VFR PA28 PLT WITH MCO APCH RECEIVING TA'S EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH UNRPTED TFC AT 5500 FT.

Date: 2004-10 · Aircraft: PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far

Synopsis

VFR PA28 PLT WITH MCO APCH RECEIVING TA'S EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH UNRPTED TFC AT 5500 FT.

Narrative

WHILE ENRTE FROM LEESBURG REGIONAL (LEE) TO MELBOURNE INTL (MLB) AT 5500 FT I WAS RECEIVING VFR TA'S FROM ORLANDO APCH ON 119.4. I WAS TOLD TO FLY A COURSE OF 160 DEGS AND HAD BEEN DOING SO FOR SEVERAL MINS. OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE I CAUGHT A BRIGHT LIGHT AND STROBES OF ANOTHER ACFT; I SUSPECT THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN EITHER CLBING OR DSNDING AS THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY I DIDN'T SEE HIM UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT. AS SOON AS I SPOTTED THE ACFT HE FLEW DIRECTLY OVER THE TOP OF MY ACFT AT NO MORE THAN 50 FT. THE EVENT HAPPENED SO FAST THAT I HAD NO TIME TO REACT. I CALLED APCH IMMEDIATELY AFTER TO RPT A PLANE THAT PASSED WITHIN 50-100 FT. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT THE TFC HAD 'JUST POPPED UP; BUT WAS RPTING NO ALT.' I REPLIED THAT THE ACFT WAS DEFINITELY AT MY ALT; 5500 FT. UNFORTUNATELY; I BELIEVE THAT I DID EVERYTHING I COULD TO AVOID THE SIT; RECEIVING TA'S AND SCANNING FOR TFC. HOWEVER; IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT EVEN IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT TFC CAN STILL GO UNDETECTED; ESPECIALLY WHEN SCANNING FOR TFC VISUALLY AGAINST A BRIGHTLY LIGHT BACKGROUND.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.