NMAC IN PROX OF CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative

3/XX/94 AT APPROX XV30 AM LCL TIME; I DEPARTED RWY 23 AT X28 IN A 1980 SENECA II; ENRTE TO MIA. APPROX 2 HRS PREVIOUSLY I HAD FILED A FLT PLAN WITH SAINT PETERSBURG FSS. UPON DEP; I ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO REACH TAMPA APCH ON 125.3. THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY. UNABLE TO REACH TAMPA APCH; I TURNED TO A HDG OF 270 DEG WESTBOUND TO AVOID THE TAMPA CLASS B AIRSPACE. I CONTINUED TO CALL TAMPA. MY ENCODING TRANSFORMER WAS ON AND I WAS SQUAWKING 1200. I CLBED TO 2900 FT TO STAY BELOW THE CLASS B CORRIDOR. I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS WITH A SOLID CLOUD DECK BELOW ME WITH TOPS THAT APPEARED TO BE 1500 FT. A FEW MI SW OF X28 WHILE LEVEL AT 2900 FT; I ENCOUNTERED A NEAR MISS WITH A CREAM COLORED ARROW COMMANDER. THE ARROW COMMANDER WAS SBOUND ENRTE TO THE TAMPA BAY AREA AND WAS EITHER LEVEL AT 3000 OR DSNDING. HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH TAMPA APCH AND HE IMMEDIATELY ADVISED TAMPA OF THE NEAR- MISS AND INQUIRED OF THE CTLR IF HE HAD ME ON HIS SCOPE. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD MY ACFT. I WOULD CONCUR THAT THE ACFT PASSED WITHIN 50 FT. I SAW THE ACFT WITH MY PERIPHERAL VISION OUT OF THE PAX SIDE OF THE WINDOW AND COULD CLRLY SEE THE FUSELAGE. I HAD A PAX WITH ME THAT COULD ALSO CONFIRM THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. I THEREUPON CONTACTED TAMPA APCH AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS THE SENECA THAT WAS INVOLVED IN A NEAR MISS AND THAT I HAD BEEN TRYING TO REACH HIM. THE ATCR GAVE ME FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB TO 4000 FT; THEN TURNED ME OVER TO THE NEXT CTLR TO PICK-UP MY IFR CLRNC. THERE ARE 3 REASONS WHICH I FEEL CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. FIRSTLY; IT MAY HAVE HELPED IF I HAD LEVELED OFF AT 2500 UNTIL MAKING CONTACT WITH TAMPA APCH (ALTHOUGH I FEEL I WAS LEGAL UP TO 2900 FT) AND MORE SCANNING OF THE AIRSPACE TO THE N. THE COMMANDER PLT; BECAUSE OF THE VFR CONDITIONS; SHOULD HAVE BEEN SCANNING THE AREA. THE ATCR SHOULD HAVE ALERTED THE COMMANDER TO MY LOCATION.