Spi on a cross-country flight has near midair collision within TRSA.

Attributes
ACN	178954
Time
Date	199105
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : avp
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : avp
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 58 flight time type : 58
ASRS Report	178954
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 vertical : 75
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was on a heading of 089 degrees on my student long x-country. This leg was from ipt to 44N. Shortly after ipt, I requested radar advisories from ZNY and they assigned a squawk. Soon they xferred me to wilkes-barre approach on 126.3, who radar idented me. While I was within the TRSA, at about xa:51Z, an small aircraft passed directly in front and slightly above, from right to left. It appeared to be nwbnd. Me: 'approach, did you see that traffic that just passed right in front of me from right to left?' approach: 'negative.' me: 'he passed about 75' above and 300' in front of me.' approach: no response. Radio traffic had been very light on the frequency and continued to be light thereafter. The high wings of my aircraft blocked my view of the other aircraft, both before and after its passage, so I could not have seen it, even if my traffic scan had been perfect. I was on the 'good vision' side of the other aircraft and it did not appear to make any evasive maneuver. I recorded all the radio xmissions for the entire flight on a microcassette records, so the facts were very clear when I later transcribed the tape. I am concerned that approach did not acknowledge seeing even a primary target and offer me an opportunity to evade him. Maybe I'm expecting too much from the system, but this one was far too close for comfort. Later, after I was handed off to ny approach, they pointed out 1 mode C glider and several primary target gliders, causing me to take an avoidance maneuver for both our sakes. That's what I have expected from radar advisories.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLT HAS NMAC WITHIN TRSA.

Narrative: I WAS ON A HDG OF 089 DEGS ON MY STUDENT LONG X-COUNTRY. THIS LEG WAS FROM IPT TO 44N. SHORTLY AFTER IPT, I REQUESTED RADAR ADVISORIES FROM ZNY AND THEY ASSIGNED A SQUAWK. SOON THEY XFERRED ME TO WILKES-BARRE APCH ON 126.3, WHO RADAR IDENTED ME. WHILE I WAS WITHIN THE TRSA, AT ABOUT XA:51Z, AN SMA PASSED DIRECTLY IN FRONT AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE, FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. IT APPEARED TO BE NWBND. ME: 'APCH, DID YOU SEE THAT TFC THAT JUST PASSED RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME FROM RIGHT TO LEFT?' APCH: 'NEGATIVE.' ME: 'HE PASSED ABOUT 75' ABOVE AND 300' IN FRONT OF ME.' APCH: NO RESPONSE. RADIO TFC HAD BEEN VERY LIGHT ON THE FREQ AND CONTINUED TO BE LIGHT THEREAFTER. THE HIGH WINGS OF MY ACFT BLOCKED MY VIEW OF THE OTHER ACFT, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER ITS PASSAGE, SO I COULD NOT HAVE SEEN IT, EVEN IF MY TFC SCAN HAD BEEN PERFECT. I WAS ON THE 'GOOD VISION' SIDE OF THE OTHER ACFT AND IT DID NOT APPEAR TO MAKE ANY EVASIVE MANEUVER. I RECORDED ALL THE RADIO XMISSIONS FOR THE ENTIRE FLT ON A MICROCASSETTE RECORDS, SO THE FACTS WERE VERY CLR WHEN I LATER TRANSCRIBED THE TAPE. I AM CONCERNED THAT APCH DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE SEEING EVEN A PRIMARY TARGET AND OFFER ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVADE HIM. MAYBE I'M EXPECTING TOO MUCH FROM THE SYS, BUT THIS ONE WAS FAR TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. LATER, AFTER I WAS HANDED OFF TO NY APCH, THEY POINTED OUT 1 MODE C GLIDER AND SEVERAL PRIMARY TARGET GLIDERS, CAUSING ME TO TAKE AN AVOIDANCE MANEUVER FOR BOTH OUR SAKES. THAT'S WHAT I HAVE EXPECTED FROM RADAR ADVISORIES.

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.