Narrative:

On an aerial photography mission over martin county, fl, at an altitude of 17500', an air carrier jet had to climb rapidly to avoid my flight path. The air carrier jet was given my aircraft as traffic and at the time was climbing to a higher flight level my altitude was given by center as 17900' unverified. In actuality we were at 17500+'. I was told later that he did finally see us and his course of action was to increase his rate of climb to avoid our flight path. The air carrier captain did not elect to file a near miss. We never saw the air carrier aircraft and while we were monitoring ZMA we were in an area split by 2 sectors and the air carrier was not on the frequency we were monitoring. We made an attempt to contact ZMA prior to our climb to altitude, but the controller chose not to acknowledge several VFR aircraft requesting flight following. At best a 'please standby' was given with no follow up recall. The tapes and FAA plot showed us at 17900'. We were using a vero beach setting and indicated 17500' for our photo mission which required that altitude for specific scale of photography. We finished the project the next day at the same altitude and area. However, with great persistence we were able to get flight following throughout our photo mission. We believe the primary cause was our inability to receive flight following on 2/sat/89 and a possible minor error in the encoder. We do, however, have photographic evidence which substantiates an above ground altitude of 17500'. Ground in that location is less than 100'. Even with phone calls arranging photography prior to lift, unless you are IFR, it is very difficult to get a response with center unless it's by handoff. We really only have problems to this extent with miami and washington centers. We service geographic areas from denver east. As an action we are checking our pitot static system at flight altitudes, but I primarily feel if ZMA were better staffed to handle everyday workloads better those that wish to participate in flight following could.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT AIRBORNE BETWEEN CLIMBING ACR-JET AND CORP-SMT ON PHOTO MISSION.

Narrative: ON AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY MISSION OVER MARTIN COUNTY, FL, AT AN ALT OF 17500', AN ACR JET HAD TO CLB RAPIDLY TO AVOID MY FLT PATH. THE ACR JET WAS GIVEN MY ACFT AS TFC AND AT THE TIME WAS CLBING TO A HIGHER FLT LEVEL MY ALT WAS GIVEN BY CENTER AS 17900' UNVERIFIED. IN ACTUALITY WE WERE AT 17500+'. I WAS TOLD LATER THAT HE DID FINALLY SEE US AND HIS COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO INCREASE HIS RATE OF CLB TO AVOID OUR FLT PATH. THE ACR CAPT DID NOT ELECT TO FILE A NEAR MISS. WE NEVER SAW THE ACR ACFT AND WHILE WE WERE MONITORING ZMA WE WERE IN AN AREA SPLIT BY 2 SECTORS AND THE ACR WAS NOT ON THE FREQ WE WERE MONITORING. WE MADE AN ATTEMPT TO CONTACT ZMA PRIOR TO OUR CLB TO ALT, BUT THE CTLR CHOSE NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SEVERAL VFR ACFT REQUESTING FLT FOLLOWING. AT BEST A 'PLEASE STANDBY' WAS GIVEN WITH NO FOLLOW UP RECALL. THE TAPES AND FAA PLOT SHOWED US AT 17900'. WE WERE USING A VERO BEACH SETTING AND INDICATED 17500' FOR OUR PHOTO MISSION WHICH REQUIRED THAT ALT FOR SPECIFIC SCALE OF PHOTOGRAPHY. WE FINISHED THE PROJECT THE NEXT DAY AT THE SAME ALT AND AREA. HOWEVER, WITH GREAT PERSISTENCE WE WERE ABLE TO GET FLT FOLLOWING THROUGHOUT OUR PHOTO MISSION. WE BELIEVE THE PRIMARY CAUSE WAS OUR INABILITY TO RECEIVE FLT FOLLOWING ON 2/SAT/89 AND A POSSIBLE MINOR ERROR IN THE ENCODER. WE DO, HOWEVER, HAVE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE WHICH SUBSTANTIATES AN ABOVE GND ALT OF 17500'. GND IN THAT LOCATION IS LESS THAN 100'. EVEN WITH PHONE CALLS ARRANGING PHOTOGRAPHY PRIOR TO LIFT, UNLESS YOU ARE IFR, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET A RESPONSE WITH CENTER UNLESS IT'S BY HDOF. WE REALLY ONLY HAVE PROBS TO THIS EXTENT WITH MIAMI AND WASHINGTON CENTERS. WE SVC GEOGRAPHIC AREAS FROM DENVER E. AS AN ACTION WE ARE CHKING OUR PITOT STATIC SYS AT FLT ALTS, BUT I PRIMARILY FEEL IF ZMA WERE BETTER STAFFED TO HANDLE EVERYDAY WORKLOADS BETTER THOSE THAT WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN FLT FOLLOWING COULD.

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.