Narrative:

We were approaching meigs airport for landing, and had been cleared for a visual to runway 18 by chicago approach. There had been a broken ceiling at 2200 ft reported, but the ceiling was breaking up, and the visibility was approximately 8 mi. Our last assigned altitude from approach was for 2000 ft. Upon contacting meigs tower, we told to report on a left downwind for runway 18, and that traffic was a single engine small aircraft that had just departed runway 18, and was headed southeast. The controller asked the small aircraft his altitude, and he replied that he was at 1600 ft. I decided to stay at 2000 ft until we got closer to meigs or got the small aircraft in sight. Suddenly the copilot pointed out the small aircraft at about our 10 O'clock position and just above our altitude. I could see that his path would take him just over us, so I maintained my heading and started to descend. It happened so quickly that I did not have time to take any drastic action, and I don't think that the small aircraft pilot ever saw us. In reviewing the incident, I think that it would have been helpful if the small aircraft pilot had told the controller that he was climbing, or if the controller had asked him. If I had heard that, I might have descended to pattern altitude sooner, and would have been well below him. In retrospect, I also could have asked the controller to ask the small aircraft pilot if he was level at 1600 ft, or was climbing. Next time I will. There is a large mix in traffic in the chicago area, with many VFR and IFR aircraft flying in the same airspace. Quite often traffic is issued to us that we never see. I feel much safer when the WX is low IFR, and everybody is under positive control. See and be seen works most of the time, but not always.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 SMAS HAD AN MNAC AT CGX.

Narrative: WE WERE APCHING MEIGS ARPT FOR LNDG, AND HAD BEEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 18 BY CHICAGO APCH. THERE HAD BEEN A BROKEN CEILING AT 2200 FT RPTED, BUT THE CEILING WAS BREAKING UP, AND THE VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 8 MI. OUR LAST ASSIGNED ALT FROM APCH WAS FOR 2000 FT. UPON CONTACTING MEIGS TWR, WE TOLD TO RPT ON A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 18, AND THAT TFC WAS A SINGLE ENG SMA THAT HAD JUST DEPARTED RWY 18, AND WAS HEADED SE. THE CTLR ASKED THE SMA HIS ALT, AND HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS AT 1600 FT. I DECIDED TO STAY AT 2000 FT UNTIL WE GOT CLOSER TO MEIGS OR GOT THE SMA IN SIGHT. SUDDENLY THE COPLT POINTED OUT THE SMA AT ABOUT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS AND JUST ABOVE OUR ALT. I COULD SEE THAT HIS PATH WOULD TAKE HIM JUST OVER US, SO I MAINTAINED MY HDG AND STARTED TO DSND. IT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY THAT I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO TAKE ANY DRASTIC ACTION, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE SMA PLT EVER SAW US. IN REVIEWING THE INCIDENT, I THINK THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IF THE SMA PLT HAD TOLD THE CTLR THAT HE WAS CLBING, OR IF THE CTLR HAD ASKED HIM. IF I HAD HEARD THAT, I MIGHT HAVE DSNDED TO PATTERN ALT SOONER, AND WOULD HAVE BEEN WELL BELOW HIM. IN RETROSPECT, I ALSO COULD HAVE ASKED THE CTLR TO ASK THE SMA PLT IF HE WAS LEVEL AT 1600 FT, OR WAS CLBING. NEXT TIME I WILL. THERE IS A LARGE MIX IN TFC IN THE CHICAGO AREA, WITH MANY VFR AND IFR ACFT FLYING IN THE SAME AIRSPACE. QUITE OFTEN TFC IS ISSUED TO US THAT WE NEVER SEE. I FEEL MUCH SAFER WHEN THE WX IS LOW IFR, AND EVERYBODY IS UNDER POSITIVE CTL. SEE AND BE SEEN WORKS MOST OF THE TIME, BUT NOT ALWAYS.

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.