Narrative:

I was flying on IFR flight plan in VMC under control of myrtle beach approach control (frequency 119.2 on 120 degree heading) to destination cre airport at assigned altitude of 3000'. When 12 NM from cre, approach gave me vector of 180 degree to follow an small aircraft a approaching cre from southwest. Our speed was 130 K. I advised approach I did not have small aircraft a in sight and approach said, 'that is why I am vectoring you on 180 degree'. Both myself and my front seat passenger (ATR) are experienced pilots and were looking for traffic, because of reported traffic and our approaching a busy airport, whose frequency we had monitored. Within a minute of our report of small aircraft a traffic by approach, at 12 mi west/south of crew, we saw a single engine small aircraft B at 2-3 O'clock 1000' horizontally and 50-100' vertically, heading 90 degree. The small aircraft B was white and blue trim and identified later as xx. I immediately advised approach of the near hit with the small aircraft B and approach advised me it did not have the small aircraft B aircraft and that it must be a 'pop up'. I was then vectored to 120 degree and cleared to 1600'. I continued to observe the small aircraft B which was approaching cre runway 5 for landing and when we switched to tower frequency heard its identification as xx. After landing my front seat ATR pilot/passenger called to advise the cre tower of the near hit. Tower said they had first talked to xx 15 mi out and had recommended xx contact myrtle beach approach. Approach was contacted by phone and said that because of hurricane hugo they were housed in temporary quarters and their radar was not able to pick up non transponder traffic and their controller had not picked up xx at time of the incident. Due to these phone calls, FAA investigated the incident and are to advise us of the results of the investigation. It is inconceivable that I could be vectored away from known traffic, and into conflicting traffic in a radar environment without knowing that approach had severe limitations on its radar, and that targets could be in the same environment without being seen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN IFR SMA AND VFR SMA BOTH ON APCH TO SAME ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ON IFR FLT PLAN IN VMC UNDER CTL OF MYRTLE BEACH APCH CTL (FREQ 119.2 ON 120 DEG HDG) TO DEST CRE ARPT AT ASSIGNED ALT OF 3000'. WHEN 12 NM FROM CRE, APCH GAVE ME VECTOR OF 180 DEG TO FOLLOW AN SMA A APCHING CRE FROM SW. OUR SPEED WAS 130 K. I ADVISED APCH I DID NOT HAVE SMA A IN SIGHT AND APCH SAID, 'THAT IS WHY I AM VECTORING YOU ON 180 DEG'. BOTH MYSELF AND MY FRONT SEAT PAX (ATR) ARE EXPERIENCED PLTS AND WERE LOOKING FOR TFC, BECAUSE OF REPORTED TFC AND OUR APCHING A BUSY ARPT, WHOSE FREQ WE HAD MONITORED. WITHIN A MINUTE OF OUR REPORT OF SMA A TFC BY APCH, AT 12 MI WEST/SOUTH OF CREW, WE SAW A SINGLE ENGINE SMA B AT 2-3 O'CLOCK 1000' HORIZONTALLY AND 50-100' VERTICALLY, HDG 90 DEG. THE SMA B WAS WHITE AND BLUE TRIM AND IDENTIFIED LATER AS XX. I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED APCH OF THE NEAR HIT WITH THE SMA B AND APCH ADVISED ME IT DID NOT HAVE THE SMA B ACFT AND THAT IT MUST BE A 'POP UP'. I WAS THEN VECTORED TO 120 DEG AND CLRED TO 1600'. I CONTINUED TO OBSERVE THE SMA B WHICH WAS APCHING CRE RWY 5 FOR LNDG AND WHEN WE SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ HEARD ITS IDENTIFICATION AS XX. AFTER LNDG MY FRONT SEAT ATR PLT/PAX CALLED TO ADVISE THE CRE TWR OF THE NEAR HIT. TWR SAID THEY HAD FIRST TALKED TO XX 15 MI OUT AND HAD RECOMMENDED XX CONTACT MYRTLE BEACH APCH. APCH WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE AND SAID THAT BECAUSE OF HURRICANE HUGO THEY WERE HOUSED IN TEMPORARY QUARTERS AND THEIR RADAR WAS NOT ABLE TO PICK UP NON TRANSPONDER TFC AND THEIR CTLR HAD NOT PICKED UP XX AT TIME OF THE INCIDENT. DUE TO THESE PHONE CALLS, FAA INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND ARE TO ADVISE US OF THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION. IT IS INCONCEIVABLE THAT I COULD BE VECTORED AWAY FROM KNOWN TFC, AND INTO CONFLICTING TFC IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT KNOWING THAT APCH HAD SEVERE LIMITATIONS ON ITS RADAR, AND THAT TARGETS COULD BE IN THE SAME ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT BEING SEEN.

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.