TWO SMA'S HAVE NMAC.

Narrative

WHILE SEBND FROM HAYWARD TO PANOCHE VOR AT 7500' OPERATING UNDER VOLUNTARY ATC FLT FOLLOWING; THE OAK CENTER CTLR CALLED 'TFC ALERT; 9 O'CLOCK; 8300 DSNDING; 5 MI.' WHILE I HAVE NEVER BEEN GIVEN A 'TFC ALERT;' I KNEW THAT IT WAS MORE IMPERATIVE THAN JUST CALLING OBSERVED TFC. MOMENTS LATER ATC CALLED AGAIN WITH 9 O'CLOCK TFC; 3 MI; DSNDING. I RADIOED THAT I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC. THE APCHING ACFT GREW LARGER AS IT APCHED; BUT IT MAINTAINED ITS RELATIVE POS TO MY PLANE. IT WAS CLR THAT THE APCHING SMA WAS ON A DIRECT COLLISION COURSE WITH MY PLANE. AS THE SMA APCHED TO WITHIN 1/2-1/3 MI; IT BECAME CLR THAT THE PLT DID NOT SEE ME EVEN THOUGH IT WAS AT HIS LOW 12 O'CLOCK POS. MY PLANE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEARLY VISIBLE TO HIM; EVEN THOUGH I WAS LOOKING INTO THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE SUN. I PUSHED THE CTLS FORWARD AND DOVE TO 7000'. THE SMA PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD W/O VEERING AWAY AS IF TO AVOID MY PLANE. I WAS SO GRATIFIED THAT ATC HAD ACCEPTED ME FOR FLT FOLLOWING ON THIS OCCASION AND HAD GIVEN THE TFC ALERT. I FEEL CERTAIN THAT A MIDAIR COLLISION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. MY GREATEST REGRET IS THAT I DID NOT CALL BACK TO ATC AND THANK HIM FOR THE TFC CALL. IF IT IS AT ALL POSSIBLE; PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO OAK CENTER: MANY THANKS--YOU SAVED OUR LIVES. THIS IS NOT MY FIRST NMAC WITH AN SMA. I HAVE FOUND THAT SMA PLTS ARE OFTEN UNABLE TO SEE OTHER TFC; AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE GIVEN PLENTY OF AVOIDANCE.