Close proximity GA-small aircraft military-ult in har TRSA.

Attributes
ACN	109757
Time
Date	198904
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rav
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : har
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Transport
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 2850 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	109757
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan, level at 6000'. I was working har approach at the time. My front seat passenger grabbed me to point out traffic. When I looked to my 1 O'clock position I saw the aircraft at exactly our altitude, and opp direction. I had about 2 seconds to take evasive action. Har approach never called this traffic at any time. The other aircraft was a utility mlt. I later learned this from the har approach control supervisor. When I queried approach about the traffic, they did not know quite what to say. I later spoke to har ATC shift supervisor. He told me the controller had been very busy. There was a shift change, and the last time they saw both of us, we were 8 mi apart. He never looked back at us again. Then there was some confusion as to what altitude the other aircraft was supposed to be maintaining and what he wanted to maintain. The mlt had been working har approach for some time that morning according to the supervisor. He admitted it was a controller error. In any event, it was a very close encounter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA-SMA MIL-ULT IN HAR TRSA.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, LEVEL AT 6000'. I WAS WORKING HAR APCH AT THE TIME. MY FRONT SEAT PAX GRABBED ME TO POINT OUT TFC. WHEN I LOOKED TO MY 1 O'CLOCK POS I SAW THE ACFT AT EXACTLY OUR ALT, AND OPP DIRECTION. I HAD ABOUT 2 SECS TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. HAR APCH NEVER CALLED THIS TFC AT ANY TIME. THE OTHER ACFT WAS A UTILITY MLT. I LATER LEARNED THIS FROM THE HAR APCH CTL SUPVR. WHEN I QUERIED APCH ABOUT THE TFC, THEY DID NOT KNOW QUITE WHAT TO SAY. I LATER SPOKE TO HAR ATC SHIFT SUPVR. HE TOLD ME THE CTLR HAD BEEN VERY BUSY. THERE WAS A SHIFT CHANGE, AND THE LAST TIME THEY SAW BOTH OF US, WE WERE 8 MI APART. HE NEVER LOOKED BACK AT US AGAIN. THEN THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHAT ALT THE OTHER ACFT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTAINING AND WHAT HE WANTED TO MAINTAIN. THE MLT HAD BEEN WORKING HAR APCH FOR SOME TIME THAT MORNING ACCORDING TO THE SUPVR. HE ADMITTED IT WAS A CTLR ERROR. IN ANY EVENT, IT WAS A VERY CLOSE ENCOUNTER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.