Narrative:

Our commuter flight was on a VFR flight into newark, nj. New york approach had cleared us into the new york TCA to proceed southbound along the hudson river at 2000'. Upon passing the westchester airport air traffic area, we began our descent out of 3500' for 2000'. Upon passing 2400', I spotted an airplane through the corner of my left eye. The airplane was moving from our left to right directly at our airplane. I immediately rolled our airplane to the left (about 45 degree bank) to evade the oncoming airplane. Once he passed, it appeared to be a multi-engine small transport Y. We felt his wake turbulence. The vertical sep between us was zero (we were at the same altitude) while the horizontal sep was no more than 100-150'! Luckily, I was looking outside for traffic and saw him before it was too late. My captain was 'inside' the cockpit getting the ATIS for newark. The pilot in the small transport Y must have been sightseeing down below or staring at his/her instruments because it took no evasive action whatsoever. The small transport Y was not in contact with ATC. After I banked the airplane, my approach advised me of traffic 'just popped up at 2400', 10 O'clock, less than a mi.' certainly, this target didn't just pop up in the ny TCA. I think more controllers are needed (or better training to handle the workload) in this very busy airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX COMMUTER-SMT GA-SMT NEAR N90 TCA.

Narrative: OUR COMMUTER FLT WAS ON A VFR FLT INTO NEWARK, NJ. NEW YORK APCH HAD CLRED US INTO THE NEW YORK TCA TO PROCEED SBND ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER AT 2000'. UPON PASSING THE WESTCHESTER ARPT ATA, WE BEGAN OUR DSNT OUT OF 3500' FOR 2000'. UPON PASSING 2400', I SPOTTED AN AIRPLANE THROUGH THE CORNER OF MY L EYE. THE AIRPLANE WAS MOVING FROM OUR L TO R DIRECTLY AT OUR AIRPLANE. I IMMEDIATELY ROLLED OUR AIRPLANE TO THE L (ABOUT 45 DEG BANK) TO EVADE THE ONCOMING AIRPLANE. ONCE HE PASSED, IT APPEARED TO BE A MULTI-ENG SMT Y. WE FELT HIS WAKE TURB. THE VERT SEP BTWN US WAS ZERO (WE WERE AT THE SAME ALT) WHILE THE HORIZ SEP WAS NO MORE THAN 100-150'! LUCKILY, I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR TFC AND SAW HIM BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE. MY CAPT WAS 'INSIDE' THE COCKPIT GETTING THE ATIS FOR NEWARK. THE PLT IN THE SMT Y MUST HAVE BEEN SIGHTSEEING DOWN BELOW OR STARING AT HIS/HER INSTRUMENTS BECAUSE IT TOOK NO EVASIVE ACTION WHATSOEVER. THE SMT Y WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH ATC. AFTER I BANKED THE AIRPLANE, MY APCH ADVISED ME OF TFC 'JUST POPPED UP AT 2400', 10 O'CLOCK, LESS THAN A MI.' CERTAINLY, THIS TARGET DIDN'T JUST POP UP IN THE NY TCA. I THINK MORE CTLRS ARE NEEDED (OR BETTER TRNING TO HANDLE THE WORKLOAD) IN THIS VERY BUSY AIRSPACE.

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.