Narrative:

We departed vrb contacted mia ARTCC, requested VFR flight following V-3, V-437 to chs 8500. Took series of controller handoffs up V-3. Approaching ssi VORTAC, advised jax (center or approach, I don't recall which) of a VFR climb to 9500 to concur with the hemispheric rule passing brunswick (ssi). At or near ssi we were directed to sav approach 118.4. I called thus: 'good morning. Savannah approach aircraft identify at 9-POINT-5, VFR'. We were acknowledged radar contact. We had passed glynco on our left side and were approaching broun. I checked my chart for the frequency of sav VORTAC and dialed it in 'standby' on navigation radio. I scanned around from at least 8 O'clock, on my left, to 3 O'clock. We were above the haze in excellent VMC. My wife, with a sectional chart on her lap, asked me a navigation question, and I looked down at the chart to see what she was talking about. (I should point out that I have a nonfunctioning wing leveler. I have to fly by hand.) after no more than 2 seconds of looking down, I returned to my windshield to see a large twin head on, wing span filling 1/4 of my side of the windshield. I exclaimed: 'oh, south___' and pulled into a sharp climbing right turn. Simultaneously I called sav and inquired about traffic in our vicinity. Sav said negative on traffic. I said we had been nose to nose with an small transport and I wanted to report a near miss. Contributing factors: lack of relative motion of an oncoming target and my inability to detect that motion or lack of. Closure speed of more than 400 KTS. Opposing aircraft at an improper altitude. Possibility of opposing aircraft operating on autoplt, unattended, and/or with transponder on standby.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA HAD NMAC WITH SMT AT 9500 FT MSL ON VFR FLT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED VRB CONTACTED MIA ARTCC, REQUESTED VFR FLT FOLLOWING V-3, V-437 TO CHS 8500. TOOK SERIES OF CTLR HDOFS UP V-3. APCHING SSI VORTAC, ADVISED JAX (CENTER OR APCH, I DON'T RECALL WHICH) OF A VFR CLB TO 9500 TO CONCUR WITH THE HEMISPHERIC RULE PASSING BRUNSWICK (SSI). AT OR NEAR SSI WE WERE DIRECTED TO SAV APCH 118.4. I CALLED THUS: 'GOOD MORNING. SAVANNAH APCH ACFT IDENT AT 9-POINT-5, VFR'. WE WERE ACKNOWLEDGED RADAR CONTACT. WE HAD PASSED GLYNCO ON OUR L SIDE AND WERE APCHING BROUN. I CHKED MY CHART FOR THE FREQ OF SAV VORTAC AND DIALED IT IN 'STANDBY' ON NAV RADIO. I SCANNED AROUND FROM AT LEAST 8 O'CLOCK, ON MY L, TO 3 O'CLOCK. WE WERE ABOVE THE HAZE IN EXCELLENT VMC. MY WIFE, WITH A SECTIONAL CHART ON HER LAP, ASKED ME A NAV QUESTION, AND I LOOKED DOWN AT THE CHART TO SEE WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT. (I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT I HAVE A NONFUNCTIONING WING LEVELER. I HAVE TO FLY BY HAND.) AFTER NO MORE THAN 2 SECONDS OF LOOKING DOWN, I RETURNED TO MY WINDSHIELD TO SEE A LARGE TWIN HEAD ON, WING SPAN FILLING 1/4 OF MY SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. I EXCLAIMED: 'OH, S___' AND PULLED INTO A SHARP CLBING R TURN. SIMULTANEOUSLY I CALLED SAV AND INQUIRED ABOUT TFC IN OUR VICINITY. SAV SAID NEGATIVE ON TFC. I SAID WE HAD BEEN NOSE TO NOSE WITH AN SMT AND I WANTED TO RPT A NEAR MISS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LACK OF RELATIVE MOTION OF AN ONCOMING TARGET AND MY INABILITY TO DETECT THAT MOTION OR LACK OF. CLOSURE SPEED OF MORE THAN 400 KTS. OPPOSING ACFT AT AN IMPROPER ALT. POSSIBILITY OF OPPOSING ACFT OPERATING ON AUTOPLT, UNATTENDED, AND/OR WITH TRANSPONDER ON STANDBY.

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.