altitude to 1;500 FT. The aircraft again started performing Acrobatic maneuvers looping and at the top of the loop coming directly at us. Again I banked to try to show my wings to the other pilot. The other aircraft looped 3 or 4 times in a row and rolled out of the last loop on top again heading directly at us. I banked to the right trying to keep the aircraft in sight and at the same time again exposing the highest profile so we would be more visible. As the aircraft passed by on our left and at a high rate of speed the distance was less than 300 FT and we lost sight of it again. At this time we were near Fort Fisher and spotted the aircraft behind us and on our right at the same altitude. He came up on our right and slowed to match our speed. At this time I could tell it was a lime green small experimental aircraft similar to a Sonix. The aircraft stayed next to us for about 30 seconds and then banked to the right and we never saw it again. I again contacted Control and told him that I felt I would have to write a Pilot Report. The Controller asked me what direction and alt that I last saw the other aircraft. I reported that it was last seen it flying north east at approximately 1;500 AGL. The remainder of the flight and the return flight back to ILM later that evening was uneventful and very pleasant. Although I did everything I knew possible short of abandoning the flight there were several times that visual separation with the other aircraft was not possible because of the steep and erratic flying of the other pilot. I am sure that if this event were seen from the ground it would have looked like a WWII dog fight.
C172 pilot experiences several encounters and an NMAC with a small experimental aircraft performing aerobatic maneuvers off the North Carolina coast near ILM.