Narrative:

We were descending into fresno on the given arrival. We were cleared by fresno approach to maintain 8000'. As we approached 9000', I noticed light airplane traffic at our 12:30 position moving from right to left on a southerly heading. We were heading 220 degree at the time. For a moment I thought the traffic was at 7500' and that was why we had been cleared to maintain 8000'. It was obvious to me from the right to left relative motion that we would pass behind the light airplane. At 9000' it was now obvious to me that the light airplane was higher than 7500' so I stopped my rate of descent and my airspeed slowed from 250 KTS to 210 KTS. I leveled slightly below 9000' and initiated a slight (10 degree bank) turn to the right to increase the horizontal sep because I was positive that an aggressive evasive action was not required and was not the best course of action. I would estimate that as we xed the light airplane's track that we were 300-400' above and it was about 15O yds off our left wing. I immediately asked the copilot to ask fresno approach if they had any targets besides our aircraft. They said that they were showing no one else and had not seen any other target at all. They said it was probably a VFR aircraft with no transponder. The light airplane made no wing or nose movement that would lead me to believe it ever saw our aircraft. I really don't know of anything more that could have been done. I suspect the light airplane was on a 181 degree plus heading at 8500'. I believe I saw him about as soon as I could because of its closeness, the center window bar, adn the cut off angle of the nose and glareshield. It was obviously one of those 'see-be-seen' situations that are lurking in VFR conditions on an IFR flight plan. Once I saw him I knew that we would pass in close proximity, but at no time did I feel that my aircraft was in danger of a collision. I stopped the rate of descent and started the slight turn to keep the other aircraft in sight in case he saw me at the last min and started an evasive maneuver that could have endangered us both. I credit the lookout doctrine that I developed as an instrument in the naval training command for keeping me safe one more time. We must continue to be vigilant because even with all the new sophisticated equipment, we will still not be able to pick up a light airplane with no transponder with anything but the observant eye.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG GA-SMA 17 NE OF FAT.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING INTO FRESNO ON THE GIVEN ARR. WE WERE CLRED BY FRESNO APCH TO MAINTAIN 8000'. AS WE APCHED 9000', I NOTICED LIGHT AIRPLANE TFC AT OUR 12:30 POS MOVING FROM R TO L ON A SOUTHERLY HDG. WE WERE HDG 220 DEG AT THE TIME. FOR A MOMENT I THOUGHT THE TFC WAS AT 7500' AND THAT WAS WHY WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO MAINTAIN 8000'. IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME FROM THE R TO L RELATIVE MOTION THAT WE WOULD PASS BEHIND THE LIGHT AIRPLANE. AT 9000' IT WAS NOW OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THE LIGHT AIRPLANE WAS HIGHER THAN 7500' SO I STOPPED MY RATE OF DSNT AND MY AIRSPD SLOWED FROM 250 KTS TO 210 KTS. I LEVELED SLIGHTLY BELOW 9000' AND INITIATED A SLIGHT (10 DEG BANK) TURN TO THE R TO INCREASE THE HORIZ SEP BECAUSE I WAS POSITIVE THAT AN AGGRESSIVE EVASIVE ACTION WAS NOT REQUIRED AND WAS NOT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT AS WE XED THE LIGHT AIRPLANE'S TRACK THAT WE WERE 300-400' ABOVE AND IT WAS ABOUT 15O YDS OFF OUR L WING. I IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE COPLT TO ASK FRESNO APCH IF THEY HAD ANY TARGETS BESIDES OUR ACFT. THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE SHOWING NO ONE ELSE AND HAD NOT SEEN ANY OTHER TARGET AT ALL. THEY SAID IT WAS PROBABLY A VFR ACFT WITH NO XPONDER. THE LIGHT AIRPLANE MADE NO WING OR NOSE MOVEMENT THAT WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE IT EVER SAW OUR ACFT. I REALLY DON'T KNOW OF ANYTHING MORE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE. I SUSPECT THE LIGHT AIRPLANE WAS ON A 181 DEG PLUS HDG AT 8500'. I BELIEVE I SAW HIM ABOUT AS SOON AS I COULD BECAUSE OF ITS CLOSENESS, THE CTR WINDOW BAR, ADN THE CUT OFF ANGLE OF THE NOSE AND GLARESHIELD. IT WAS OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THOSE 'SEE-BE-SEEN' SITUATIONS THAT ARE LURKING IN VFR CONDITIONS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. ONCE I SAW HIM I KNEW THAT WE WOULD PASS IN CLOSE PROX, BUT AT NO TIME DID I FEEL THAT MY ACFT WAS IN DANGER OF A COLLISION. I STOPPED THE RATE OF DSNT AND STARTED THE SLIGHT TURN TO KEEP THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT IN CASE HE SAW ME AT THE LAST MIN AND STARTED AN EVASIVE MANEUVER THAT COULD HAVE ENDANGERED US BOTH. I CREDIT THE LOOKOUT DOCTRINE THAT I DEVELOPED AS AN INSTR IN THE NAVAL TRNING COMMAND FOR KEEPING ME SAFE ONE MORE TIME. WE MUST CONTINUE TO BE VIGILANT BECAUSE EVEN WITH ALL THE NEW SOPHISTICATED EQUIP, WE WILL STILL NOT BE ABLE TO PICK UP A LIGHT AIRPLANE WITH NO XPONDER WITH ANYTHING BUT THE OBSERVANT EYE.

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.