Narrative:

Flying between waco and athens, tx, I had a near miss at 5000'. I was on an IFR flight plan. Flight conditions were VFR and visibility was more than 10 mi. About halfway into the trip I looked down for a chart, then looked up and my windshield was full of aircraft--a single engine small aircraft with a green strip and #south. I did not see people. Things happened so fast it's hard to judge the distance between us. I think that it was about 50'. Distance is very hard to judge in the air--everything looks closer than it is. This was close enough to scare me and 1 passenger. The flight continued to athens. During the flight, I told the controller that I just missed an aircraft by 50'. He said sorry, but was giving traffic to somebody over scy VOR. Center frequency was 133.3. After I got to the store in gun barrel, I called FSS, put a flight plan on for the next trip and got center phone #. Then called company, talked with them and checked company manual. Then called supervisor and talked with him. We both agreed that I should call the center supervisor. I did call, and about all he said was that he would check into it and check the controller's workload, and may get back with me. This will be filed under near miss. The bottom line is that it was up to me and the other guy to see and avoid. I still think that center should have seen or did see, and should have said something about it--but they did not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP PLT HAS NMAC WITH UNK VFR SMA WHILE ON AIRWAY ON IFR FLT IN VMC CONDITIONS.

Narrative: FLYING BTWN WACO AND ATHENS, TX, I HAD A NEAR MISS AT 5000'. I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. FLT CONDITIONS WERE VFR AND VISIBILITY WAS MORE THAN 10 MI. ABOUT HALFWAY INTO THE TRIP I LOOKED DOWN FOR A CHART, THEN LOOKED UP AND MY WINDSHIELD WAS FULL OF ACFT--A SINGLE ENG SMA WITH A GREEN STRIP AND #S. I DID NOT SEE PEOPLE. THINGS HAPPENED SO FAST IT'S HARD TO JUDGE THE DISTANCE BTWN US. I THINK THAT IT WAS ABOUT 50'. DISTANCE IS VERY HARD TO JUDGE IN THE AIR--EVERYTHING LOOKS CLOSER THAN IT IS. THIS WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO SCARE ME AND 1 PAX. THE FLT CONTINUED TO ATHENS. DURING THE FLT, I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I JUST MISSED AN ACFT BY 50'. HE SAID SORRY, BUT WAS GIVING TFC TO SOMEBODY OVER SCY VOR. CENTER FREQ WAS 133.3. AFTER I GOT TO THE STORE IN GUN BARREL, I CALLED FSS, PUT A FLT PLAN ON FOR THE NEXT TRIP AND GOT CENTER PHONE #. THEN CALLED COMPANY, TALKED WITH THEM AND CHKED COMPANY MANUAL. THEN CALLED SUPVR AND TALKED WITH HIM. WE BOTH AGREED THAT I SHOULD CALL THE CENTER SUPVR. I DID CALL, AND ABOUT ALL HE SAID WAS THAT HE WOULD CHK INTO IT AND CHK THE CTLR'S WORKLOAD, AND MAY GET BACK WITH ME. THIS WILL BE FILED UNDER NEAR MISS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IT WAS UP TO ME AND THE OTHER GUY TO SEE AND AVOID. I STILL THINK THAT CENTER SHOULD HAVE SEEN OR DID SEE, AND SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT IT--BUT THEY DID NOT.

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.