Narrative:

I had obtained WX several times and always the same answer: ceilings clear and visibilities greater than 20 mi. During the climb to my cruise altitude of 9500' I noticed a thin layer of clouds building below me. Eventually the layer became overcast. I climbed to 13500' and contacted flight watch to obtain an update on the WX. The latest report for the ny area was now 10000' overcast. A look ahead showed the tops of the overcast to be higher than reported. I decided to keep clear of the clouds and air file an IFR flight plan. However, now I had climbed to 17500' MSL and the tops were even higher. Hence I could no longer remain VFR and maintain the present heading. I made several attempts to obtain an IFR clearance from ZNY. I then tried calling bridgeport FSS on all the frequencys for 5 mins and no one would answer. I made a 180 degree turn and was heading back to my departure point where the WX was clear. During this time I was making periodic checks of everyone, making sure the O2 flow was adequate, and everyone felt fine. When I looked over at my older son, he was very drowsy. I inquired and he said he felt tired. I raised his O2 flow to 2.5 liters/M, far greater than needed for the altitude we were at. He showed no improvement. Concerned over hypoxia, I saw it was clear to the west and the cloud tops were considerably lower. I made an immediate turn to the west and started an aggressive descent. During this time I was scanning outside and examining my son's O2 lines and mask. He was very drowsy. I discovered he had stepped on the hose and disconnected his mask after I had adjusted the O2 flow. I looked out to do an external scan and in a flash out of nowhere a small business jet crossed my flight path above me and went from left to right. The vertical distance was approximately 1000' at a horizontal distance of approximately 1.5-2 mi. It was far closer than I liked. My observations are, FSS service in the air is now as bad as by phone. It seems the FAA's centralization of FSS's has now made it very near impossible to contact them in the air, which is the same experience one goes through when calling via telephone. Air filing a flight plan is becoming very impossible. I have decided anytime flying on top, whether VFR on top or not, an IFR flight plan will be active.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA-SMA CPR-SMT IN SEE AND AVOID OPERATION.

Narrative: I HAD OBTAINED WX SEVERAL TIMES AND ALWAYS THE SAME ANSWER: CEILINGS CLEAR AND VISIBILITIES GREATER THAN 20 MI. DURING THE CLB TO MY CRUISE ALT OF 9500' I NOTICED A THIN LAYER OF CLOUDS BUILDING BELOW ME. EVENTUALLY THE LAYER BECAME OVCST. I CLBED TO 13500' AND CONTACTED FLT WATCH TO OBTAIN AN UPDATE ON THE WX. THE LATEST RPT FOR THE NY AREA WAS NOW 10000' OVCST. A LOOK AHEAD SHOWED THE TOPS OF THE OVCST TO BE HIGHER THAN RPTED. I DECIDED TO KEEP CLR OF THE CLOUDS AND AIR FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN. HOWEVER, NOW I HAD CLBED TO 17500' MSL AND THE TOPS WERE EVEN HIGHER. HENCE I COULD NO LONGER REMAIN VFR AND MAINTAIN THE PRESENT HDG. I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN AN IFR CLRNC FROM ZNY. I THEN TRIED CALLING BRIDGEPORT FSS ON ALL THE FREQS FOR 5 MINS AND NO ONE WOULD ANSWER. I MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND WAS HDG BACK TO MY DEP POINT WHERE THE WX WAS CLEAR. DURING THIS TIME I WAS MAKING PERIODIC CHKS OF EVERYONE, MAKING SURE THE O2 FLOW WAS ADEQUATE, AND EVERYONE FELT FINE. WHEN I LOOKED OVER AT MY OLDER SON, HE WAS VERY DROWSY. I INQUIRED AND HE SAID HE FELT TIRED. I RAISED HIS O2 FLOW TO 2.5 LITERS/M, FAR GREATER THAN NEEDED FOR THE ALT WE WERE AT. HE SHOWED NO IMPROVEMENT. CONCERNED OVER HYPOXIA, I SAW IT WAS CLEAR TO THE W AND THE CLOUD TOPS WERE CONSIDERABLY LOWER. I MADE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO THE W AND STARTED AN AGGRESSIVE DSCNT. DURING THIS TIME I WAS SCANNING OUTSIDE AND EXAMINING MY SON'S O2 LINES AND MASK. HE WAS VERY DROWSY. I DISCOVERED HE HAD STEPPED ON THE HOSE AND DISCONNECTED HIS MASK AFTER I HAD ADJUSTED THE O2 FLOW. I LOOKED OUT TO DO AN EXTERNAL SCAN AND IN A FLASH OUT OF NOWHERE A SMALL BUSINESS JET CROSSED MY FLT PATH ABOVE ME AND WENT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE VERT DISTANCE WAS APPROX 1000' AT A HORIZ DISTANCE OF APPROX 1.5-2 MI. IT WAS FAR CLOSER THAN I LIKED. MY OBSERVATIONS ARE, FSS SVC IN THE AIR IS NOW AS BAD AS BY PHONE. IT SEEMS THE FAA'S CENTRALIZATION OF FSS'S HAS NOW MADE IT VERY NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTACT THEM IN THE AIR, WHICH IS THE SAME EXPERIENCE ONE GOES THROUGH WHEN CALLING VIA TELEPHONE. AIR FILING A FLT PLAN IS BECOMING VERY IMPOSSIBLE. I HAVE DECIDED ANYTIME FLYING ON TOP, WHETHER VFR ON TOP OR NOT, AN IFR FLT PLAN WILL BE ACTIVE.

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.