Narrative:

I had just been released from las departure control about 5 mins previous to the incident. I opened my flight plan with reno FSS immediately upon release and tried twice to contact ZLA to obtain flight following and was waiting for them to respond. I looked outside during my VFR scan and saw a twin engine turboprop which I believe was a metropolitan fairchild in my 10 O'clock position, at my altitude, descending about 25 ft from my left wingtip, opposite direction, about 5 ft below me. I was cruising about 85 KTS and the other plane was extremely fast as when I looked behind me right after he passed, he was about 3 mi gone. It was white with red tail numbers and stripes and I saw the faces of the pilots -- they had sunglasses on! It was very fast and very frightening. There was no time for evasive action. I felt turbulence as they passed me. I did not see this aircraft in my previous scan. I was well rested, alert, very familiar with my aircraft, and cannot think of any ways in which I may have been in error. I have 40 hours of complex instrument time towards my instrument rating and feel that I am very alert to all phases of flight and at the time, I was well established at my cruising altitude of 7500 ft for about 10 mins. I feel this other airplane was perhaps an airliner and must have been in communication with somebody. If he was aware of my position, he was definitely way too close. I am not sure how this happened but I did report it to the local flight standards district office and I am hopeful that they can find the loophole in communication and prevent this from happening again. If that other plane had a heading of 10 degrees more to his left, he would have been in my path and I'm confident that I would not be alive to write this letter! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that she spoke to flight standards district office and they were able to track the second aircraft. He was in contact with ATC but never mentioned the near midair collision or evasive action. Reporter was told it is best to request flight following before leaving approach. She did this and had requested but was told they were too busy and squawk VFR. In the changeover, radar contact was lost and ZLA did not have her on their radar. V-105 is a well used airway for spi's on x-country flts as well as the grand canyon tour flts. Reporter was trying to do all the right stuff but ATC was busy both on approach and center. Aircraft Y pilot said he had taken evasive action after sighting aircraft X.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS NMAC WITH METROLINER ON DEP FROM LAS.

Narrative: I HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED FROM LAS DEP CTL ABOUT 5 MINS PREVIOUS TO THE INCIDENT. I OPENED MY FLT PLAN WITH RENO FSS IMMEDIATELY UPON RELEASE AND TRIED TWICE TO CONTACT ZLA TO OBTAIN FLT FOLLOWING AND WAS WAITING FOR THEM TO RESPOND. I LOOKED OUTSIDE DURING MY VFR SCAN AND SAW A TWIN ENG TURBOPROP WHICH I BELIEVE WAS A METRO FAIRCHILD IN MY 10 O'CLOCK POS, AT MY ALT, DSNDING ABOUT 25 FT FROM MY L WINGTIP, OPPOSITE DIRECTION, ABOUT 5 FT BELOW ME. I WAS CRUISING ABOUT 85 KTS AND THE OTHER PLANE WAS EXTREMELY FAST AS WHEN I LOOKED BEHIND ME RIGHT AFTER HE PASSED, HE WAS ABOUT 3 MI GONE. IT WAS WHITE WITH RED TAIL NUMBERS AND STRIPES AND I SAW THE FACES OF THE PLTS -- THEY HAD SUNGLASSES ON! IT WAS VERY FAST AND VERY FRIGHTENING. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR EVASIVE ACTION. I FELT TURB AS THEY PASSED ME. I DID NOT SEE THIS ACFT IN MY PREVIOUS SCAN. I WAS WELL RESTED, ALERT, VERY FAMILIAR WITH MY ACFT, AND CANNOT THINK OF ANY WAYS IN WHICH I MAY HAVE BEEN IN ERROR. I HAVE 40 HRS OF COMPLEX INST TIME TOWARDS MY INST RATING AND FEEL THAT I AM VERY ALERT TO ALL PHASES OF FLT AND AT THE TIME, I WAS WELL ESTABLISHED AT MY CRUISING ALT OF 7500 FT FOR ABOUT 10 MINS. I FEEL THIS OTHER AIRPLANE WAS PERHAPS AN AIRLINER AND MUST HAVE BEEN IN COM WITH SOMEBODY. IF HE WAS AWARE OF MY POS, HE WAS DEFINITELY WAY TOO CLOSE. I AM NOT SURE HOW THIS HAPPENED BUT I DID RPT IT TO THE LCL FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT THEY CAN FIND THE LOOPHOLE IN COM AND PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. IF THAT OTHER PLANE HAD A HDG OF 10 DEGS MORE TO HIS L, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN MY PATH AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT I WOULD NOT BE ALIVE TO WRITE THIS LETTER! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT SHE SPOKE TO FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE AND THEY WERE ABLE TO TRACK THE SECOND ACFT. HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH ATC BUT NEVER MENTIONED THE NMAC OR EVASIVE ACTION. RPTR WAS TOLD IT IS BEST TO REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING BEFORE LEAVING APCH. SHE DID THIS AND HAD REQUESTED BUT WAS TOLD THEY WERE TOO BUSY AND SQUAWK VFR. IN THE CHANGEOVER, RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AND ZLA DID NOT HAVE HER ON THEIR RADAR. V-105 IS A WELL USED AIRWAY FOR SPI'S ON X-COUNTRY FLTS AS WELL AS THE GRAND CANYON TOUR FLTS. RPTR WAS TRYING TO DO ALL THE RIGHT STUFF BUT ATC WAS BUSY BOTH ON APCH AND CTR. ACFT Y PLT SAID HE HAD TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION AFTER SIGHTING ACFT X.

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.