Actually, that's a valid point, Maus. I hadn't looked at it being the same as gunnery. My response is pretty much that it feels worse. In most scenarios, you can see the enemy plane coming, and maneuver to avoid it in some fashion. I realize this doesn't happen in all cases, such as buffs getting rammed, but if someone's not sniping you from ridiculous distance, it's practically impossible to see a tracer exit the enemy plane and maneuver to avoid it. I'd say that is the difference. In most collision situations, you could do something to avoid it. In most gunnery lag 'wtf just happened?' type situations you couldn't.
I do see that it's a valid point, I just think the right call has been made to minimize the downside. I think the other guy not dying when you die because you observed a collision is significantly less enraging than you dying just because the other guy observed a collision and you were nowhere near him.
Wiley.