Narrative:

We were preparing for arrival at palm beach int'l and speaking with approach control. We had been cleared direct to the VOR. Captain pointed out target to me at 1 O'clock low, climbing toward us. Before I had time to react, the aircraft crossed directly across our flight path, right to left while climbing through our altitude. As that was occurring, ATC told us of traffic at 1 O'clock, 3500' climbing, an small transport jet. This small transport had apparently departed boca raton VFR and was trying to pick up a clearance with approach control. It is possible to receive a clearance on the ground at boca raton, and it may have delayed his departure a few minutes, however, in my eyes it is a small price to pay to avoid near tragic accidents. It is a dense corridor between mia and pbi and is not the first time I have seen traffic up close in that vicinity. Thanks NASA! I appreciate the fact that there is an institution such as yours, trying to make the air a safer place. While I don't have a firm solution to this incident, I would encourage IFR corp/GA aircraft to wait the extra couple of minutes and pick up the IFR clearance on the ground so ATC knows what to look for and give us separation. Thanks again!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG AIR CARRIER FLT CREW HAD NMAC WITH SMT ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN AN IFR CLRNC WHILE IN FLT IN PBI AREA.

Narrative: WE WERE PREPARING FOR ARR AT PALM BEACH INT'L AND SPEAKING WITH APCH CTL. WE HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECT TO THE VOR. CAPT POINTED OUT TARGET TO ME AT 1 O'CLOCK LOW, CLIMBING TOWARD US. BEFORE I HAD TIME TO REACT, THE ACFT CROSSED DIRECTLY ACROSS OUR FLT PATH, RIGHT TO LEFT WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH OUR ALT. AS THAT WAS OCCURRING, ATC TOLD US OF TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK, 3500' CLIMBING, AN SMT JET. THIS SMT HAD APPARENTLY DEPARTED BOCA RATON VFR AND WAS TRYING TO PICK UP A CLRNC WITH APCH CTL. IT IS POSSIBLE TO RECEIVE A CLRNC ON THE GND AT BOCA RATON, AND IT MAY HAVE DELAYED HIS DEP A FEW MINUTES, HOWEVER, IN MY EYES IT IS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY TO AVOID NEAR TRAGIC ACCIDENTS. IT IS A DENSE CORRIDOR BETWEEN MIA AND PBI AND IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN TFC UP CLOSE IN THAT VICINITY. THANKS NASA! I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THERE IS AN INSTITUTION SUCH AS YOURS, TRYING TO MAKE THE AIR A SAFER PLACE. WHILE I DON'T HAVE A FIRM SOLUTION TO THIS INCIDENT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE IFR CORP/GA ACFT TO WAIT THE EXTRA COUPLE OF MINUTES AND PICK UP THE IFR CLRNC ON THE GND SO ATC KNOWS WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND GIVE US SEPARATION. THANKS AGAIN!

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.