Narrative:

While on a VFR solo x-country flight from lancaster, PA, to manassas, va, I contacted dulles (iad) approach on 126.1 approximately 30 NM northeast of the airport. I was at 4500' and on a heading of approximately 210 degree. I advised dulles of my intentions and was given a squawk code of XXXX and told to turn to 260 degree to be vectored west of dulles. This placed me in the direct path of all traffic attempting to land at dulles and with the distance I was kept from dulles, the 4500' altitude would also be the altitude this rfc would be. I had one large transport pass approximately 500' above me on his approach into dulles and had other traffic reports but had negative visibility contact. I was then told to contact dulles approach on 125.05 and what happened a few mins later is what lead to this report. Still at 4500' and on a heading of 260 degree the controller advised I had an medium large transport at approximately 10 O'clock climbing from 4000'. I advised of visibility contact. He was approximately 1 mi from me and climbing into my flight path. The controller asked if I would be able to maintain visibility sep and I replied 'not west/O losing altitude' which I had begun to do immediately because I felt a collision would occur if I continued at my current heading and altitude and the distance between the aircraft had already become too close. The controller then had the jet make an immediate turn to 270 degree which made him turn directly in front of me and I was approximately 300' below his flight path. The controller then told me after all of this occurred that the jet was going to maintain 4000' for me but I was never told this information or did I over-hear it because he was on another frequency. This all occurred in about 10 or 15 seconds but I felt if the controller would of told me that the pilot was going to maintain 4000' instead of asking if I would be able to maintain sep I would have maintained my 4500' and allowed the jet tp pass below me but my visibility observation was that he was continuing to climb. I do not believe it was just one set of circumstances that lead to this incident but I do believe I could have been better informed about what the other pilots intentions were going to be when left with such a short time in which a decision had to be made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT IN CONTACT WITH APCH HAS NMAC WITH DEPARTING MLG.

Narrative: WHILE ON A VFR SOLO X-COUNTRY FLT FROM LANCASTER, PA, TO MANASSAS, VA, I CONTACTED DULLES (IAD) APCH ON 126.1 APPROX 30 NM NE OF THE ARPT. I WAS AT 4500' AND ON A HDG OF APPROX 210 DEG. I ADVISED DULLES OF MY INTENTIONS AND WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE OF XXXX AND TOLD TO TURN TO 260 DEG TO BE VECTORED W OF DULLES. THIS PLACED ME IN THE DIRECT PATH OF ALL TFC ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT DULLES AND WITH THE DISTANCE I WAS KEPT FROM DULLES, THE 4500' ALT WOULD ALSO BE THE ALT THIS RFC WOULD BE. I HAD ONE LGT PASS APPROX 500' ABOVE ME ON HIS APCH INTO DULLES AND HAD OTHER TFC RPTS BUT HAD NEGATIVE VIS CONTACT. I WAS THEN TOLD TO CONTACT DULLES APCH ON 125.05 AND WHAT HAPPENED A FEW MINS LATER IS WHAT LEAD TO THIS RPT. STILL AT 4500' AND ON A HDG OF 260 DEG THE CTLR ADVISED I HAD AN MLG AT APPROX 10 O'CLOCK CLBING FROM 4000'. I ADVISED OF VIS CONTACT. HE WAS APPROX 1 MI FROM ME AND CLBING INTO MY FLT PATH. THE CTLR ASKED IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VIS SEP AND I REPLIED 'NOT W/O LOSING ALT' WHICH I HAD BEGUN TO DO IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE I FELT A COLLISION WOULD OCCUR IF I CONTINUED AT MY CURRENT HDG AND ALT AND THE DISTANCE BTWN THE ACFT HAD ALREADY BECOME TOO CLOSE. THE CTLR THEN HAD THE JET MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 270 DEG WHICH MADE HIM TURN DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME AND I WAS APPROX 300' BELOW HIS FLT PATH. THE CTLR THEN TOLD ME AFTER ALL OF THIS OCCURRED THAT THE JET WAS GOING TO MAINTAIN 4000' FOR ME BUT I WAS NEVER TOLD THIS INFO OR DID I OVER-HEAR IT BECAUSE HE WAS ON ANOTHER FREQ. THIS ALL OCCURRED IN ABOUT 10 OR 15 SECS BUT I FELT IF THE CTLR WOULD OF TOLD ME THAT THE PLT WAS GOING TO MAINTAIN 4000' INSTEAD OF ASKING IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN SEP I WOULD HAVE MAINTAINED MY 4500' AND ALLOWED THE JET TP PASS BELOW ME BUT MY VIS OBSERVATION WAS THAT HE WAS CONTINUING TO CLB. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT WAS JUST ONE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LEAD TO THIS INCIDENT BUT I DO BELIEVE I COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER INFORMED ABOUT WHAT THE OTHER PLTS INTENTIONS WERE GOING TO BE WHEN LEFT WITH SUCH A SHORT TIME IN WHICH A DECISION HAD TO BE MADE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.