Narrative:

I was plting a douglas DC3 on an IFR flight plan, level at 7000 ft assigned altitude en route to mia. We had been flying in a solid layer of clouds with very little outside visibility for approximately 5 mins about 60 DME northwest of curve intersection, when my copilot (PNF) blurted out in horror that he had just seen another aircraft passing slightly above and to our left headed in the opposite direction. I personally only saw a shadow, as I was the PF on the instruments. At this point I asked ZMA if they had any other aircraft on their radar screen at my 6 O'clock position and in close proximity. The controller responded with an affirmative. I then reported that my copilot had seen this aircraft at a distance of 50 ft from our aircraft as it passed us, and that we were in IMC flight conditions. Chain of events: how the problem arose: a VFR aircraft, operating in IMC conditions without an IFR clearance, maneuvered radically, possibly to get back into VFR conditions, passing within 50 ft of my aircraft in the process. How it was discovered: the first officer physically saw the other aircraft pass us in very low IMC conditions. ZMA verified another aircraft was in our vicinity at our altitude. Contributing factors: WX -- clouds, rain. Corrective actions: the occurrence was over in less than 1 second. Visibility was poor, we could not have possibly seen the oncoming aircraft any sooner because of the clouds we were flying within. No action on our part could have been considered. Human performance considerations: a VFR aircraft flying in low IMC conditions speaks for itself. Any/no action on our part would have changed the outcome. Factors affecting the quality of human performance: ZMA was working a high number of aircraft, including the VFR aircraft involved, and may have been working to capacity at the time. However, with the maneuver made by the VFR pilot, it would have been virtually impossible for the controller to have taken any other action. It all happened too quickly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC3 IN INST CONDITIONS HAS A NEAR MISS WITH A VFR ACFT THAT WAS WORKING WITH CTR FOR TA'S.

Narrative: I WAS PLTING A DOUGLAS DC3 ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, LEVEL AT 7000 FT ASSIGNED ALT ENRTE TO MIA. WE HAD BEEN FLYING IN A SOLID LAYER OF CLOUDS WITH VERY LITTLE OUTSIDE VISIBILITY FOR APPROX 5 MINS ABOUT 60 DME NW OF CURVE INTXN, WHEN MY COPLT (PNF) BLURTED OUT IN HORROR THAT HE HAD JUST SEEN ANOTHER ACFT PASSING SLIGHTLY ABOVE AND TO OUR L HEADED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I PERSONALLY ONLY SAW A SHADOW, AS I WAS THE PF ON THE INSTS. AT THIS POINT I ASKED ZMA IF THEY HAD ANY OTHER ACFT ON THEIR RADAR SCREEN AT MY 6 O'CLOCK POS AND IN CLOSE PROX. THE CTLR RESPONDED WITH AN AFFIRMATIVE. I THEN RPTED THAT MY COPLT HAD SEEN THIS ACFT AT A DISTANCE OF 50 FT FROM OUR ACFT AS IT PASSED US, AND THAT WE WERE IN IMC FLT CONDITIONS. CHAIN OF EVENTS: HOW THE PROB AROSE: A VFR ACFT, OPERATING IN IMC CONDITIONS WITHOUT AN IFR CLRNC, MANEUVERED RADICALLY, POSSIBLY TO GET BACK INTO VFR CONDITIONS, PASSING WITHIN 50 FT OF MY ACFT IN THE PROCESS. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: THE FO PHYSICALLY SAW THE OTHER ACFT PASS US IN VERY LOW IMC CONDITIONS. ZMA VERIFIED ANOTHER ACFT WAS IN OUR VICINITY AT OUR ALT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WX -- CLOUDS, RAIN. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: THE OCCURRENCE WAS OVER IN LESS THAN 1 SECOND. VISIBILITY WAS POOR, WE COULD NOT HAVE POSSIBLY SEEN THE ONCOMING ACFT ANY SOONER BECAUSE OF THE CLOUDS WE WERE FLYING WITHIN. NO ACTION ON OUR PART COULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: A VFR ACFT FLYING IN LOW IMC CONDITIONS SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. ANY/NO ACTION ON OUR PART WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE: ZMA WAS WORKING A HIGH NUMBER OF ACFT, INCLUDING THE VFR ACFT INVOLVED, AND MAY HAVE BEEN WORKING TO CAPACITY AT THE TIME. HOWEVER, WITH THE MANEUVER MADE BY THE VFR PLT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CTLR TO HAVE TAKEN ANY OTHER ACTION. IT ALL HAPPENED TOO QUICKLY.

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.