Pilot of small transport jet VFR sighted traffic, took evasive action level at 25,500.

Attributes
ACN	133411
Time
Date	199001
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hst
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 25500 msl bound upper : 25500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	military facility : hst
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	133411
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was flying an small transport twin jet aircraft that is equipped with military air-to-air acquisition radar and flir. I was flying VFR from homestead AFB, fl (hst) to borinquen, puerto rico (bqn). On departure, I contacted our company control (C3I) and informed them that I wished to climb to 25,500, which they acknowledged. They then proceeded to provide traffic advisories to us on our climbout. I leveled off at 25,500 and our radar/flir operator advised me that we had converging traffic descending to our altitude at our 12 O'clock position. I verified the traffic and visually acquired it. The traffic was slightly higher than us at 12 O'clock and a radar indicated 3 mi. I immediately deviated to our left out of the flight path of the oncoming aircraft. We passed the other aircraft at approximately 1/2 mi lateral separation and he was slightly lower than us. I noticed no deviation by the other aircraft. We then contacted C3I and inquired if they had observed the traffic. They stated that the other traffic was a 'pop-up' and was at 20,500 descending. They then corrected that altitude to 25,500. At the time of convergence, I had my transponder set on a C3I assigned squawk and set in altitude reporting mode.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT JET VFR SIGHTED TRAFFIC, TOOK EVASIVE ACTION LEVEL AT 25,500.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN SMT TWIN JET ACFT THAT IS EQUIPPED WITH MIL AIR-TO-AIR ACQUISITION RADAR AND FLIR. I WAS FLYING VFR FROM HOMESTEAD AFB, FL (HST) TO BORINQUEN, PUERTO RICO (BQN). ON DEP, I CONTACTED OUR COMPANY CONTROL (C3I) AND INFORMED THEM THAT I WISHED TO CLIMB TO 25,500, WHICH THEY ACKNOWLEDGED. THEY THEN PROCEEDED TO PROVIDE TFC ADVISORIES TO US ON OUR CLIMBOUT. I LEVELED OFF AT 25,500 AND OUR RADAR/FLIR OPERATOR ADVISED ME THAT WE HAD CONVERGING TFC DESCENDING TO OUR ALT AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POSITION. I VERIFIED THE TFC AND VISUALLY ACQUIRED IT. THE TFC WAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN US AT 12 O'CLOCK AND A RADAR INDICATED 3 MI. I IMMEDIATELY DEVIATED TO OUR LEFT OUT OF THE FLT PATH OF THE ONCOMING ACFT. WE PASSED THE OTHER ACFT AT APPROX 1/2 MI LATERAL SEPARATION AND HE WAS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN US. I NOTICED NO DEVIATION BY THE OTHER ACFT. WE THEN CONTACTED C3I AND INQUIRED IF THEY HAD OBSERVED THE TFC. THEY STATED THAT THE OTHER TFC WAS A 'POP-UP' AND WAS AT 20,500 DESCENDING. THEY THEN CORRECTED THAT ALT TO 25,500. AT THE TIME OF CONVERGENCE, I HAD MY TRANSPONDER SET ON A C3I ASSIGNED SQUAWK AND SET IN ALT REPORTING MODE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.