Narrative:

IFR flight plan cancelled earlier. Flight in VFR with radar flight following/advisories. While in contact with sacramento approach, received call from ATC, 'aircraft X, traffic 2 O'clock less than a mi.' nearly simultaneously my wife (in copilot seat) called the traffic. The close proximity caused me to react with a violent pushover, wings level, as the small aircraft was very close and west/O vertical clearance. The evasive maneuver caused baggage to be strewn about the cabin and the two baggage compartments, and the left rear passenger window popped open. After recovery (minimum altitude change), I asked ATC for a telephone number for follow up and telephoned the area manager after landing. I was told that beacon contact was lost with the small transport for about a two min period and that it had just come back on. Passenger included wife and grand daughter. No damage to aircraft. Subsequent telephone call to ATC quality assurance specialist, revealed controller was a trnee. For information, ATC traffic notification was 'routine', with no sense of urgency. Conversation with area manager seemed to indicate beacon with mode C previously observed then lost for 2 min, then reobserved. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter emphasized the fact that he felt that the TRACON deviation controller was partly at fault with the casual, late call and could not explain the loss of the beacon signal. He stressed the level of vigilance that must be maintained in flying north or south as the heading/altitude rule allows opp direction traffic to be at the same VFR altitude of odd plus 500' and one cannot drop their search for that traffic. Also, aircraft cockpit window frame blocked view. He said that he will consider only flying east or west after this near midair collision.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: IFR FLT PLAN CANCELLED EARLIER. FLT IN VFR WITH RADAR FLT FOLLOWING/ADVISORIES. WHILE IN CONTACT WITH SACRAMENTO APCH, RECEIVED CALL FROM ATC, 'ACFT X, TFC 2 O'CLOCK LESS THAN A MI.' NEARLY SIMULTANEOUSLY MY WIFE (IN COPLT SEAT) CALLED THE TFC. THE CLOSE PROX CAUSED ME TO REACT WITH A VIOLENT PUSHOVER, WINGS LEVEL, AS THE SMA WAS VERY CLOSE AND W/O VERT CLRNC. THE EVASIVE MANEUVER CAUSED BAGGAGE TO BE STREWN ABOUT THE CABIN AND THE TWO BAGGAGE COMPARTMENTS, AND THE L REAR PAX WINDOW POPPED OPEN. AFTER RECOVERY (MINIMUM ALT CHANGE), I ASKED ATC FOR A TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR FOLLOW UP AND TELEPHONED THE AREA MGR AFTER LNDG. I WAS TOLD THAT BEACON CONTACT WAS LOST WITH THE SMT FOR ABOUT A TWO MIN PERIOD AND THAT IT HAD JUST COME BACK ON. PAX INCLUDED WIFE AND GRAND DAUGHTER. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. SUBSEQUENT TELEPHONE CALL TO ATC QUALITY ASSURANCE SPECIALIST, REVEALED CTLR WAS A TRNEE. FOR INFO, ATC TFC NOTIFICATION WAS 'ROUTINE', WITH NO SENSE OF URGENCY. CONVERSATION WITH AREA MGR SEEMED TO INDICATE BEACON WITH MODE C PREVIOUSLY OBSERVED THEN LOST FOR 2 MIN, THEN REOBSERVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR EMPHASIZED THE FACT THAT HE FELT THAT THE TRACON DEV CTLR WAS PARTLY AT FAULT WITH THE CASUAL, LATE CALL AND COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE LOSS OF THE BEACON SIGNAL. HE STRESSED THE LEVEL OF VIGILANCE THAT MUST BE MAINTAINED IN FLYING N OR S AS THE HDG/ALT RULE ALLOWS OPP DIRECTION TFC TO BE AT THE SAME VFR ALT OF ODD PLUS 500' AND ONE CANNOT DROP THEIR SEARCH FOR THAT TFC. ALSO, ACFT COCKPIT WINDOW FRAME BLOCKED VIEW. HE SAID THAT HE WILL CONSIDER ONLY FLYING E OR W AFTER THIS NMAC.

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.