Narrative:

Immediately after departure, I contacted la on 128.6, requesting radar traffic advisories en route to santa ana. I was assigned an transponder code and was radar idented at approximately 8000' in the climb to my VFR cruising altitude of 16500' on V458. While level at 16500' on V458, and 15-20 mi southeast of jli VOR, I was notified by ATC of traffic at 2 O'clock--an air carrier flight descending to 17000'. I told the controller that I had air carrier in sight. The controller then notified air carrier that he had traffic at 12 O'clock, an small transport level at 16050'. Our small transport is equipped with standard navigation lights, plus 3 position strobe lights (1 strobe light on each wing tip and 1 on the tail cone), and additional large belly strobe light, a rotating anti-collision light on top of the vertical stabilizer and wing tip recognition lights. All were on and operating at this time. As he got a little closer and center again reminded him of the small transport below him at 16500', he responded that he had the traffic in sight. Center again reminded air carrier that west were level at 16500' and he was cleared at pilot's discretion to descend to and maintain 14000', and told to maintain visibility sep from the small transport. Center again asked him if he had the small transport in sight. He again responded in the affirmative. Shortly after he received the descent clearance, he started a descent on what appeared to be a direct collision course, now in my 3 O'clock position. The closure rate was now so fast that I disconnected the autoplt with the intent of being able to quickly make an evasive maneuver, but became quite concerned that to make a quick move either up or down could possibly cancel out whatever move he was making. It was over in a flash, and as he went under and behind me, I would estimate that he was 100' below me and 200' behind me. I could see the whole outline of his airplane as it came out underneath and behind me. Just prior to passing me, his landing lights lit up my whole airplane and totally startled all my passenger. I landed at john wayne airport and gave center a call to verify the particulars. I explained to them that I just could not come up with any explanation as to why air carrier, after verifying 2 times that he had the small transport traffic level at 16500' in sight and then was told to maintain visibility sep and further acknowledged that clearance and again acknowledged visibility sight of the small transport, would literally dive on us and place I jeopardy our lives and his with a closure rate of several hundred mph, at night and 100-200' self-induced sep.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ON FLT FOLLOWING HAS NMAC WITH ACR WHO HAD INDICATED TRAFFIC IN SIGHT.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEP, I CONTACTED LA ON 128.6, REQUESTING RADAR TFC ADVISORIES ENRTE TO SANTA ANA. I WAS ASSIGNED AN XPONDER CODE AND WAS RADAR IDENTED AT APPROX 8000' IN THE CLB TO MY VFR CRUISING ALT OF 16500' ON V458. WHILE LEVEL AT 16500' ON V458, AND 15-20 MI SE OF JLI VOR, I WAS NOTIFIED BY ATC OF TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK--AN ACR FLT DSNDING TO 17000'. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I HAD ACR IN SIGHT. THE CTLR THEN NOTIFIED ACR THAT HE HAD TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK, AN SMT LEVEL AT 16050'. OUR SMT IS EQUIPPED WITH STANDARD NAV LIGHTS, PLUS 3 POS STROBE LIGHTS (1 STROBE LIGHT ON EACH WING TIP AND 1 ON THE TAIL CONE), AND ADDITIONAL LARGE BELLY STROBE LIGHT, A ROTATING ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT ON TOP OF THE VERT STABILIZER AND WING TIP RECOGNITION LIGHTS. ALL WERE ON AND OPERATING AT THIS TIME. AS HE GOT A LITTLE CLOSER AND CENTER AGAIN REMINDED HIM OF THE SMT BELOW HIM AT 16500', HE RESPONDED THAT HE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. CENTER AGAIN REMINDED ACR THAT W WERE LEVEL AT 16500' AND HE WAS CLRED AT PLT'S DISCRETION TO DSND TO AND MAINTAIN 14000', AND TOLD TO MAINTAIN VIS SEP FROM THE SMT. CENTER AGAIN ASKED HIM IF HE HAD THE SMT IN SIGHT. HE AGAIN RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. SHORTLY AFTER HE RECEIVED THE DSCNT CLRNC, HE STARTED A DSCNT ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE A DIRECT COLLISION COURSE, NOW IN MY 3 O'CLOCK POS. THE CLOSURE RATE WAS NOW SO FAST THAT I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT WITH THE INTENT OF BEING ABLE TO QUICKLY MAKE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER, BUT BECAME QUITE CONCERNED THAT TO MAKE A QUICK MOVE EITHER UP OR DOWN COULD POSSIBLY CANCEL OUT WHATEVER MOVE HE WAS MAKING. IT WAS OVER IN A FLASH, AND AS HE WENT UNDER AND BEHIND ME, I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT HE WAS 100' BELOW ME AND 200' BEHIND ME. I COULD SEE THE WHOLE OUTLINE OF HIS AIRPLANE AS IT CAME OUT UNDERNEATH AND BEHIND ME. JUST PRIOR TO PASSING ME, HIS LNDG LIGHTS LIT UP MY WHOLE AIRPLANE AND TOTALLY STARTLED ALL MY PAX. I LANDED AT JOHN WAYNE ARPT AND GAVE CENTER A CALL TO VERIFY THE PARTICULARS. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I JUST COULD NOT COME UP WITH ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHY ACR, AFTER VERIFYING 2 TIMES THAT HE HAD THE SMT TFC LEVEL AT 16500' IN SIGHT AND THEN WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN VIS SEP AND FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT CLRNC AND AGAIN ACKNOWLEDGED VIS SIGHT OF THE SMT, WOULD LITERALLY DIVE ON US AND PLACE I JEOPARDY OUR LIVES AND HIS WITH A CLOSURE RATE OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MPH, AT NIGHT AND 100-200' SELF-INDUCED SEP.

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.