Narrative:

On a VFR flight from wilmington, de, to salisbury, md. Using VOR/DME for navigation. Called baltimore approach for VFR flight following. They told me to contact dover approach. While in process of contacting dover, my wife noticed another plane at our 8 O'clock position at same altitude. It passed in front of us from left to right at a distance of about 200'. I did not take evasive action as it was clear that we would pass behind aircraft. My transponder was on mode C, but dover apparently did not see me and did not report my position to other aircraft who was receiving radar advisories. He asked tower about me after he xed in front of me, but they still did not see me. I just recently completed my IFR training and passed my flight test and most of my flying has been IFR. This experience pointed out to me that I need to spend more time looking outside the cockpit in VMC especially when on a VFR flight. I was concentrating too hard on my instruments and not spending enough time watching for traffic. All new instrument pilots must remember that when in VMC they must continue to be alert for traffic, in particular VFR traffic when flying VFR. Also, when flying VFR pilots should use flight following if available but remember that they are responsible for watching for other traffic and radar services may not always see and/or report potential traffic conflicts.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA SMA UNKNOWN ACFT IN DOV AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON A VFR FLT FROM WILMINGTON, DE, TO SALISBURY, MD. USING VOR/DME FOR NAVIGATION. CALLED BALTIMORE APCH FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING. THEY TOLD ME TO CONTACT DOVER APCH. WHILE IN PROCESS OF CONTACTING DOVER, MY WIFE NOTICED ANOTHER PLANE AT OUR 8 O'CLOCK POS AT SAME ALT. IT PASSED IN FRONT OF US FROM L TO R AT A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 200'. I DID NOT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION AS IT WAS CLR THAT WE WOULD PASS BEHIND ACFT. MY XPONDER WAS ON MODE C, BUT DOVER APPARENTLY DID NOT SEE ME AND DID NOT RPT MY POS TO OTHER ACFT WHO WAS RECEIVING RADAR ADVISORIES. HE ASKED TWR ABOUT ME AFTER HE XED IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THEY STILL DID NOT SEE ME. I JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED MY IFR TRNING AND PASSED MY FLT TEST AND MOST OF MY FLYING HAS BEEN IFR. THIS EXPERIENCE POINTED OUT TO ME THAT I NEED TO SPEND MORE TIME LOOKING OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT IN VMC ESPECIALLY WHEN ON A VFR FLT. I WAS CONCENTRATING TOO HARD ON MY INSTRUMENTS AND NOT SPENDING ENOUGH TIME WATCHING FOR TFC. ALL NEW INSTRUMENT PLTS MUST REMEMBER THAT WHEN IN VMC THEY MUST CONTINUE TO BE ALERT FOR TFC, IN PARTICULAR VFR TFC WHEN FLYING VFR. ALSO, WHEN FLYING VFR PLTS SHOULD USE FLT FOLLOWING IF AVAILABLE BUT REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WATCHING FOR OTHER TFC AND RADAR SVCS MAY NOT ALWAYS SEE AND/OR RPT POTENTIAL TFC CONFLICTS.

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.