VFR flight has traffic pointed out and sighted. Has near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	170933
Time
Date	199102
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mod
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14500 msl bound upper : 17500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	170933
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was descending, southbound, out of 17500' on a VFR flight. I had received VFR flight following for the trip. The ZOA controller called westbound jet traffic, descending into sfo, at my 10 O'clock and 30 mi. Being a cavu night, I saw the traffic and reported traffic in sight. The jet was advised of my position and responded that he had something out there but wasn't sure if it was me. I kept the aircraft in sight the entire time between then and the time of the near miss. As I watched him approach me, I soon realized that we were at similar altitudes. I asked ZOA if we had adequate vertical sep and received no response. My gndspd was 270 KTS. I realized that we were on a collision course and took evasive action. 0' vertical clearance and approximately 300' horizontal separated us. Following the near miss, I requested to file a near miss report with ZOA. I was given a phone # which I could use to contact the area manager after landing. Upon landing I contacted the area manager and was extremely surprised to be treated with blatant disrespect. It was clearly stated by the manager that I should expect this to happen anytime I operate near the sfo TCA unless I was on an INS flight plan. In addition, I was told that I could not expect the pilots of the airliner to be looking outside of their complex cockpit for VFR traffic. This was topped off by being hung up on by the same area manager the next day when I told him that I did in fact want to file a near miss report. I believe that the fact that the small transport which I was flying does not have the ability to shine its landing or taxi light while flying at cruising speed was a contributing factor to this occurrence. Human performance considerations: the pilot of the jet (a heavy widebody transport) failed to request further updates on my position despite the fact that he never had me in sight. The ZOA controller failed to issue further traffic advisories to the IFR jet as we approached the point of conflict, despite having a light workload. My perception of altitude comparison was hindered by the darkness. This caused my deviation from a collision course to be delayed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR FLT HAS TRAFFIC POINTED OUT AND SIGHTED. HAS NMAC.

Narrative: I WAS DSNDING, SBND, OUT OF 17500' ON A VFR FLT. I HAD RECEIVED VFR FLT FOLLOWING FOR THE TRIP. THE ZOA CTLR CALLED WBND JET TFC, DSNDING INTO SFO, AT MY 10 O'CLOCK AND 30 MI. BEING A CAVU NIGHT, I SAW THE TFC AND RPTED TFC IN SIGHT. THE JET WAS ADVISED OF MY POS AND RESPONDED THAT HE HAD SOMETHING OUT THERE BUT WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS ME. I KEPT THE ACFT IN SIGHT THE ENTIRE TIME BTWN THEN AND THE TIME OF THE NEAR MISS. AS I WATCHED HIM APCH ME, I SOON REALIZED THAT WE WERE AT SIMILAR ALTS. I ASKED ZOA IF WE HAD ADEQUATE VERT SEP AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. MY GNDSPD WAS 270 KTS. I REALIZED THAT WE WERE ON A COLLISION COURSE AND TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. 0' VERT CLRNC AND APPROX 300' HORIZ SEPARATED US. FOLLOWING THE NEAR MISS, I REQUESTED TO FILE A NEAR MISS RPT WITH ZOA. I WAS GIVEN A PHONE # WHICH I COULD USE TO CONTACT THE AREA MGR AFTER LNDG. UPON LNDG I CONTACTED THE AREA MGR AND WAS EXTREMELY SURPRISED TO BE TREATED WITH BLATANT DISRESPECT. IT WAS CLEARLY STATED BY THE MGR THAT I SHOULD EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN ANYTIME I OPERATE NEAR THE SFO TCA UNLESS I WAS ON AN INS FLT PLAN. IN ADDITION, I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD NOT EXPECT THE PLTS OF THE AIRLINER TO BE LOOKING OUTSIDE OF THEIR COMPLEX COCKPIT FOR VFR TFC. THIS WAS TOPPED OFF BY BEING HUNG UP ON BY THE SAME AREA MGR THE NEXT DAY WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I DID IN FACT WANT TO FILE A NEAR MISS RPT. I BELIEVE THAT THE FACT THAT THE SMT WHICH I WAS FLYING DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHINE ITS LNDG OR TAXI LIGHT WHILE FLYING AT CRUISING SPD WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: THE PLT OF THE JET (A HVY WDB) FAILED TO REQUEST FURTHER UPDATES ON MY POS DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE NEVER HAD ME IN SIGHT. THE ZOA CTLR FAILED TO ISSUE FURTHER TFC ADVISORIES TO THE IFR JET AS WE APCHED THE POINT OF CONFLICT, DESPITE HAVING A LIGHT WORKLOAD. MY PERCEPTION OF ALT COMPARISON WAS HINDERED BY THE DARKNESS. THIS CAUSED MY DEVIATION FROM A COLLISION COURSE TO BE DELAYED.

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.