POTENTIAL CONFLICT. AN SMA PLT ON AN IFR FLT AT 6000 FT; ON VECTORS DIRECT; ENCOUNTERED A B737 CLBING OUT OF CLT THROUGH HIS ALT; OPPOSITE DIRECTION. CLT TRACON GAVE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO SMA FOR TFC SEPARATION. AN ALLEGED SYS ERROR.

Narrative

I DEPARTED MRN AND RECEIVED IFR FLT PLAN CLRNC TO HYW; ASSIGNED 6000 FT AND WAS VECTORED SW OF CHARLOTTE ARPT. APPROX 15 MI S OF CLT ARPT WAS TOLD TO PROCEED DIRECT TO CHESTERFIELD VOR WHEN ABLE. PROCEEDED DIRECT CHESTERFIELD ON 135 DEG HDG. AFTER PASSING LAKE WILLEY; CTLR CAME ON; TOLD ME TO TURN IMMEDIATELY TO 050 DEGS; USE EVASIVE ACTION; MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION; TFC B737 CLBING THROUGH 6000 FT 12-1 O'CLOCK POS 1 MI AND CLOSING. I BELIEVE HE SAID TFC ALERT ALSO; I TURNED IMMEDIATELY L TO 050 DEGS AND DOVE ABOUT 150 FT SINCE TFC WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CLBING. NEAR COMPLETION OF THE TURN I SPOTTED AN ACR B737 AT ABOUT 2 O'CLOCK POS PASSING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION APPROX 1500 FT AWAY. WHEN SPOTTED NOTIFIED CTLR TFC SIGHTED AND WAS CLR. CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO PROCEED ON COURSE; DIRECT TO CHESTERFIELD VOR. WX WAS VMC AT THE TIME AND THERE WAS NOT MUCH ACTIVITY AROUND CHARLOTTE AT THE TIME; COMPARED TO OTHER TIMES I HAVE FLOWN IN THE AREA. DON'T KNOW WHY THE CTLR LET US GET SO CLOSE OTHER THAN THE B737'S RATE OF CLB WAS UNUSUALLY HIGHER OR LOWER THAN WHAT THE CTLR EXPECTED. I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR 21 YRS AND HAVE NEVER BEEN THAT CLOSE TO AN AIRLINER WHILE I WAS IN CRUISE FLT.