Narrative:

On april 1991, I was on an instrument training flight with a student. It had been IFR conditions most of the morning at the airport and it was a good day for instrument flying. Visibility was good (approximately 10 mi) but the broken cloud bases were at 1300' over the airport. While being radar vectored to the final approach course for the ILS 7L oas (on a heading of 240 degree and at 1600' MSL) we encountered an small aircraft X at our one O'clock position which had just departed VFR from deland airport. We were about 5 mi northeast of deland at the time and WX conditions at this location were approximately 10 mi visibility with a broken cloud base of 1800'. The small aircraft Z was approaching us head-on and in my blind spot between the windscreen and side window (I was in the right seat). I saw a movement and positioned myself to see what it was. About 500' in front was the small aircraft Z. I grabbed the controls from my student and immediately executed a left bank of approximately 60 degree. The entire situation lasted less than 3 seconds and the small aircraft Z passed within about 100' off our right wing and roughly 20' below us. Had I not done anything or banked to the right we probably would have hit each other. I could not tell if he was climbing, but he was definitely wings level. He either did not see me or mistook his position as one in which he had the right of way. I received no traffic advisories from ATC and immediately informed them of the situation. I was given further vectoring and completed the rest of the flight west/O further incident. Once on the ground I spoke with the tower supervisor and discovered small aircraft Z was VFR and had just departed deland. I understand that ATC is not required to point out VFR traffic to IFR aircraft and that responsibility for collision avoidance was soley in my hands. My student was wearing a hood at the time. The situation could have been avoided had I kept a better visibility scan outside the airplane, the controller issued traffic advisories (the frequency was relatively quiet), and the VFR airplane had not been breaking the VFR cloud clearance requirements for controled airspace. To prevent such a situation from occurring again I encourage all pilots (including myself) to stay aware of ATC responsibility versus pilot responsibility and maintain an effective visibility scan outside of the aircraft. Be sure to look around all blind spots that the aircraft poses, and reread as well as comply with the 'far' and 'aim' publications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX TWO GA SMA ACFT NE OF DAB ARSA.

Narrative: ON APRIL 1991, I WAS ON AN INSTRUMENT TRNING FLT WITH A STUDENT. IT HAD BEEN IFR CONDITIONS MOST OF THE MORNING AT THE ARPT AND IT WAS A GOOD DAY FOR INSTRUMENT FLYING. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD (APPROX 10 MI) BUT THE BROKEN CLOUD BASES WERE AT 1300' OVER THE ARPT. WHILE BEING RADAR VECTORED TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR THE ILS 7L OAS (ON A HDG OF 240 DEG AND AT 1600' MSL) WE ENCOUNTERED AN SMA X AT OUR ONE O'CLOCK POS WHICH HAD JUST DEPARTED VFR FROM DELAND ARPT. WE WERE ABOUT 5 MI NE OF DELAND AT THE TIME AND WX CONDITIONS AT THIS LOCATION WERE APPROX 10 MI VISIBILITY WITH A BROKEN CLOUD BASE OF 1800'. THE SMA Z WAS APCHING US HEAD-ON AND IN MY BLIND SPOT BTWN THE WINDSCREEN AND SIDE WINDOW (I WAS IN THE R SEAT). I SAW A MOVEMENT AND POSITIONED MYSELF TO SEE WHAT IT WAS. ABOUT 500' IN FRONT WAS THE SMA Z. I GRABBED THE CTLS FROM MY STUDENT AND IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A L BANK OF APPROX 60 DEG. THE ENTIRE SITUATION LASTED LESS THAN 3 SECS AND THE SMA Z PASSED WITHIN ABOUT 100' OFF OUR R WING AND ROUGHLY 20' BELOW US. HAD I NOT DONE ANYTHING OR BANKED TO THE R WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HIT EACH OTHER. I COULD NOT TELL IF HE WAS CLBING, BUT HE WAS DEFINITELY WINGS LEVEL. HE EITHER DID NOT SEE ME OR MISTOOK HIS POS AS ONE IN WHICH HE HAD THE R OF WAY. I RECEIVED NO TFC ADVISORIES FROM ATC AND IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THEM OF THE SITUATION. I WAS GIVEN FURTHER VECTORING AND COMPLETED THE REST OF THE FLT W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. ONCE ON THE GND I SPOKE WITH THE TWR SUPVR AND DISCOVERED SMA Z WAS VFR AND HAD JUST DEPARTED DELAND. I UNDERSTAND THAT ATC IS NOT REQUIRED TO POINT OUT VFR TFC TO IFR ACFT AND THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE WAS SOLEY IN MY HANDS. MY STUDENT WAS WEARING A HOOD AT THE TIME. THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD I KEPT A BETTER VIS SCAN OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE, THE CTLR ISSUED TFC ADVISORIES (THE FREQ WAS RELATIVELY QUIET), AND THE VFR AIRPLANE HAD NOT BEEN BREAKING THE VFR CLOUD CLRNC REQUIREMENTS FOR CTLED AIRSPACE. TO PREVENT SUCH A SITUATION FROM OCCURRING AGAIN I ENCOURAGE ALL PLTS (INCLUDING MYSELF) TO STAY AWARE OF ATC RESPONSIBILITY VERSUS PLT RESPONSIBILITY AND MAINTAIN AN EFFECTIVE VIS SCAN OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT. BE SURE TO LOOK AROUND ALL BLIND SPOTS THAT THE ACFT POSES, AND REREAD AS WELL AS COMPLY WITH THE 'FAR' AND 'AIM' PUBLICATIONS.

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.