Narrative:

Oct, 1990, I was in cruise flight at 2500' MSL in an small transport en route from orlando executive to tampa international airport, as a part of my regular night run. The takeoff, climb out and level off had been uneventful. Orlando approach had just terminated my radar service, and I was listening to the ATIS in preparation for call tampa approach for clearance into the TCA. The lights on the radio did not work, so I had turned on the overhead light to facilitate the frequency change. I turned the overhead light off. When I looked up, my windshield was filled with the sight of another airplane. There were no strobe lights. I saw a red light and a rotating beacon as the airplane xed right to left. I would estimate that the airplane xed at a distance of less than 20'. I took immediate and violent evasive action to avoid hitting the airplane. I then recovered. I never saw the airplane coming. I received no traffic information from orlando before they terminated my radar service. I believe that my distraction in changing frequencys as well as my temporary use of the overhead light, as well as the fact that I had not yet contacted tampa approach were contributing factors. Also, tampa and orlando have recently become TCA's. The area in which I was flying is part of a newly formed VFR corridor. Also, the offending airplane had no strobe lights. I will endevour not to use the overhead light and I will keep a sharper eye out from now on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA-SMT UNK-GA BETWEEN MCO AND TPA AT NIGHT.

Narrative: OCT, 1990, I WAS IN CRUISE FLT AT 2500' MSL IN AN SMT ENRTE FROM ORLANDO EXECUTIVE TO TAMPA INTL ARPT, AS A PART OF MY REGULAR NIGHT RUN. THE TKOF, CLBOUT AND LEVEL OFF HAD BEEN UNEVENTFUL. ORLANDO APCH HAD JUST TERMINATED MY RADAR SVC, AND I WAS LISTENING TO THE ATIS IN PREPARATION FOR CALL TAMPA APCH FOR CLRNC INTO THE TCA. THE LIGHTS ON THE RADIO DID NOT WORK, SO I HAD TURNED ON THE OVERHEAD LIGHT TO FACILITATE THE FREQ CHANGE. I TURNED THE OVERHEAD LIGHT OFF. WHEN I LOOKED UP, MY WINDSHIELD WAS FILLED WITH THE SIGHT OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE. THERE WERE NO STROBE LIGHTS. I SAW A RED LIGHT AND A ROTATING BEACON AS THE AIRPLANE XED R TO L. I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT THE AIRPLANE XED AT A DISTANCE OF LESS THAN 20'. I TOOK IMMEDIATE AND VIOLENT EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID HITTING THE AIRPLANE. I THEN RECOVERED. I NEVER SAW THE AIRPLANE COMING. I RECEIVED NO TFC INFO FROM ORLANDO BEFORE THEY TERMINATED MY RADAR SVC. I BELIEVE THAT MY DISTR IN CHANGING FREQS AS WELL AS MY TEMPORARY USE OF THE OVERHEAD LIGHT, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT I HAD NOT YET CONTACTED TAMPA APCH WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. ALSO, TAMPA AND ORLANDO HAVE RECENTLY BECOME TCA'S. THE AREA IN WHICH I WAS FLYING IS PART OF A NEWLY FORMED VFR CORRIDOR. ALSO, THE OFFENDING AIRPLANE HAD NO STROBE LIGHTS. I WILL ENDEVOUR NOT TO USE THE OVERHEAD LIGHT AND I WILL KEEP A SHARPER EYE OUT FROM NOW ON.

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.