A PA44 PILOT EXPERIENCED AN NMAC WITH A C172 AT NIGHT.

Narrative

FLYING ON A VFR FLT PLAN IN VFR CONDITIONS TO MTH VIA X51 THE APPROX LOCATION OF THE NMAC WAS 7-10 MI WSW OF TIX. WHILE ACTIVELY SCANNING FOR TFC; I IDENTED THE ACFT IN QUESTION OFF OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS WHILE IT WAS ABOUT 2-3 MI OUT. UPON IDENTING THE ACFT ORLANDO APCH PROVIDED A TFC ALERT TO ME ABOUT AN ACFT 'OFF YOUR 2 O'CLOCK; ABOUT 2 MI; 2600 SAME DIRECTION.' I RPTED THE ACFT IN SIGHT AND ASSUMED THE ACFT WOULD BE NO FACTOR. HOWEVER; UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I SAW THE CONFIGN OF THE POS LIGHTS RELATIVE TO MY ACFT AND SAW THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY FLYING FROM MY R TO L. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED R AND DSNDED TO PASS BEHIND THE ACFT. HUMAN FACTORS: ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT LED TO THIS NMAC WAS THIS FLT WAS ONLY MY SECOND NIGHT FLT IN APPROX A YR AND A HALF. UPON IDENTING THE ACFT; I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT THE ACFT LIGHTING CONFIGN TO SEE WHICH DIRECTION IT WAS TRULY HEADING IN RELATION TO MY ACFT INSTEAD OF BLINDLY TRUSTING THE TFC RPT BY ORLANDO APCH. IF I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THIS SPECIFIC ACTION EARLIER I WOULD HAVE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO MANEUVER MY ACFT TO PASS WELL BEHIND THE OPPOSING TFC.