Narrative:

This was the closet I have come to killing myself in an airplane. Our route of flight took us around cape cod from hyannis to provincetown to nantucket to martha's vineyard then to falmouth airpark for a local scenic flight. On board were my 2 cousins (non pilots) and my 10 month old son. We were receiving RA's from cape approach throughout the flight. I was flying at 2700 ft MSL to avoid the class D airspace of ack and mvy. Approach had been keeping us updated on traffic for our 45 mins. As we passed over martha's vineyard, I reached a dangerous level of complacency and sufficiently reduced my traffic scan. I must have had my head down and to the side for 10 or more seconds. When I looked up, to my horror, I saw an opposite direction C182 at very close range and within 200 ft of my altitude. Neither of us took evasive action, so I'm not sure if they ever saw us. I was in such a state of shock, that I could not even bring myself together to report it to ATC. We landed without further incident. I will be investing in a bf goodrich skywatch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA30 PLT HAS AN NMAC WITH A C182 WHILE RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING FROM CAPE APCH.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE CLOSET I HAVE COME TO KILLING MYSELF IN AN AIRPLANE. OUR RTE OF FLT TOOK US AROUND CAPE COD FROM HYANNIS TO PROVINCETOWN TO NANTUCKET TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD THEN TO FALMOUTH AIRPARK FOR A LCL SCENIC FLT. ON BOARD WERE MY 2 COUSINS (NON PLTS) AND MY 10 MONTH OLD SON. WE WERE RECEIVING RA'S FROM CAPE APCH THROUGHOUT THE FLT. I WAS FLYING AT 2700 FT MSL TO AVOID THE CLASS D AIRSPACE OF ACK AND MVY. APCH HAD BEEN KEEPING US UPDATED ON TFC FOR OUR 45 MINS. AS WE PASSED OVER MARTHA'S VINEYARD, I REACHED A DANGEROUS LEVEL OF COMPLACENCY AND SUFFICIENTLY REDUCED MY TFC SCAN. I MUST HAVE HAD MY HEAD DOWN AND TO THE SIDE FOR 10 OR MORE SECONDS. WHEN I LOOKED UP, TO MY HORROR, I SAW AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION C182 AT VERY CLOSE RANGE AND WITHIN 200 FT OF MY ALT. NEITHER OF US TOOK EVASIVE ACTION, SO I'M NOT SURE IF THEY EVER SAW US. I WAS IN SUCH A STATE OF SHOCK, THAT I COULD NOT EVEN BRING MYSELF TOGETHER TO RPT IT TO ATC. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I WILL BE INVESTING IN A BF GOODRICH SKYWATCH.

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.