Near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	98912
Time
Date	198811
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zdc
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9500 msl bound upper : 9500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	98912
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 50 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

I was flying an small transport at 9500' MSL on a 42 degree heading. Cloud tops were at 8500' MSL. A white airplane passed to my left approximately 50' away. I was in radar contact with, I believe, washington center and had been issued and was using a transponder code. I would rather have had the controller not accept me into the system if he was too busy. Certainly the controllers dictum to me to maintain VFR does not relieve him of the responsibility to warn me of an oncoming aircraft at the wrong altitude. The oncoming aircraft which I believe was white, represented the smallest visual target for me.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN SMT AT 9500' MSL ON A 42 DEG HDG. CLOUD TOPS WERE AT 8500' MSL. A WHITE AIRPLANE PASSED TO MY LEFT APPROX 50' AWAY. I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT WITH, I BELIEVE, WASHINGTON CENTER AND HAD BEEN ISSUED AND WAS USING A XPONDER CODE. I WOULD RATHER HAVE HAD THE CTLR NOT ACCEPT ME INTO THE SYSTEM IF HE WAS TOO BUSY. CERTAINLY THE CTLRS DICTUM TO ME TO MAINTAIN VFR DOES NOT RELIEVE HIM OF THE RESPONSIBILITY TO WARN ME OF AN ONCOMING ACFT AT THE WRONG ALT. THE ONCOMING ACFT WHICH I BELIEVE WAS WHITE, REPRESENTED THE SMALLEST VISUAL TARGET FOR ME.

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.