Narrative:

The fact that I was utilizing radar TA's at the time of this near midair collision probably saved the 4 lives of those in my aircraft and the 1 or more aboard the twin that we almost collided with. The controller apologized for not seeing this target and explained that he must have 'just turned his transponder on.' in addition, the other aircraft was 'sebound' -- why was he cruising at an 'even +500' altitude? I always had the notion that multi-engine rated pilots were somehow better than the rest of us! Human performance considerations: VFR pilots should use flight following when able. 1) the controller would have told him he was at the wrong altitude. 2) his transponder off condition would have also been noticed. Perhaps altitude reporting should somehow be engineered into the avionics in an automatic way so that it can't become a forgotten item on a checklist.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL PLT IN A PA28-140 HAS AN NMAC WITH AN UNIDENTED TWIN AT THE SAME ALT, OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC, NW OF RDU, NC.

Narrative: THE FACT THAT I WAS UTILIZING RADAR TA'S AT THE TIME OF THIS NMAC PROBABLY SAVED THE 4 LIVES OF THOSE IN MY ACFT AND THE 1 OR MORE ABOARD THE TWIN THAT WE ALMOST COLLIDED WITH. THE CTLR APOLOGIZED FOR NOT SEEING THIS TARGET AND EXPLAINED THAT HE MUST HAVE 'JUST TURNED HIS XPONDER ON.' IN ADDITION, THE OTHER ACFT WAS 'SEBOUND' -- WHY WAS HE CRUISING AT AN 'EVEN +500' ALT? I ALWAYS HAD THE NOTION THAT MULTI-ENG RATED PLTS WERE SOMEHOW BETTER THAN THE REST OF US! HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: VFR PLTS SHOULD USE FLT FOLLOWING WHEN ABLE. 1) THE CTLR WOULD HAVE TOLD HIM HE WAS AT THE WRONG ALT. 2) HIS XPONDER OFF CONDITION WOULD HAVE ALSO BEEN NOTICED. PERHAPS ALT RPTING SHOULD SOMEHOW BE ENGINEERED INTO THE AVIONICS IN AN AUTOMATIC WAY SO THAT IT CAN'T BECOME A FORGOTTEN ITEM ON A CHKLIST.

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.