Narrative:

I was on a time critical cargo flight from dtw direct dmh. En route there was a line of level 2-6 trws on an northeast to southwest line. After diverting to the southwest along the northern edge of a line of thunderstorms, mansfield approach pointed out a possible hole in the line. After checking the stormscope and visibility clues I opted to try to break through the line here even though the gap was only 2 mi wide. Even though the idea of slipping between a level 5 and a level 3 thunderstorm is not my favorite thing to do, fuel was becoming a concern (even with reserves) and at va the time through the line was only to be 1 min 20 seconds. On the trip through the line of trw moderate turbulence was encountered. As a result most of the time flying was spent on instruments, even though it was VFR between the cells. Upon looking up 3/4 of the way through the line I looked up to southeast visually how far there was to go. That is when I saw an mlt on a collision course. I initiated an immediate right turn and at the same he made a descending right turn. Both the crew of the mlt and myself were lucky that both of us were flying with all anti-collision landing lights on. For giving the severity of the WX we probably would not have seen each other otherwise. The primary reason this near miss occurred was because both pilots and ATC was extremely busy dealing with the severe WX. Also flying in an ATC environment at night constantly one gets used to all traffic being pointed out. The mlt and I were in an area of weak radar coverage and out of radar contact (unknown at the time) of penetrating the line. One other contributing factor that I felt (and maybe the mlt pilot felt) is: who at this time of night would be dumb enough to be trying to fly in this WX especially at this spot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX ATTEMTING TO DEVIATE THROUGH THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AT NIGHT ENCOUNTERS OPPOSITE DIRECTION MLT NECESSITATING EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: I WAS ON A TIME CRITICAL CARGO FLT FROM DTW DIRECT DMH. ENRTE THERE WAS A LINE OF LEVEL 2-6 TRWS ON AN NE TO SW LINE. AFTER DIVERTING TO THE SW ALONG THE NORTHERN EDGE OF A LINE OF TSTMS, MANSFIELD APCH POINTED OUT A POSSIBLE HOLE IN THE LINE. AFTER CHKING THE STORMSCOPE AND VIS CLUES I OPTED TO TRY TO BREAK THROUGH THE LINE HERE EVEN THOUGH THE GAP WAS ONLY 2 MI WIDE. EVEN THOUGH THE IDEA OF SLIPPING BTWN A LEVEL 5 AND A LEVEL 3 TSTM IS NOT MY FAVORITE THING TO DO, FUEL WAS BECOMING A CONCERN (EVEN WITH RESERVES) AND AT VA THE TIME THROUGH THE LINE WAS ONLY TO BE 1 MIN 20 SECS. ON THE TRIP THROUGH THE LINE OF TRW MODERATE TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED. AS A RESULT MOST OF THE TIME FLYING WAS SPENT ON INSTRUMENTS, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS VFR BTWN THE CELLS. UPON LOOKING UP 3/4 OF THE WAY THROUGH THE LINE I LOOKED UP TO SE VISUALLY HOW FAR THERE WAS TO GO. THAT IS WHEN I SAW AN MLT ON A COLLISION COURSE. I INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE R TURN AND AT THE SAME HE MADE A DSNDING R TURN. BOTH THE CREW OF THE MLT AND MYSELF WERE LUCKY THAT BOTH OF US WERE FLYING WITH ALL ANTI-COLLISION LNDG LIGHTS ON. FOR GIVING THE SEVERITY OF THE WX WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE SEEN EACH OTHER OTHERWISE. THE PRIMARY REASON THIS NEAR MISS OCCURRED WAS BECAUSE BOTH PLTS AND ATC WAS EXTREMELY BUSY DEALING WITH THE SEVERE WX. ALSO FLYING IN AN ATC ENVIRONMENT AT NIGHT CONSTANTLY ONE GETS USED TO ALL TFC BEING POINTED OUT. THE MLT AND I WERE IN AN AREA OF WEAK RADAR COVERAGE AND OUT OF RADAR CONTACT (UNKNOWN AT THE TIME) OF PENETRATING THE LINE. ONE OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THAT I FELT (AND MAYBE THE MLT PLT FELT) IS: WHO AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT WOULD BE DUMB ENOUGH TO BE TRYING TO FLY IN THIS WX ESPECIALLY AT THIS SPOT.

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.