A PA28-181 PLT RPTS AN NMAC WITH ANOTHER PIPER IN CLASS E AIRSPACE APCHING A CTAF ARPT; FPR.

Narrative

RANGER XXX AND I WERE 1/2 WAY THROUGH AN ORIENTATION FLT AROUND THE RANGER'S WORK AREA. WE WERE HEADING N; APPROX 8 MI SW OF FPR AT 1300 FT. I HAD TUNED TO THE FORT PIERCE TWR A FEW MINS EARLIER AND WAS LISTENING FOR CALLS FROM INCOMING OR OUTGOING TFC; WHEN I HEARD AN ACFT CALL IN 10 MI SW OF FPR INBOUND. THE TWR TOLD THIS ACFT TO RPT OVER THE FLYING J; A VISUAL WAYPOINT OFTEN USED BY INCOMING ACFT. I REALIZED THAT BOTH OUR ACFT WERE IN THE SAME GENERAL VICINITY; AND I WAS BEING EXTRA VIGILANT IN LOOKING FOR THIS TFC TO NO AVAIL; AS I NEVER SAW THE ACFT UNTIL IT WAS APPROX 200 FT BELOW AT MY 10 O'CLOCK POS. ALL I SAW WAS A LOW WING ACFT (PIPER) WITH SOME BLUE PAINTED AREAS BEFORE I PULLED BACK SHARPLY ON THE YOKE TO GAIN SOME IMMEDIATE ALT. AT THIS POINT; THE ACFT WENT OUT OF SIGHT BELOW ME. I LOOKED OUT THE R BACK WINDOW AFTER LEVELING OFF AND SAW THE PLANE AT MY 5 O'CLOCK POS; APPROX 400 FT BELOW ME; FLYING AWAY. I DON'T KNOW IF HE EVER SAW ME. 1) I COULD HAVE CALLED FPR TWR AND HAD THE OTHER PLANE LOOKING FOR ME ALSO. 2) MORE VIGILANCE ON MY PART IS OBVIOUSLY REQUIRED. 3) COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYS INSTALLED IN ACFT?