Narrative:

The ceiling along the florida inland waterway was about 2000 ft broken, with scattered offshore, and a few lower extensions. There were distinct rain showers inshore. I was proceeding south over the west bank at 1600 ft MSL. My recollection is that there was a patch of reduced visibility in front of me, perhaps one of the lower extensions, which was not a solid 'cloud,' but which would briefly limit horizontal visibility but not ground contact. I suddenly saw a northbound aircraft, probably a piper arrow, flash by my lower left windshield in a descending right turn. I feel sure that he was taking evasive action, having seen me before I saw him. I had forgotten the density of low n-s traffic along the florida coast, and was not burning a landing light. Shortly thereafter, I observed a stationary object in the windshield which I thought might be a helicopter. Wings became visible, and I turned right to avoid the northbound cessna. Although we had been on a collision course, the miss distance was certainly greater than 500 ft horizontal, and I don't consider that to be a near miss. I did not see any evasive action by the cessna. This incident emphasized again the need to stay well clear of clouds, burn a landing light on a flyway, and be constantly vigilant.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLYING SLIGHTLY OFFSHORE JUST BELOW CLOUD LEVEL HAS NMAC WITH 2 ACFT.

Narrative: THE CEILING ALONG THE FLORIDA INLAND WATERWAY WAS ABOUT 2000 FT BROKEN, WITH SCATTERED OFFSHORE, AND A FEW LOWER EXTENSIONS. THERE WERE DISTINCT RAIN SHOWERS INSHORE. I WAS PROCEEDING S OVER THE W BANK AT 1600 FT MSL. MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT THERE WAS A PATCH OF REDUCED VISIBILITY IN FRONT OF ME, PERHAPS ONE OF THE LOWER EXTENSIONS, WHICH WAS NOT A SOLID 'CLOUD,' BUT WHICH WOULD BRIEFLY LIMIT HORIZ VISIBILITY BUT NOT GND CONTACT. I SUDDENLY SAW A NBOUND ACFT, PROBABLY A PIPER ARROW, FLASH BY MY LOWER L WINDSHIELD IN A DSNDING R TURN. I FEEL SURE THAT HE WAS TAKING EVASIVE ACTION, HAVING SEEN ME BEFORE I SAW HIM. I HAD FORGOTTEN THE DENSITY OF LOW N-S TFC ALONG THE FLORIDA COAST, AND WAS NOT BURNING A LNDG LIGHT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I OBSERVED A STATIONARY OBJECT IN THE WINDSHIELD WHICH I THOUGHT MIGHT BE A HELI. WINGS BECAME VISIBLE, AND I TURNED R TO AVOID THE NBOUND CESSNA. ALTHOUGH WE HAD BEEN ON A COLLISION COURSE, THE MISS DISTANCE WAS CERTAINLY GREATER THAN 500 FT HORIZ, AND I DON'T CONSIDER THAT TO BE A NEAR MISS. I DID NOT SEE ANY EVASIVE ACTION BY THE CESSNA. THIS INCIDENT EMPHASIZED AGAIN THE NEED TO STAY WELL CLR OF CLOUDS, BURN A LNDG LIGHT ON A FLYWAY, AND BE CONSTANTLY VIGILANT.

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.