Narrative:

I was at cruise on heading of 217 degrees crossing 270 degree radial, approximately 15 NM to west of bigbee VOR. I was on IFR flight plan on frequency 120.8, ZME. I was at 6000 ft MSL in VMC conditions atop a lower broken layer. It was a dark night (no moon), air temperature 55 degrees F/altimeter 29.85. Flight plan was bna to btr. Airplane was on autoplt. I could hear ZME and other airplanes on frequency 120.8. No handoff had been heard nor did other aircraft forward a handoff to me. At noted time and place I noticed a bright white light at my 10 O'clock position with no relative movement. I kept a close watch and still noticed no movement but light brightening and enlarging. Time frame was less than 1 min, I disengaged autoplt and executed an immediate 360 degree turn to west. Upon rolling out of turn I saw green/red and then white light pass from 11-1 O'clock position then to west. Airplanes were not exactly at same altitude but cannot estimate vertical clearance. I could not raise ZME on 120.8, from commercial chart plates attempted 127.1 who handed me to 124.4. I explained what happened and queried how close other plane was. Mem said columbus approach was working me, but told mem they did not have me on frequency. Mem then informed that columbus subsequently had closed but had seen the 360 degree turn I executed and told mem that they did 'not have a problem' with me executing it. No information, however was available from them as to a possible conflict. Mem queried me regarding filing a 'near miss' report which I declined since I wasn't sure exactly how close the 2 planes actually were. I informed them however that it was close enough that there was no doubt the 360 degree turn was warranted on my part with the 'stationary' light and no traffic reports from ATC. Flight was completed to btr with no further incident. As I was receiving ZME xmissions and surrounding aircraft, I assumed I was 'on-frequency' in the appropriate sector. On previous occasions I have been asked to contact other aircraft and/or been similarly contacted to change frequencys and/or ATC sectors. With 'dark' night conditions and an undercast, depth/distance perceptions were limited and executing the turn was a 'no-other-possible' option situation.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF BE35 ON IFR FLT PLAN DOES NOT RECEIVE A TA, BUT SIGHTS CONVERGING TFC AND EXECUTES A 360 DEGS FOR AVOIDANCE. ON QUERYING CTR PLT IS INFORMED THAT TRACON IS HANDLING HIM, BUT NO HDOF OR NEW FREQ HAD BEEN ISSUED.

Narrative: I WAS AT CRUISE ON HDG OF 217 DEGS XING 270 DEG RADIAL, APPROX 15 NM TO W OF BIGBEE VOR. I WAS ON IFR FLT PLAN ON FREQ 120.8, ZME. I WAS AT 6000 FT MSL IN VMC CONDITIONS ATOP A LOWER BROKEN LAYER. IT WAS A DARK NIGHT (NO MOON), AIR TEMP 55 DEGS F/ALTIMETER 29.85. FLT PLAN WAS BNA TO BTR. AIRPLANE WAS ON AUTOPLT. I COULD HEAR ZME AND OTHER AIRPLANES ON FREQ 120.8. NO HDOF HAD BEEN HEARD NOR DID OTHER ACFT FORWARD A HDOF TO ME. AT NOTED TIME AND PLACE I NOTICED A BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT AT MY 10 O'CLOCK POS WITH NO RELATIVE MOVEMENT. I KEPT A CLOSE WATCH AND STILL NOTICED NO MOVEMENT BUT LIGHT BRIGHTENING AND ENLARGING. TIME FRAME WAS LESS THAN 1 MIN, I DISENGAGED AUTOPLT AND EXECUTED AN IMMEDIATE 360 DEG TURN TO W. UPON ROLLING OUT OF TURN I SAW GREEN/RED AND THEN WHITE LIGHT PASS FROM 11-1 O'CLOCK POS THEN TO W. AIRPLANES WERE NOT EXACTLY AT SAME ALT BUT CANNOT ESTIMATE VERT CLRNC. I COULD NOT RAISE ZME ON 120.8, FROM COMMERCIAL CHART PLATES ATTEMPTED 127.1 WHO HANDED ME TO 124.4. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AND QUERIED HOW CLOSE OTHER PLANE WAS. MEM SAID COLUMBUS APCH WAS WORKING ME, BUT TOLD MEM THEY DID NOT HAVE ME ON FREQ. MEM THEN INFORMED THAT COLUMBUS SUBSEQUENTLY HAD CLOSED BUT HAD SEEN THE 360 DEG TURN I EXECUTED AND TOLD MEM THAT THEY DID 'NOT HAVE A PROB' WITH ME EXECUTING IT. NO INFO, HOWEVER WAS AVAILABLE FROM THEM AS TO A POSSIBLE CONFLICT. MEM QUERIED ME REGARDING FILING A 'NEAR MISS' RPT WHICH I DECLINED SINCE I WASN'T SURE EXACTLY HOW CLOSE THE 2 PLANES ACTUALLY WERE. I INFORMED THEM HOWEVER THAT IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH THAT THERE WAS NO DOUBT THE 360 DEG TURN WAS WARRANTED ON MY PART WITH THE 'STATIONARY' LIGHT AND NO TFC RPTS FROM ATC. FLT WAS COMPLETED TO BTR WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. AS I WAS RECEIVING ZME XMISSIONS AND SURROUNDING ACFT, I ASSUMED I WAS 'ON-FREQ' IN THE APPROPRIATE SECTOR. ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO CONTACT OTHER ACFT AND/OR BEEN SIMILARLY CONTACTED TO CHANGE FREQS AND/OR ATC SECTORS. WITH 'DARK' NIGHT CONDITIONS AND AN UNDERCAST, DEPTH/DISTANCE PERCEPTIONS WERE LIMITED AND EXECUTING THE TURN WAS A 'NO-OTHER-POSSIBLE' OPTION SIT.

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.