Narrative:

While flying on an IFR flight plan (enw direct rfd V63 cva direct mli), small aircraft X was told to fly direct to the rfd VORTAC level at 4000 ft MSL. Upon initial contact with rockford approach we were advised we were in radar contact. The heading taken to fly direct was approximately 240 degrees in visual flight conditions. Small aircraft X was given no information on traffic in the area and the communication between rockford approach control and other aircraft gave no indication of eventual necessity for avoidance. The sun was setting at that time with a scattered to broken layer of clouds at higher altitudes to the north of our position. As I was scanning in that direction (nwesterly) I noticed a red light in the upper right hand corner of my windshield and I focused my attention temporarily in that direction. I quickly figured out the shape of a descending jet aircraft (light transport Y jet type) which was approaching and descending wings level into or very close to my level flight path. As soon as possible I turned north to go behind the light transport Y to avoid conflict since it was too close to determine if the light transport Y would pass by safely. I then returned back to our original heading while maintaining our assigned altitude. I quickly contacted ATC and questioned them on the lack of traffic alerts. The conversation between myself, rockford approach control and the jet in question is as follows to the best of my recollection. Small aircraft X: 'rockford approach control this is small aircraft X, are you going to give us traffic avoidance calls because we just had a jet go by us.' rfd approach: 'did that light transport Y (traffic ?) pass behind you?' small aircraft X: 'no sir, he went right in front of us and I moved to avoid him.' light transport Y: 'rockford approach, we had the small aircraft X traffic and we passed by a lot closer than it should have been.' rockford approach: after a long pause, 'roger light transport Y we are functioning on center radar, our primary radar is OTS and we are given information from them and sometimes the information is delayed quite a bit.' light transport Y: '...is that small aircraft X VFR traffic?' rockford approach: 'ah, roger he is VFR.' at this point we were continuing on direct to the rockford VORTAC and received no communications afterward concerning the near miss or anything else. Small aircraft X was on an IFR flight plan for an instrument cross country with an IFR student flying at the time of the incident. Small aircraft X departed IFR from enw and was IFR the entire time on this cross country (enw - mli - dbq - enw). The reference by the light transport Y pilot and the controller indicates fault on my part for lack of avoidance when in fact I did 'see and avoid' while operating in VFR conditions. The light transport Y aircraft was also operating in VFR conditions at the time and must share the avoidance responsibility. The controller should have been able to see the light transport Y on radar and sequence more separation between both aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SEES LTT ACFT APCHING IN A DSCNT AND TAKES EVASIVE ACTION. NO TA FROM ATC.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN (ENW DIRECT RFD V63 CVA DIRECT MLI), SMA X WAS TOLD TO FLY DIRECT TO THE RFD VORTAC LEVEL AT 4000 FT MSL. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH ROCKFORD APCH WE WERE ADVISED WE WERE IN RADAR CONTACT. THE HDG TAKEN TO FLY DIRECT WAS APPROX 240 DEGS IN VISUAL FLT CONDITIONS. SMA X WAS GIVEN NO INFO ON TFC IN THE AREA AND THE COM BTWN ROCKFORD APCH CTL AND OTHER ACFT GAVE NO INDICATION OF EVENTUAL NECESSITY FOR AVOIDANCE. THE SUN WAS SETTING AT THAT TIME WITH A SCATTERED TO BROKEN LAYER OF CLOUDS AT HIGHER ALTS TO THE N OF OUR POS. AS I WAS SCANNING IN THAT DIRECTION (NWESTERLY) I NOTICED A RED LIGHT IN THE UPPER R HAND CORNER OF MY WINDSHIELD AND I FOCUSED MY ATTN TEMPORARILY IN THAT DIRECTION. I QUICKLY FIGURED OUT THE SHAPE OF A DSNDING JET ACFT (LTT Y JET TYPE) WHICH WAS APCHING AND DSNDING WINGS LEVEL INTO OR VERY CLOSE TO MY LEVEL FLT PATH. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE I TURNED N TO GO BEHIND THE LTT Y TO AVOID CONFLICT SINCE IT WAS TOO CLOSE TO DETERMINE IF THE LTT Y WOULD PASS BY SAFELY. I THEN RETURNED BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL HDG WHILE MAINTAINING OUR ASSIGNED ALT. I QUICKLY CONTACTED ATC AND QUESTIONED THEM ON THE LACK OF TFC ALERTS. THE CONVERSATION BTWN MYSELF, ROCKFORD APCH CTL AND THE JET IN QUESTION IS AS FOLLOWS TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION. SMA X: 'ROCKFORD APCH CTL THIS IS SMA X, ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE US TFC AVOIDANCE CALLS BECAUSE WE JUST HAD A JET GO BY US.' RFD APCH: 'DID THAT LTT Y (TFC ?) PASS BEHIND YOU?' SMA X: 'NO SIR, HE WENT RIGHT IN FRONT OF US AND I MOVED TO AVOID HIM.' LTT Y: 'ROCKFORD APCH, WE HAD THE SMA X TFC AND WE PASSED BY A LOT CLOSER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.' ROCKFORD APCH: AFTER A LONG PAUSE, 'ROGER LTT Y WE ARE FUNCTIONING ON CENTER RADAR, OUR PRIMARY RADAR IS OTS AND WE ARE GIVEN INFO FROM THEM AND SOMETIMES THE INFO IS DELAYED QUITE A BIT.' LTT Y: '...IS THAT SMA X VFR TFC?' ROCKFORD APCH: 'AH, ROGER HE IS VFR.' AT THIS POINT WE WERE CONTINUING ON DIRECT TO THE ROCKFORD VORTAC AND RECEIVED NO COMS AFTERWARD CONCERNING THE NEAR MISS OR ANYTHING ELSE. SMA X WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR AN INST XCOUNTRY WITH AN IFR STUDENT FLYING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. SMA X DEPARTED IFR FROM ENW AND WAS IFR THE ENTIRE TIME ON THIS XCOUNTRY (ENW - MLI - DBQ - ENW). THE REF BY THE LTT Y PLT AND THE CTLR INDICATES FAULT ON MY PART FOR LACK OF AVOIDANCE WHEN IN FACT I DID 'SEE AND AVOID' WHILE OPERATING IN VFR CONDITIONS. THE LTT Y ACFT WAS ALSO OPERATING IN VFR CONDITIONS AT THE TIME AND MUST SHARE THE AVOIDANCE RESPONSIBILITY. THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE LTT Y ON RADAR AND SEQUENCE MORE SEPARATION BTWN BOTH ACFT.

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.