Narrative:

I was flying from muskegon, mi, to marshall, mi. I was in radar contact and was receiving VFR flight following from kalamazoo approach, flying straight and level at 3500 ft MSL on approximately a 140 degree heading. I was about 20 NM northeast of kalamazoo when the controller instructed me to descend to 3000 ft for traffic, which I complied with. About 3 or 4 mins later, I was about 20 NM northeast of kalamazoo when I caught sight of an aircraft flying directly towards me at my 3 O'clock position. I would estimate when I first saw the aircraft it was less than a quarter of a mi away, and looked as if it was slightly higher than I was, and may have been climbing. To avoid the other aircraft, I therefore quickly initiated a descent, while continuing to keep the other plane in sight. It passed overhead a few seconds later, I would guess no more than 100 or 200 ft above me. As it passed, I looked to my left to see it receding from me, and noticed the distinctive shape of an small aircraft Y. After regaining my composure and reestablishing straight and level flight at 3000 ft, I remarked to the controller that we had just had 'a fairly close encounter with an small aircraft up here.' the controller replied 'yes, he's at 3500 ft,' but I said 'he looked a bit closer than that to me.' at that, another pilot, evidently the one flying the small aircraft in question, came on the frequency and said that he had been told to descend to 3000 ft. The controller disagreed saying that he should have been at 3500 ft. I (and my passenger) was a little disconcerted that the controller more or less shrugged off the incident as no big deal, and even though flight following is on a time- permitting basis, I think I and the small aircraft pilot should have been alerted to our paths crossing, even though we should have had a 500 ft vertical separation. Traffic at the time was not particularly heavy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO MISS AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACFT. BOTH VFR.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM MUSKEGON, MI, TO MARSHALL, MI. I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT AND WAS RECEIVING VFR FLT FOLLOWING FROM KALAMAZOO APCH, FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AT 3500 FT MSL ON APPROX A 140 DEG HDG. I WAS ABOUT 20 NM NE OF KALAMAZOO WHEN THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO DSND TO 3000 FT FOR TFC, WHICH I COMPLIED WITH. ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINS LATER, I WAS ABOUT 20 NM NE OF KALAMAZOO WHEN I CAUGHT SIGHT OF AN ACFT FLYING DIRECTLY TOWARDS ME AT MY 3 O'CLOCK POS. I WOULD ESTIMATE WHEN I FIRST SAW THE ACFT IT WAS LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MI AWAY, AND LOOKED AS IF IT WAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN I WAS, AND MAY HAVE BEEN CLBING. TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT, I THEREFORE QUICKLY INITIATED A DSCNT, WHILE CONTINUING TO KEEP THE OTHER PLANE IN SIGHT. IT PASSED OVERHEAD A FEW SECONDS LATER, I WOULD GUESS NO MORE THAN 100 OR 200 FT ABOVE ME. AS IT PASSED, I LOOKED TO MY L TO SEE IT RECEDING FROM ME, AND NOTICED THE DISTINCTIVE SHAPE OF AN SMA Y. AFTER REGAINING MY COMPOSURE AND REESTABLISHING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT AT 3000 FT, I REMARKED TO THE CTLR THAT WE HAD JUST HAD 'A FAIRLY CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH AN SMA UP HERE.' THE CTLR REPLIED 'YES, HE'S AT 3500 FT,' BUT I SAID 'HE LOOKED A BIT CLOSER THAN THAT TO ME.' AT THAT, ANOTHER PLT, EVIDENTLY THE ONE FLYING THE SMA IN QUESTION, CAME ON THE FREQ AND SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD TO DSND TO 3000 FT. THE CTLR DISAGREED SAYING THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 3500 FT. I (AND MY PASSENGER) WAS A LITTLE DISCONCERTED THAT THE CTLR MORE OR LESS SHRUGGED OFF THE INCIDENT AS NO BIG DEAL, AND EVEN THOUGH FLT FOLLOWING IS ON A TIME- PERMITTING BASIS, I THINK I AND THE SMA PLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO OUR PATHS XING, EVEN THOUGH WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A 500 FT VERT SEPARATION. TFC AT THE TIME WAS NOT PARTICULARLY HVY.

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.