Narrative:

This was a revenue passenger flight from jax to mco. We were on the bitho 6 arrival into mco and had recently received a clearance to descend to 6000 ft. The WX at and above our altitude was clear, there were broken cumulus clouds below us. As we passed through 8700 ft I was startled by a twin small transport flashing beneath us. The aircraft had been at our 11 O'clock position, at or below the horizontal. It was a near miss (200 ft vertical and about 300 ft horizon). It was a near miss (200 ft vertical and aboutu 300 ft horizontal). I questioned ATC about this traffic and was informed that the traffic had just 'popped up' on radar. The twin small transport was apparently on VFR flight following, as I heard the pilot check in with daytona approach shortly following the near miss. Approach asked the small transport pilot if he had seen us, to which the reply was no. The controller apologized to me and told me that he had a late handoff, and that there existed a 'radar cone of silence.' directly over the antenna. Scapegoats in this situation: 1) small transport twin pilot should keep eyes open when flying opposite direction near a busy arrival corridor! 2) second controller should have handed off the potentially conflicting traffic sooner. 3) I should be more alert in the arrival phase, especially at VFR cruising altitudes on the east coast of florida! 4) there should be a way to cover 'blind spots' in radar in such busy areas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT ON DSCNT HAS NMAC WITH SMT.

Narrative: THIS WAS A REVENUE PAX FLT FROM JAX TO MCO. WE WERE ON THE BITHO 6 ARR INTO MCO AND HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED A CLRNC TO DSND TO 6000 FT. THE WX AT AND ABOVE OUR ALT WAS CLR, THERE WERE BROKEN CUMULUS CLOUDS BELOW US. AS WE PASSED THROUGH 8700 FT I WAS STARTLED BY A TWIN SMT FLASHING BENEATH US. THE ACFT HAD BEEN AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS, AT OR BELOW THE HORIZ. IT WAS A NEAR MISS (200 FT VERT AND ABOUT 300 FT HORIZON). IT WAS A NEAR MISS (200 FT VERT AND ABOUTU 300 FT HORIZ). I QUESTIONED ATC ABOUT THIS TFC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TFC HAD JUST 'POPPED UP' ON RADAR. THE TWIN SMT WAS APPARENTLY ON VFR FLT FOLLOWING, AS I HEARD THE PLT CHK IN WITH DAYTONA APCH SHORTLY FOLLOWING THE NEAR MISS. APCH ASKED THE SMT PLT IF HE HAD SEEN US, TO WHICH THE REPLY WAS NO. THE CTLR APOLOGIZED TO ME AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAD A LATE HDOF, AND THAT THERE EXISTED A 'RADAR CONE OF SILENCE.' DIRECTLY OVER THE ANTENNA. SCAPEGOATS IN THIS SIT: 1) SMT TWIN PLT SHOULD KEEP EYES OPEN WHEN FLYING OPPOSITE DIRECTION NEAR A BUSY ARR CORRIDOR! 2) SECOND CTLR SHOULD HAVE HANDED OFF THE POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING TFC SOONER. 3) I SHOULD BE MORE ALERT IN THE ARR PHASE, ESPECIALLY AT VFR CRUISING ALTS ON THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA! 4) THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO COVER 'BLIND SPOTS' IN RADAR IN SUCH BUSY AREAS.

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.