Narrative:

En route from charlie baker airport (2m8) to west memphis airport (awm) receiving traffic advisories from memphis radar on 119.1. I was squawking on XXXX mode C. All traffic advisories during this flight and the return flight were being called out to me as coming from the opposite direction from which they were actually coming from. This specific incident involved my small aircraft X and a conflicting small aircraft Y. The conflicting small aircraft Y was called out to me as traffic at 11 O'clock, altitude unknown. I scanned my 11 O'clock position, saw no traffic and then scanned my 9, 12, 1 and 3 O'clock positions. At my 2 O'clock position I spotted my traffic moving from the 3 to the 9 O'clock position. Within 3 seconds, the conflicting traffic crossed my 12 O'clock, slightly high (approximately 400'). I mentioned this to the controller and he stated that my traffic had moved to my 1 O'clock position where, in fact, it was moving past the 11 O'clock position. In summary, a potential midair collision occurred because of an incorrect traffic call. Traffic actually coming from my right to left was called as coming from my left to right, thereby distracting my scan for a few critical seconds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAD NMAC WITH ANOTHER SMA, SAYS TRAFFIC CALLS WERE INCORRECT, BOTH ACFT VFR.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM CHARLIE BAKER ARPT (2M8) TO W MEMPHIS ARPT (AWM) RECEIVING TFC ADVISORIES FROM MEMPHIS RADAR ON 119.1. I WAS SQUAWKING ON XXXX MODE C. ALL TFC ADVISORIES DURING THIS FLT AND THE RETURN FLT WERE BEING CALLED OUT TO ME AS COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM WHICH THEY WERE ACTUALLY COMING FROM. THIS SPECIFIC INCIDENT INVOLVED MY SMA X AND A CONFLICTING SMA Y. THE CONFLICTING SMA Y WAS CALLED OUT TO ME AS TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK, ALT UNKNOWN. I SCANNED MY 11 O'CLOCK POS, SAW NO TFC AND THEN SCANNED MY 9, 12, 1 AND 3 O'CLOCK POSITIONS. AT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS I SPOTTED MY TFC MOVING FROM THE 3 TO THE 9 O'CLOCK POS. WITHIN 3 SECS, THE CONFLICTING TFC CROSSED MY 12 O'CLOCK, SLIGHTLY HIGH (APPROX 400'). I MENTIONED THIS TO THE CTLR AND HE STATED THAT MY TFC HAD MOVED TO MY 1 O'CLOCK POS WHERE, IN FACT, IT WAS MOVING PAST THE 11 O'CLOCK POS. IN SUMMARY, A POTENTIAL MIDAIR COLLISION OCCURRED BECAUSE OF AN INCORRECT TFC CALL. TFC ACTUALLY COMING FROM MY RIGHT TO LEFT WAS CALLED AS COMING FROM MY LEFT TO RIGHT, THEREBY DISTRACTING MY SCAN FOR A FEW CRITICAL SECS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.