Narrative:

I departed runway 5R at tys on the evening of 3/fri/91 (at approximately XA45 hours local) on an IFR flight plan to dekalb airport, atlanta, GA. I was climbing at approximately 120 KTS to an assigned altitude of 6000' MSL and on an assigned heading of 070 degrees. I was in the clouds. At approximately XA50 hours local, just after being handed off to knoxville departure control, I entered a break in the clouds and immediately observed an aircraft (I think it was a jet) pass directly in front of me at an altitude of approximately 3500' MSL. The aircraft could not have been more than 300' away, and slightly higher. I believe the aircraft was descending, but I cannot be certain as the incident happened so fast! I immediately called knoxville departure and told the controller, in essence, that 'an aircraft had just passed in front of me and had missed me by approximately 300'!' the controller acknowledged my transmission as, 'roger.' I was shaking like hell. A few mins later, the controller called back and stated, in essence, 'I owe you an apology. The pilot in that airliner is going to get an earful from me--you can be sure of that!' I told the controller, in essence, that I had been flying for about 20 yrs and that this was the closest I had ever come to getting killed; that, if the jet had been seconds later, I would have been dead and everyone on the other aircraft would have been dead, too. I think he apologized again. Shortly afterward, I noticed that a different controller was handling knoxville departure control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: I DEPARTED RWY 5R AT TYS ON THE EVENING OF 3/FRI/91 (AT APPROX XA45 HRS LCL) ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO DEKALB ARPT, ATLANTA, GA. I WAS CLBING AT APPROX 120 KTS TO AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 6000' MSL AND ON AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 070 DEGS. I WAS IN THE CLOUDS. AT APPROX XA50 HRS LCL, JUST AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO KNOXVILLE DEP CTL, I ENTERED A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS AND IMMEDIATELY OBSERVED AN ACFT (I THINK IT WAS A JET) PASS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME AT AN ALT OF APPROX 3500' MSL. THE ACFT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 300' AWAY, AND SLIGHTLY HIGHER. I BELIEVE THE ACFT WAS DSNDING, BUT I CANNOT BE CERTAIN AS THE INCIDENT HAPPENED SO FAST! I IMMEDIATELY CALLED KNOXVILLE DEP AND TOLD THE CTLR, IN ESSENCE, THAT 'AN ACFT HAD JUST PASSED IN FRONT OF ME AND HAD MISSED ME BY APPROX 300'!' THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED MY XMISSION AS, 'ROGER.' I WAS SHAKING LIKE HELL. A FEW MINS LATER, THE CTLR CALLED BACK AND STATED, IN ESSENCE, 'I OWE YOU AN APOLOGY. THE PLT IN THAT AIRLINER IS GOING TO GET AN EARFUL FROM ME--YOU CAN BE SURE OF THAT!' I TOLD THE CTLR, IN ESSENCE, THAT I HAD BEEN FLYING FOR ABOUT 20 YRS AND THAT THIS WAS THE CLOSEST I HAD EVER COME TO GETTING KILLED; THAT, IF THE JET HAD BEEN SECS LATER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD AND EVERYONE ON THE OTHER ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD, TOO. I THINK HE APOLOGIZED AGAIN. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, I NOTICED THAT A DIFFERENT CTLR WAS HANDLING KNOXVILLE DEP CTL.

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.