Narrative:

Operating as a revenue flight between eyw-fll on a 360 degree heading at 6000 ft approximately 18 NM southwest of fll, a commuter shuttle (a feeder for an air carrier) came within a 1/4 mi of our aircraft at approximately the same altitude. The commuter shuttle flight blocked out of eyw about 5 mins after we did, he followed us up V157 to about famin intersection. We were flying a SA227 and they were in an EMB120. The mia approach controller asked us our speed, and we told them 207 KTS. Approach then slowed the EMB120 to about 200 KTS. A few mins later the commuter shuttle canceled their IFR flight plan. ATC then cleared them into the class B airspace and direct to fll with a descent to 2500 ft. A few mins later ATC called us out to the commuter shuttle and they said, they had us 'insight.' then ATC called them out to us, ATC said, 'do you see the traffic?' my captain saw the aircraft at about 8 O'clock and I looked over my shoulder and saw the aircraft out the passenger windows in row 5. He was approximately the same altitude as us. There was no time to react, fortunately he saw us at the last moment and stopped his descent and banked to the right behind us. When we arrived at fll the commuter shuttle was still unloading passenger when we taxied by. So he saved about 5 mins. Commuter shuttle captain's receive a ($) bonus for every min they come in under block time. And I believe this is why they canceled their IFR flight plans frequently. This incident was a result of someone being in a hurry to save a few mins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VISUAL SEPARATION -- 2 ACR CAME CLOSE ENOUGH THAT ONE OF THEM COMPLAINED TO ATC AND THE OTHER TOOK EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: OPERATING AS A REVENUE FLT BTWN EYW-FLL ON A 360 DEG HDG AT 6000 FT APPROX 18 NM SW OF FLL, A COMMUTER SHUTTLE (A FEEDER FOR AN ACR) CAME WITHIN A 1/4 MI OF OUR ACFT AT APPROX THE SAME ALT. THE COMMUTER SHUTTLE FLT BLOCKED OUT OF EYW ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER WE DID, HE FOLLOWED US UP V157 TO ABOUT FAMIN INTXN. WE WERE FLYING A SA227 AND THEY WERE IN AN EMB120. THE MIA APCH CTLR ASKED US OUR SPD, AND WE TOLD THEM 207 KTS. APCH THEN SLOWED THE EMB120 TO ABOUT 200 KTS. A FEW MINS LATER THE COMMUTER SHUTTLE CANCELED THEIR IFR FLT PLAN. ATC THEN CLRED THEM INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND DIRECT TO FLL WITH A DSCNT TO 2500 FT. A FEW MINS LATER ATC CALLED US OUT TO THE COMMUTER SHUTTLE AND THEY SAID, THEY HAD US 'INSIGHT.' THEN ATC CALLED THEM OUT TO US, ATC SAID, 'DO YOU SEE THE TFC?' MY CAPT SAW THE ACFT AT ABOUT 8 O'CLOCK AND I LOOKED OVER MY SHOULDER AND SAW THE ACFT OUT THE PAX WINDOWS IN ROW 5. HE WAS APPROX THE SAME ALT AS US. THERE WAS NO TIME TO REACT, FORTUNATELY HE SAW US AT THE LAST MOMENT AND STOPPED HIS DSCNT AND BANKED TO THE R BEHIND US. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT FLL THE COMMUTER SHUTTLE WAS STILL UNLOADING PAX WHEN WE TAXIED BY. SO HE SAVED ABOUT 5 MINS. COMMUTER SHUTTLE CAPT'S RECEIVE A ($) BONUS FOR EVERY MIN THEY COME IN UNDER BLOCK TIME. AND I BELIEVE THIS IS WHY THEY CANCELED THEIR IFR FLT PLANS FREQUENTLY. THIS INCIDENT WAS A RESULT OF SOMEONE BEING IN A HURRY TO SAVE A FEW MINS.

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.