Narrative:

While flying down V295 arwy, our approximately heading was 130 degrees. The sun was approximately 20 degrees off the right wing making it virtually impossible to identify traffic coming from the southwest. The sky conditions were 5000' scattered, plus 5 mi visibility. 45 mi northwest of ocala, ZJX cleared us to descend and maintain 7000'. As we were descending through 9300' I noticed an small aircraft coming from the southwest, perpendicular to our flight path. He was approximately 100' lower than our flight path. We had very little time to react. The small aircraft came within 1000' horizontal and 100' vertical of our nose. Our approximately speed was 225 KTS. After the near miss ZJX said, 'you have traffic at 1 O'clock, 6 mi, altitude unknown.' the first officer replied, 'what about the one we almost hit?' after an extended silence I asked ZJX: 'are you showing any traffic in our immediate vicinity?' he replied, 'no.' I proceeded to tell him about the green and white small aircraft. He replied that he was not showing any conflicting traffic. I feel that the time has come, with the congested skies, and the ATC facs the way they are, that mode C is becoming more and more necessary. I would like to see all aircraft required to have xponders with mode C. I feel, as do my coworkers, that the use of xponders equipped with mode C should become mandatory in all aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX COMMUTER SMT GA-SMA NW OF OCF.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING DOWN V295 ARWY, OUR APPROX HDG WAS 130 DEGS. THE SUN WAS APPROX 20 DEGS OFF THE RIGHT WING MAKING IT VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENT TFC COMING FROM THE SW. THE SKY CONDITIONS WERE 5000' SCATTERED, PLUS 5 MI VISIBILITY. 45 MI NW OF OCALA, ZJX CLRED US TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 7000'. AS WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 9300' I NOTICED AN SMA COMING FROM THE SW, PERPENDICULAR TO OUR FLT PATH. HE WAS APPROX 100' LOWER THAN OUR FLT PATH. WE HAD VERY LITTLE TIME TO REACT. THE SMA CAME WITHIN 1000' HORIZ AND 100' VERT OF OUR NOSE. OUR APPROX SPD WAS 225 KTS. AFTER THE NEAR MISS ZJX SAID, 'YOU HAVE TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK, 6 MI, ALT UNKNOWN.' THE F/O REPLIED, 'WHAT ABOUT THE ONE WE ALMOST HIT?' AFTER AN EXTENDED SILENCE I ASKED ZJX: 'ARE YOU SHOWING ANY TFC IN OUR IMMEDIATE VICINITY?' HE REPLIED, 'NO.' I PROCEEDED TO TELL HIM ABOUT THE GREEN AND WHITE SMA. HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS NOT SHOWING ANY CONFLICTING TFC. I FEEL THAT THE TIME HAS COME, WITH THE CONGESTED SKIES, AND THE ATC FACS THE WAY THEY ARE, THAT MODE C IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE NECESSARY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALL ACFT REQUIRED TO HAVE XPONDERS WITH MODE C. I FEEL, AS DO MY COWORKERS, THAT THE USE OF XPONDERS EQUIPPED WITH MODE C SHOULD BECOME MANDATORY IN ALL ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.