Narrative:

I was on an instrument flight plan from cadillac, mi (cad). I had advised ZMP that I had lost 1 communications radio shortly after departure. The flight was uneventful until after handoff by flint (fnt) approach to detroit (dtw). Dtw had vectored my aircraft for a visual approach to the localizer/DME back course runway 27L at oakland-pontiac airport (ptk). WX conditions presented haze which restr visibility to 3-4 mi at best. As dtw cleared me for the approach and directed me to ptk tower, a single engine (low wing, white/light blue stripes) aircraft appeared at my 12 O'clock position, same altitude, opposite direction. The aircraft passed off my left side within approximately 500 ft as I turned away. The other aircraft did not appear to take any evasive action during the event. I made a right turn away from traffic as dtw was giving me clearance for the approach. Dtw had further advised me of fast traffic northwest of my position which would follow me. I asked dtw if they had seen the opposite (near miss) traffic. No reply. I switched to ptk tower frequency. It was very busy. I announced myself 2, maybe 3 times with no response from ptk tower. I began to think that I may be having further radio problems. Knowing that traffic was tight and faster than me, and that I had deviated to avoid the other aircraft and was unable to communicate with the tower, I opted to 'get out of the way' doing a 360 degree turn south of the approach course. Considering the unnerving miss, lack of communication (no clearance to land had been given), busy frequency, fast traffic to the north, I thought continuing the approach would create the worst of the hazardous sits that I envisioned at that moment. Ptk tower called me up to clear me to land and became understandably irritated about my deviation. I called the tower after arriving home to inquire about the event. The ptk supervisor advised me that he had been unaware of the aircraft which I called a near miss. He indicated that he was consumed at that time with handling the relatively heavy traffic then arriving at ptk. He advised me to call the supervisor at dtw approach. I did. The dtw supervisor said that he was aware of the problem that I had during my approach to pontiac. He stated further that the controller who was handling me at the time in question was, in fact, aware of the opposite direction traffic. That controller, he said, had been too busy to call the traffic for me. In addition, the dtw supervisor indicated that I was outside the air traffic area at the time of the event. Apparently that had something to do with the controller's obligation to alert me to the opposite traffic. I believe that I was so close to the air traffic area that the other aircraft should have been called for me. In fact, I believe the other traffic was close enough to me that dtw should have required me to deviate since dtw was not in contact with the opposite traffic. As I try to recall my position visually, I believe that I was very close to the air traffic area (if it really matters).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR FLT PLAN HAS NMAC WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN INST FLT PLAN FROM CADILLAC, MI (CAD). I HAD ADVISED ZMP THAT I HAD LOST 1 COMS RADIO SHORTLY AFTER DEP. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL AFTER HDOF BY FLINT (FNT) APCH TO DETROIT (DTW). DTW HAD VECTORED MY ACFT FOR A VISUAL APCH TO THE LOC/DME BACK COURSE RWY 27L AT OAKLAND-PONTIAC ARPT (PTK). WX CONDITIONS PRESENTED HAZE WHICH RESTR VISIBILITY TO 3-4 MI AT BEST. AS DTW CLRED ME FOR THE APCH AND DIRECTED ME TO PTK TWR, A SINGLE ENG (LOW WING, WHITE/LIGHT BLUE STRIPES) ACFT APPEARED AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS, SAME ALT, OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE ACFT PASSED OFF MY L SIDE WITHIN APPROX 500 FT AS I TURNED AWAY. THE OTHER ACFT DID NOT APPEAR TO TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION DURING THE EVENT. I MADE A R TURN AWAY FROM TFC AS DTW WAS GIVING ME CLRNC FOR THE APCH. DTW HAD FURTHER ADVISED ME OF FAST TFC NW OF MY POS WHICH WOULD FOLLOW ME. I ASKED DTW IF THEY HAD SEEN THE OPPOSITE (NEAR MISS) TFC. NO REPLY. I SWITCHED TO PTK TWR FREQ. IT WAS VERY BUSY. I ANNOUNCED MYSELF 2, MAYBE 3 TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE FROM PTK TWR. I BEGAN TO THINK THAT I MAY BE HAVING FURTHER RADIO PROBS. KNOWING THAT TFC WAS TIGHT AND FASTER THAN ME, AND THAT I HAD DEVIATED TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT AND WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE TWR, I OPTED TO 'GET OUT OF THE WAY' DOING A 360 DEG TURN S OF THE APCH COURSE. CONSIDERING THE UNNERVING MISS, LACK OF COM (NO CLRNC TO LAND HAD BEEN GIVEN), BUSY FREQ, FAST TFC TO THE N, I THOUGHT CONTINUING THE APCH WOULD CREATE THE WORST OF THE HAZARDOUS SITS THAT I ENVISIONED AT THAT MOMENT. PTK TWR CALLED ME UP TO CLR ME TO LAND AND BECAME UNDERSTANDABLY IRRITATED ABOUT MY DEV. I CALLED THE TWR AFTER ARRIVING HOME TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE EVENT. THE PTK SUPVR ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD BEEN UNAWARE OF THE ACFT WHICH I CALLED A NEAR MISS. HE INDICATED THAT HE WAS CONSUMED AT THAT TIME WITH HANDLING THE RELATIVELY HVY TFC THEN ARRIVING AT PTK. HE ADVISED ME TO CALL THE SUPVR AT DTW APCH. I DID. THE DTW SUPVR SAID THAT HE WAS AWARE OF THE PROB THAT I HAD DURING MY APCH TO PONTIAC. HE STATED FURTHER THAT THE CTLR WHO WAS HANDLING ME AT THE TIME IN QUESTION WAS, IN FACT, AWARE OF THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC. THAT CTLR, HE SAID, HAD BEEN TOO BUSY TO CALL THE TFC FOR ME. IN ADDITION, THE DTW SUPVR INDICATED THAT I WAS OUTSIDE THE ATA AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. APPARENTLY THAT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE CTLR'S OBLIGATION TO ALERT ME TO THE OPPOSITE TFC. I BELIEVE THAT I WAS SO CLOSE TO THE ATA THAT THE OTHER ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED FOR ME. IN FACT, I BELIEVE THE OTHER TFC WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO ME THAT DTW SHOULD HAVE REQUIRED ME TO DEVIATE SINCE DTW WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE OPPOSITE TFC. AS I TRY TO RECALL MY POS VISUALLY, I BELIEVE THAT I WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE ATA (IF IT REALLY MATTERS).

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.