Commuter takes evasive action when sighting air carrier.

Attributes
ACN	224362
Time
Date	199210
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : teb
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 165 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	224362
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 450
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While in cruise flight on a VFR trip from alb to acy we encountered a near miss situation with another airline's aircraft, I believe a large transport. My flight had been operating VFR while obtaining VFR flight advisories in succession from alb departure, ZBW, and then ny departure. At the approximately location as specified above we had just contacted and had been given a squawk code from ny departure on frequency 120.4. We had not been radar idented verbally by that controller yet. The controller was moderately busy with other airborne traffic as perceived by myself. My first officer visually pointed out the large transport at our 9 O'clock position and I pushed over to start a descent. The air carrier flight had seen us also and reported to ATC afterwards that he had initiated a steep climb. Areas contributing to the problem were: 1) the controller's workload, 2) we had just been given a squawk and were not radar idented, 3) lower scattered clouds contributing to scanning problems in picking up other aircraft, 4) a lowering ceiling further south of our position which was having the effect of my spending time out the cockpit straight ahead of my aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER TAKES EVASIVE ACTION WHEN SIGHTING ACR.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE FLT ON A VFR TRIP FROM ALB TO ACY WE ENCOUNTERED A NEAR MISS SITUATION WITH ANOTHER AIRLINE'S ACFT, I BELIEVE A LGT. MY FLT HAD BEEN OPERATING VFR WHILE OBTAINING VFR FLT ADVISORIES IN SUCCESSION FROM ALB DEP, ZBW, AND THEN NY DEP. AT THE APPROX LOCATION AS SPECIFIED ABOVE WE HAD JUST CONTACTED AND HAD BEEN GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE FROM NY DEP ON FREQ 120.4. WE HAD NOT BEEN RADAR IDENTED VERBALLY BY THAT CTLR YET. THE CTLR WAS MODERATELY BUSY WITH OTHER AIRBORNE TFC AS PERCEIVED BY MYSELF. MY FO VISUALLY POINTED OUT THE LGT AT OUR 9 O'CLOCK POS AND I PUSHED OVER TO START A DSCNT. THE ACR FLT HAD SEEN US ALSO AND RPTED TO ATC AFTERWARDS THAT HE HAD INITIATED A STEEP CLB. AREAS CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM WERE: 1) THE CTLR'S WORKLOAD, 2) WE HAD JUST BEEN GIVEN A SQUAWK AND WERE NOT RADAR IDENTED, 3) LOWER SCATTERED CLOUDS CONTRIBUTING TO SCANNING PROBLEMS IN PICKING UP OTHER ACFT, 4) A LOWERING CEILING FURTHER S OF OUR POS WHICH WAS HAVING THE EFFECT OF MY SPENDING TIME OUT THE COCKPIT STRAIGHT AHEAD OF MY ACFT.

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.