Pilot of small aircraft aircraft had near midair collision with an unidented VFR aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	214429
Time
Date	199207
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mop
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mbs
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : v233
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 340 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	214429
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I hour into flight, saginaw approach handed us off to lansing approach. While switching frequencys, plane appeared behind wing. Filled up whole viewing area aft of right wing to tail! Hadn't checked in yet with lansing, out was changed over, and lansing called us to warn us. Apparently, saginaw called lansing when he didn't get us on the air. Called signal controller on ground, and he told us unidented VFR was climbing or just turned on transponder, and didn't have time to warn us, it all happened so fast. Apparently, it scared the other plane too, because controller told me he was seen on radar descending to 4500 immediately after event (and as described by one of my passenger). I feel controllers did their jobs, but yet there is a hole in the system to allow this to happen.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ACFT HAD NMAC WITH AN UNIDENTED VFR ACFT.

Narrative: I HR INTO FLT, SAGINAW APCH HANDED US OFF TO LANSING APCH. WHILE SWITCHING FREQS, PLANE APPEARED BEHIND WING. FILLED UP WHOLE VIEWING AREA AFT OF R WING TO TAIL! HADN'T CHKED IN YET WITH LANSING, OUT WAS CHANGED OVER, AND LANSING CALLED US TO WARN US. APPARENTLY, SAGINAW CALLED LANSING WHEN HE DIDN'T GET US ON THE AIR. CALLED SIGNAL CTLR ON GND, AND HE TOLD US UNIDENTED VFR WAS CLBING OR JUST TURNED ON TRANSPONDER, AND DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO WARN US, IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST. APPARENTLY, IT SCARED THE OTHER PLANE TOO, BECAUSE CTLR TOLD ME HE WAS SEEN ON RADAR DSNDING TO 4500 IMMEDIATELY AFTER EVENT (AND AS DESCRIBED BY ONE OF MY PAX). I FEEL CTLRS DID THEIR JOBS, BUT YET THERE IS A HOLE IN THE SYS TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.

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.