Narrative:

On jun/sun/89, at approximately xa, I was flying from vieques, pr, to isla grande in san juan. I was approaching the 20 mi outer limit of the arsa at 2000' when I encountered scattered clouds at this altitude. I descended to 1500 to remain clear of clouds. I called the san juan center and I requested the tango route at 1500' instead of 2000 to maintain VFR. I was flying nwbound, and as I turned farther wbound at 1500', I encountered some additional scattered clouds. The san juan center approved my route at 1500' and gave me a squawk number. As I continued in and out of broken scattered clouds, suddenly to my north and off my right wing, a single-engine small aircraft was veering sharply to his left northward away from me. The separation from the 2 aircraft was not more than several hundred feet, at most. Because of the scattered clouds, I did not see the other aircraft until he was directly abreast of me and sharply turning away. A midair collision was avoided by the other pilot because apparently he was able to see me prior to my seeing him. I usually fly with extreme care and always maintain my aircraft clear of clouds in VFR condition. My errors in this case were three: 1) not descending or turning away to avoid the scattered clouds but continuing through them, flying VFR. 2) not exercising the knowledge that I had that eastbound traffic in my path would be flying the same route at 1500'. 3) while I did report my altitude to the san juan center and I did have their approval, I did not wait to get a confirmation that they had picked up my aircraft on radar, which could have offered me the possible traffic conflict. In the future while flying VFR, I will maintain clear of clouds and be aware of other traffic routes which could pose a conflict in the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: ON JUN/SUN/89, AT APPROX XA, I WAS FLYING FROM VIEQUES, PR, TO ISLA GRANDE IN SAN JUAN. I WAS APCHING THE 20 MI OUTER LIMIT OF THE ARSA AT 2000' WHEN I ENCOUNTERED SCATTERED CLOUDS AT THIS ALT. I DESCENDED TO 1500 TO REMAIN CLEAR OF CLOUDS. I CALLED THE SAN JUAN CENTER AND I REQUESTED THE TANGO ROUTE AT 1500' INSTEAD OF 2000 TO MAINTAIN VFR. I WAS FLYING NWBOUND, AND AS I TURNED FARTHER WBOUND AT 1500', I ENCOUNTERED SOME ADDITIONAL SCATTERED CLOUDS. THE SAN JUAN CENTER APPROVED MY ROUTE AT 1500' AND GAVE ME A SQUAWK NUMBER. AS I CONTINUED IN AND OUT OF BROKEN SCATTERED CLOUDS, SUDDENLY TO MY NORTH AND OFF MY RIGHT WING, A SINGLE-ENGINE SMA WAS VEERING SHARPLY TO HIS LEFT NORTHWARD AWAY FROM ME. THE SEPARATION FROM THE 2 ACFT WAS NOT MORE THAN SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET, AT MOST. BECAUSE OF THE SCATTERED CLOUDS, I DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT UNTIL HE WAS DIRECTLY ABREAST OF ME AND SHARPLY TURNING AWAY. A MIDAIR COLLISION WAS AVOIDED BY THE OTHER PLT BECAUSE APPARENTLY HE WAS ABLE TO SEE ME PRIOR TO MY SEEING HIM. I USUALLY FLY WITH EXTREME CARE AND ALWAYS MAINTAIN MY ACFT CLEAR OF CLOUDS IN VFR CONDITION. MY ERRORS IN THIS CASE WERE THREE: 1) NOT DESCENDING OR TURNING AWAY TO AVOID THE SCATTERED CLOUDS BUT CONTINUING THROUGH THEM, FLYING VFR. 2) NOT EXERCISING THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I HAD THAT EBND TFC IN MY PATH WOULD BE FLYING THE SAME ROUTE AT 1500'. 3) WHILE I DID REPORT MY ALT TO THE SAN JUAN CENTER AND I DID HAVE THEIR APPROVAL, I DID NOT WAIT TO GET A CONFIRMATION THAT THEY HAD PICKED UP MY ACFT ON RADAR, WHICH COULD HAVE OFFERED ME THE POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICT. IN THE FUTURE WHILE FLYING VFR, I WILL MAINTAIN CLEAR OF CLOUDS AND BE AWARE OF OTHER TFC ROUTES WHICH COULD POSE A CONFLICT IN THE AREA.

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.