Narrative:

Purpose of flight was currency training -- not to meet currency requirements. 2 pilots -- reporter under the hood. Both cfii's. Both retired military safety pilot over 12000 hours. Excellent eyesight. On VOR approach, instrument clearance we had not been released to tower frequency, as approach control was having a problem communicating with another plane in the area. Just as the VOR receiver flipped from to to from, the safety pilot grabbed the microphone and asked approach if he had seen the plane that passed just in front of our windshield. He responded, 'I do now.' the plane had missed me about 100 ft or less. It was a low wing single engine, type undetermined. It was impossible for us to have seen him in advance as it is also impossible to 'check your six' in a cabin enclosure with no back window. In fairness to the controller, his line of sight from TRACON facility probably was blocked by or plane. The fault, in this case lies in 2 areas. First the pilot in the other aircraft failed to keep a visual look out, and engaged in the hazardous practice of navigating directly over the VORTAC when approaching from the south or maneuvering. I also do not know why a radar equipped tower did not advise him of our position on an instrument approach. Prevention of similar occurrences at the least requires an item in the FSDO safety bulletin and for controllers also, a VFR operation altitude restriction to place aircraft above the level of intermediate and final approach segments. I also thank god that I'm here to write this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 SMAS HAD AN NMAC OVER THE SAC VOR. ATC SAW THE INTRUDER ACFT AFTER THE FACT.

Narrative: PURPOSE OF FLT WAS CURRENCY TRAINING -- NOT TO MEET CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS. 2 PLTS -- RPTR UNDER THE HOOD. BOTH CFII'S. BOTH RETIRED MIL SAFETY PLT OVER 12000 HRS. EXCELLENT EYESIGHT. ON VOR APCH, INST CLRNC WE HAD NOT BEEN RELEASED TO TWR FREQ, AS APCH CTL WAS HAVING A PROBLEM COMMUNICATING WITH ANOTHER PLANE IN THE AREA. JUST AS THE VOR RECEIVER FLIPPED FROM TO TO FROM, THE SAFETY PLT GRABBED THE MIKE AND ASKED APCH IF HE HAD SEEN THE PLANE THAT PASSED JUST IN FRONT OF OUR WINDSHIELD. HE RESPONDED, 'I DO NOW.' THE PLANE HAD MISSED ME ABOUT 100 FT OR LESS. IT WAS A LOW WING SINGLE ENG, TYPE UNDETERMINED. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO HAVE SEEN HIM IN ADVANCE AS IT IS ALSO IMPOSSIBLE TO 'CHK YOUR SIX' IN A CABIN ENCLOSURE WITH NO BACK WINDOW. IN FAIRNESS TO THE CTLR, HIS LINE OF SIGHT FROM TRACON FACILITY PROBABLY WAS BLOCKED BY OR PLANE. THE FAULT, IN THIS CASE LIES IN 2 AREAS. FIRST THE PLT IN THE OTHER ACFT FAILED TO KEEP A VISUAL LOOK OUT, AND ENGAGED IN THE HAZARDOUS PRACTICE OF NAVIGATING DIRECTLY OVER THE VORTAC WHEN APCHING FROM THE S OR MANEUVERING. I ALSO DO NOT KNOW WHY A RADAR EQUIPPED TWR DID NOT ADVISE HIM OF OUR POS ON AN INST APCH. PREVENTION OF SIMILAR OCCURRENCES AT THE LEAST REQUIRES AN ITEM IN THE FSDO SAFETY BULLETIN AND FOR CTLRS ALSO, A VFR OP ALT RESTRICTION TO PLACE ACFT ABOVE THE LEVEL OF INTERMEDIATE AND FINAL APCH SEGMENTS. I ALSO THANK GOD THAT I'M HERE TO WRITE THIS.

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.